SHIAWASSEE CO. -- The man accused of killing 20-year-old Rachel Scott in Shiawassee County in 2000 has been found guilty in her death.
The Associated Press reports the jury found 34-year-old Laurencio “Larry” Rodriguez guilty of second-degree murder based on witnesses’ testimony.
In July of 2000, Scott’s family reported the girl missing. Days later, he body was found in a field in Vernon Township. Police believed she had been strangled, but struggled finding the person responsible.
For over a decade, the case went unsolved until a witness came forward in the case, claiming Rodriguez was the key suspect in the woman’s death.
In April of this year, Rodriguez was charged with open murder, but he continued to claim his innocence. Scott’s family told NBC25 in a past interview that they never believed Rodriguez, and hoped that justice was served in the tragic death.
Now, eleven years after Scott’s death, Rodriguez, who was already serving time for a drug conviction, will spend more years behind bars for the homicide.