Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor says dogged police work by Detective Sal Augeri helped them crack the 2009 murder of University of Tampa runner Ryan McCall.
Police charged 22-year-old David Earl Williams, Junior with the murder. He's already behind bars in South Florida.
McCall and a friend were walking home to the university in the early morning of August 19, 2009. On the bridge on South Boulevard, they were approached by a robber who pistol-whipped his friend and shot and killed Ryan McCall.
Castor said Augeri did not give up on the case, even after he moved from homicide to another police division.
"He was actually involved in the investigation of those burglaries over in the west Tampa area that lead him to Williams as a suspect. He was able to identify him as a suspect early on, but had to get enough evidence so that charges could be brought against him."
Castor says Williams has a long criminal history dating back to an armed robbery before he was a teenager. The Department of Corrections says he has a tattoo on his right hand that says "Get $."
