GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A suspect has been arrested in the 1985 stabbing death of a Grand Rapids man.
According to the Grand Rapids Police Department, the homicide happened on September 4, 1985 in the 500 block of Sheldon Avenue SE. Burnett Frierson, 48, was found dead in his home by a friend. He had been stabbed multiple times.
Investigators collected DNA samples from an unknown suspect and placed it into the national Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).
In August 2023, GRPD received a notification that there was a match to 68-year-old Ronald Davis, who had recently provided a DNA sample in an unrelated arrest.
An arrest warrant for felony murder was issued for Davis on Tuesday. He was subsequently taken into custody and lodged at the Kent County Correctional Facility. He was arraigned on Wednesday.
“You want to be cautious when you get a hit because we do a lot of things after the fact to verify that hit… but I mean, you have that little, ‘Oh, there’s hope!’” said GRPD Deputy Chief Kristen Rogers. “Then, it's not even hope for us, but hope for the family.”
Rogers says the department has been in touch with Frierson’s family and they are “excited” about the arrest. She declined to say whether GRPD initially suspected Davis.
According to Frierson’s obituary, he left behind three children and two grandchildren. Newspaper articles about his death say neighbors described him as a nice man who kept to himself.
“Justice for Mr. Frierson has been a long time coming,” said GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom. “GRPD never considers an unsolved murder closed. I’m thankful for the professionalism and tenacity of our detectives – then and now.”
Anyone with any information on the homicide is asked to contact GRPD detectives at (616) 456-3380. Tips can also be sent anonymously through Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345 or online.
