After over three decades of investigation, a major breakthrough has been made in the case of Joshua Harmon's murder. The 8-year-old boy went missing from his Roswell home on May 15, 1988, and was found dead two days later in a wooded area near his residence.

Roswell Police announced that James Michael Coates, 56, of Woodstock, had been taken into custody on July 21, 2021, and booked into the Fulton County Jail on multiple charges, including murder. Coates was arrested after DNA evidence collected from the crime scene was linked to him, according to Roswell detectives.

The suspect had been in prison for approximately 20 years on an unrelated charge in Roswell and was recently released. Police arrested Coates for Harmon's murder on Wednesday, sources say.

The breakthrough in the case has brought some closure to Harmon's family and a sense of justice for the boy's tragic death. The arrest also highlights the importance of continued efforts by law enforcement to solve cold cases and bring perpetrators to justice.