SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Southfield police detective's request to revisit cold case files led to police finding a suspect accused of murdering a woman nearly three decades ago.
Robert Covington, 58, is now in custody and facing an open murder charge stemming from the 1997 murder of Deborah Kennedy.
The backstory:
Kennedy, 40, was found dead inside her Southfield home after she did not show up to work in February 1997. One of her co-workers at the GM Tech Center contacted police, who then went to her home in the 2400 block of Lee Baker and found her stabbed to death.
At the time, police collected fingerprints from one of Kennedy's credit cards and DNA from her nails after discovering evidence that there was a struggle with her attacker.
However, that evidence did not yield any suspects in 1997.
Deborah Kennedy
Case reopened:
According to Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren, the investigation into Kennedy's death was reopened in June 2024 after Det. Brian Weeks approached the police administration and requested to revisit cold case files. Barren said he was authorized to look for cases that have a high likelihood of being solved due to DNA technology advancements.
Weeks discovered the evidence collected after Kennedy was killed, and that evidence was retested.
Barren said that in January 2025, a fingerprint on Kennedy's credit card was linked to Covington, while DNA from under her nails was found to belong to Covington in September of that year. Police said Covington has a criminal record, so his DNA was in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).
The arrest:
Barren said that after the murder, Covington fled to Arizona before eventually moving to Royal Lakes, Ill.
With the help of the Macoupin County Sheriff's Office and Illinois State Police, Covington was arrested during a traffic stop in late March, and extradited back to Michigan to face charges.
Robert Covington (Oakland County Jail)
Covington was arraigned on April 9, and remains in the Oakland County Jail without bond as he awaits his next court date.
Dig deeper:
According to police, Covington lived across the street from Kennedy in a house he shared with his then-wife and mother-in-law.
Police are not sure what his motive for allegedly killing Kennedy was, but Barren shared two theories about how he got inside her home. The first theory is that he knew Kennedy's routine so he was able to enter her house while she was gone, and then corner and kill her when she got back.
The other theory is that he gained Kennedy's trust because she was friends with his mother-in-law, and used that trust to knock on her door before forcing himself inside.
"We truly will probably never know (the motive)," Barren said.
What they're saying:
Reggie Daniel, Kennedy's cousin, spoke on behalf of her family when police publicly announced the break in the case.
"I would like to say that we're all very appreciative for the Southfield police taking our pleas to pursue this case over, over three years ago," he said. "Det. Weeks, when we met, he was like a bulldog. He just would not give up."
What's next:
An investigation is ongoing, and police are looking for tips that could help them as it progresses.
Covington is due back in court for a probable cause conference on April 23.
The Source: FOX 2 attended a Southfield police press conference.
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