40 years after woman murdered in Virginia, DNA leads to arrest in Connecticut

A Connecticut man was arrested for the decades-old rape and murder of a Virginia woman after forensic evidence offered new leads in the cold case, police said Wednesday. 

The body of 22-year-old Roberta Walls was found in a field in Virginia Beach on the morning of May 15, 1986, the Virginia Beach Police Department said in a news release. The department described her as “a vibrant young woman” who  “had a promising future ahead of her.” 

Walls had been sexually assaulted and stabbed multiple times. Police investigated the killing, but had no leads, according to the department. Eventually, it was assigned to the department’s Cold Case Unit. 

In 2001, a DNA profile was developed and run through the Virginia Department of Forensic Science, police said. The profile information was also entered in a nationwide databank. Investigators determined the DNA profile belonged to a man, but no matches were found, according to CBS affiliate WTKR. 

In 2017, a lab in northern Virginia analyzed the DNA and created a composite photo of Walls’ killer, police said, but these developments again did not lead to any arrests. 

The Virginia Beach Police Department received grant funding in 2023 that allowed investigators to pursue forensic genealogy leads, according to WTKR.  

VBPD Detective Bureau Captain Michele Wyatt said in the news release that a direct DNA comparison led to the identification of Charles Berry, a 66-year-old man living in Newington, Connecticut. Berry was confirmed to be the source of the DNA profile, Wyatt said. 

“While (Walls’ killing) was an egregious event, there is joy in finally finding an answer,” Wyatt said. 

WKTR reported that Berry was believed to be in the U.S. Navy at the time of the murder. Investigators obtained a warrant for his DNA, which they compared to the profile from the crime scene, WTKR said. 

Berry was arrested on Monday in Newington, Connecticut. Police charged him with being a fugitive from justice, the Newington Police Department said in a news release. He is being held on a $10 million bond and is awaiting extradition to Virginia, the Virginia Beach Police Department said. Police did not say what charges he will face in Virginia. 

Virginia Beach Police Department Deputy Chief Jeffrey Wilkerson said investigators are “extremely confident we have the right person,” WKTR reported. 

Virginia Beach Police Department Police Chief Paul Neudigate said he hopes the developments inspire other families waiting for answers. 

“There are families and loved ones in this community that have not yet received the closure and the justice that they deserve,” Neudigate said. “For those families, there is hope for the future, and we want families to know our team is not giving up on them.”