BETHEL PARK — Jessica Freeman was only a teenager when she was found beaten to death and dumped on the side of a road in Bethel Park nearly three decades ago. No one has ever been charged with the murder, but now, investigators tell Target 11 that they are closing in on a suspect.
And that is welcome news to her sister, who has been on a mission to find the killer.
“She was my best friend. She was my best friend and for her to be murdered like that! ... That was personal, and now I’m getting personal. Everything was hidden until I came out. Now everybody’s hiding because I’m coming out and like I told all her friends, ‘If you know anything, I need you to tell.’ I don’t care if you’re scared or not because whoever done this is going to pay for what they’re doing. That’s if they’re not already paying for it. I told my husband this morning, ‘I hope the person that did do it is pacing in their home today,’” said Carlina Freeman, Jessica’s younger sister, who along with their brother had been placed in foster care because of their mother’s failing health.
On July 26, 1992, 15-year-old Jessica Freeman was found beaten to death near the railroad tracks by Willis Road in Bethel Park. The cause of death was listed on the autopsy report as blunt force trauma. Police said she had been murdered, but they’ve never been able to make an arrest.
“She was my ray of hope. You know what I’m saying? And it was hard, it’s been hard because she was my sister,” said Carlina.
According to published reports at the time, Jessica, who had been in a foster home, ran away and was last seen on Liberty Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh near the bus station, where police suspect she had been lured into human trafficking.
“A young girl who lived under some very unfortunate circumstances ... had a very rough life. And for it to end that way, it’s tragic,” said Allegheny County Police detective Kevin McCool, who has been taking a new look at this old case.
For McCool, it’s also personal. He grew up just down the street from where Jessica’s body was found.
And today, nearly three decades later, McCool told Target 11 that he’s optimistic about solving this case.
“Sometimes, information will come in and that will get us back involved. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of taking an interest,” he said. “There’s really no cold case, it’s not like that. They’re cases you work them when you can make progress, and this is a case that I feel and our leadership feels that we are able to make progress on.”
Investigators have made progress, pinpointing a timeline of events the night Jessica was killed.
“We know where she was in the evening hours the night before, up until a few hours before she’s found. There’s some very good witnesses that were aware of her movements in her life during that time period. There’s some people who have connections to that area who have become relevant,” said McCool.
And McCool said in this case, time is on their side.
“As time has passed, a lot has changed in our favor. With any case of that length, you have allegiances that have changed, you have people who are willing to talk. You have the science behind evidence has become better. So, I’m pretty hopeful about that,” said McCool.
Carlina Freeman said she won’t rest until justice is served.
“I want to look this person in the eye and ask why, why, why would you do that to a child? Because she was a child. What, what, what motive did you have to take my sister’s life, a daughter of somebody, a sister of somebody? What was it? And once I finally get that closure of saying something to that person, then I will be OK. I’ll know OK, it’s over. You can rest now,” said Carlina Freeman.
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