This week’s Hometown Hero is Tim Horne, formerly of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Horne was the investigator in the “billboard boy” case that came to an end last week in Orange County.
The case began in 1998 when the remains of a 10-year-old boy were originally found by a lawnmower crew under a billboard off I-85 near Mebane. The case remained cold until last February, when DNA technology helped Orange County investigators identify the remains as those of Robert “Bobby” Adam Whitt and contact the remaining family members.
On January 15, the father of Whitt pleaded guilty for his murder. The official charges filed against John Russell Whitt, 57, were two murder charges and two cases of concealment of death.
Horne attended the hearing last week at the Orange County courthouse.
“I was very proud to take Bobby’s ashes back for a burial to Ohio [where the family lives,]” Horne said. “When you’re interacting with a family like that, you become one of the family. They’ve certainly welcomed me as a family member. For them, I’m very happy and very proud of everybody’s work. This is the final day.”
Listen to this week’s Hometown Hero segment:
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