Laurel man charged with rape, murder in 40-year-old Howard County kidnapping case
HOWARD COUNTY, Md. - On March 29, 1982, Laney McGadney left her Columbia home to go to the grocery store. Later that day, her body was found in a vacant lot after she’d been raped and stabbed to death.
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Nearly 40 years later, the man who murdered the 28-year-old mother of four is being brought to justice.
Howard County police say they’ve arrested Howard Jackson Bradberry of Montgomery Street in Laurel on charges including second-degree murder, first and second-degree rape and kidnapping.
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Police used DNA evidence to unlock the decades-old case.
"We hope that after nearly 40 years, Laney McGadney’s family can have some kind of peace with this arrest," said Police Chief Lisa Myers. "Nothing will ever erase the pain of losing a loved one in such a violent and tragic way. Our cold case investigators are committed to bringing justice for victims and families, no matter how much time has passed."
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After obtaining additional information, police charged Bradberry in the murder. He is currently being held at the Howard County Detention Center on $25,000 bond.