CNBNews

Camden City NJ. – Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay and Camden County Police Chief Gabriel Rodriguez are announcing that charges have been filed in connection with a 2013 cold case homicide.

Duane Parker, 58, of Camden, has been charged with one count each of first-degree Murder, first-degree Felony Murder, and first-degree Robbery in the fatal stabbing of 57-year-old Timothy Appling of Camden.

On December 14, 2013, at approximately 2:43 a.m., officers from the Camden County Police Department were dispatched to Broadway and Atlantic Avenue in Camden and located the victim bleeding on the ground.  The victim was transported to Cooper University Hospital for treatment and was later pronounced deceased.  A postmortem examination of the victim determined the cause of death to be a stab wound and the manner of death to be homicide.

During the initial investigation, detectives recovered DNA evidence from the victim’s fingernails, but no potential matches for the source of the DNA were found at that time.  Detectives also learned from a witness that a male called “Park” or “Parks” with a scar on his forehead had been the person who robbed and assaulted the victim.

In January of 2020, detectives were notified that the Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS, had hit on Duane Parker as a potential match.  Detectives observed that Parker had a scar on his forehead consistent with the scar described by the witness.

During further investigation, detectives collected a more recent DNA sample from Parker for analysis. In December of 2021, the New Jersey State Police Laboratory confirmed that Parker was the source of the DNA collected from the victim’s fingernails.

“No matter how much time goes by, we will not stop seeking justice for victims and their families,” said Prosecutor MacAulay. “This case is yet another example of the dedication of our detectives and partner agencies to holding individuals who commit violence responsible for their actions.”

Parker is currently incarcerated in New Jersey State Prison on unrelated charges.  He was charged in reference to Appling’s homicide on April 14, 2022, and served with those charges on April 18, 2022.  A detention hearing will be scheduled for a future date in Superior Court in Camden.

Anyone with information pertaining to this case is asked to contact Detective Kyrus Ingalls with the CCPO Homicide Unit at (856) 225-5105.  Tips can also be sent anonymously to [email protected].

All persons charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.