ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — A suspect has been arrested nearly 25 years after a couple was killed at a rural St. Lucie County home.
During a news conference held Thursday morning, the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of Julian Antonio Romero, 58, on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Robert Hardwick, 77, and Vernice Reese, 58.
Investigators later determined that the couple had died from stab wounds.
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Sheriff Richard Del Toro said the couple was found dead in their burning two-story home at 3828 Kings Highway south of Indrio Road in October 2000.
After their bodies were found, investigators learned that one of the couple's vehicles, a gold Oldsmobile Alero, had been stolen. Fourteen days later, police in Wilton Manors, Florida, found a man sleeping in the stolen car.
During the investigation, detectives found a can of pepper spray inside the truck of the vehicle with a bloody fingerprint on it. That blood was sent to a crime lab where it was determined that it was Hardwick's blood.
However, the case went cold from there. Cold case detective Paul Taylor said he started to review the case in 2023, later finding Romero's DNA at the crime scene.
Taylor said while he and his co-worker were sorting through the case file, they came across a picture of a keychain that was recovered from the ignition of the Oldsmobile when Romero was arrested in 2000.
"On that key chain was a (picture of a) young Hispanic female," Taylor said. "I was able to confirm that the picture on the keychain is Mr. Romero's daughter."
While working on the case, Taylor discovered that Romero was already in prison serving a life sentence on unrelated charges since 2002.
Working with the state attorney's office, Taylor said on Jan. 7 he presented the case to a grand jury and received an indictment for Romero.
Romero, a citizen of Honduras, was in prison on charges of kidnapping and rape in a Broward County case.
"I think the big break was that keychain," Taylor said. "Even the state attorney, whenever I told him about this keychain, (he said), 'You got to be kidding me. Come to my office right now.'"
Romero claimed that he was only sleeping in the car for a nap, but investigators found evidence that he was probably living in the vehicle.
"If you're climbing (into the vehicle) to take a nap for a couple of hours, why would you take the keys out of the ignition and put your daughter's picture on it?" Taylor outlined.
Investigators said they believe that in 2000 Romero was originally living in Louisiana and was driving in an old truck, that was stolen, to South Florida to see family members. However, Taylor said Romero broke down near the couple's home in St. Lucie County, killed them and stole their Oldsmobile.
WPTV reporter Tyler Hatfield spoke to Allan Reese Jr., Vernice Reese's grandson, on Thursday, who said he's thankful justice is being served.
"I can smile ... look up and say, 'Grandma, it's over,'" Reese Jr. said. "You can get your rest."
Reese Jr. described his grandmother as a "loving" and "caring" person.
"She'd give you the clothes off her back," Reese Jr. said.
Her grandson also said that Robert Hardwick was "down to earth."
"He always kept a smile," Reese Jr. said.
Taylor cited "huge advancements" in DNA technology and also speaking to new witnesses to help make the arrest.
