Jury Convicts James Carrodine for 1997 Rape and Murder  of 14-year-old Shayla Rose

FLINT, Michigan — Shayla Rose, 14, was found dead Nov. 11, 1997, in an abandoned apartment in Flint. She had been raped and strangled. Today, her killer awaits sentencing after a Genesee County Circuit Court jury found him guilty on Thursday morning.

For years, the case remained unsolved and assigned to the Flint Violent Crimes Task Force, also known as the cold case unit.

 

But in 2006, DNA technology delivered new evidence and a big break in the case to investigators. A sock that Shayla was wearing when her body was discovered had a semen stain on it and DNA was extracted.

 

The DNA matched Carrodine, who was in prison on an unrelated charge, said Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton. Michigan prisoners are required to give DNA when they enter the prison system.

 

"Once we had this, we just moved forward," Leyton said.

 

Prior to the start of the jury trial, Shayla's aunt, Veronica Rose, said there was no doubt in her mind that a conviction was eminent.

 

"DNA doesn't lie," she said. "It's just that simple."

 

Rose said Shayla was a tomboy, but was starting to turn into a young women as she entered high school and looked forward to driver's training.

 

"He robbed Shayla of her youth," she said. "He robbed us of Shayla. He never gave her the chance to be anything. She was dead at 14."