Apr 4, 2008 12:06 pm US/Eastern
Accused Killer In Worcester Cold Case In Court
WORCESTER (WBZ) ―
For more than two decades, the family of Lillian Johnson waited for answers in the elderly woman's slaying. Friday, the man now accused in the former cold case went before a Worcester judge.
Craig Manggia was a student at Clark University in 1984 when his neighbor, 79-year-old Lillian, was stabbed to death in her Freeland Street apartment. Last December, he was charged with the crime, after new DNA technology linked blood from the crime scene to Manggia.
Manggia's DNA was entered into the national database after he was convicted of sexually assaulting a 12 year-old girl in New York. He has been held at Riker's Island since his arrest in December, fighting extradition to Massachusetts.
For Lillian Johnson's family, Manggia's arrest came as welcome news. Her grandson, Robert, was 18 when his grandmother was killed. He went on to become a Worcester Police detective, dedicating his life to helping crime victims and their families. "We have the evidence and we'll put our case before a jury and see how it goes, but we're just glad he's back in the state."
Friday, Manggia pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail. "Twenty-four years is a long time to wait, but justice does take its time," said David Johnson, the victim's grandson. "But we will wait the process out and hopefully come to a conclusion we'll all be happy with."
David is now a police officer in Sterling. His brother Tom works in the attorney general's office. "Having been a lawyer for about 10 years, you know what happens in a courtroom, but when it's your family member, it's a lot different... and I got a little emotional... a little emotional."
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