A suspect in a 14-year-old cold case murder was arrested in Florida after being pulled over for running a red light. Timothy Hickerson, 43, was stopped by officers in Palm Coast on Old Kings Road when they discovered he was wanted for the 2010 murder of Shane Donahue in Virginia.
Police bodycam footage captured the moment Hickerson was ordered out of his white pickup truck by officers from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. Hickerson appeared surprised when he was informed that he wasn’t just receiving a traffic ticket but was being arrested on an outstanding murder warrant.
Hickerson is the primary suspect in the disappearance and presumed murder of 23-year-old Shane Donahue, who was last seen leaving his parents’ home in Nokesville, Virginia, in March 2010. Although Donahue’s body was never found, the case recently resurfaced after new information came to light. Hickerson had been spotted leaving Donahue’s parents’ home around the time of his disappearance and was also linked to a burglary at Donahue’s home just days before he went missing.
For more than a decade, Donahue’s family and friends kept hope alive, organizing vigils and keeping his memory in the public eye. Now, their patience may finally see justice served.
No motive has been provided yet for why Hickerson might have killed Donahue, nor has there been any further information regarding the location of Donahue’s remains. Hickerson is currently being held in Flagler County Jail and is awaiting extradition to Virginia to face the charges.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly commented on the arrest, saying, “This shows there is no such thing as a simple traffic stop. This one ended with a fugitive meeting justice who was wanted for a murder that occurred more than 14 years ago. If you’re a fugitive, we will catch you regardless of where you ran from and take you to jail.”
Hickerson’s capture brings renewed hope to Donahue’s family, who have long awaited a breakthrough in the case.
