Arrest made in a nearly 8-year-old DeKalb County cold case murder

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Police in DeKalb County announced a major break and an arrest in a nearly 8-year-old cold case murder.

Donald Ashe, 34, was arrested on Friday around 4:30 p.m. for the murder of Vanessa “Honey” Malone back on October 23, 2012.

Jail records show Ashe is charged with second-degree murder and making false statements. 

"We have chased hundreds of leads in this case that have led us all around the southeast. Every single lead that has been brought to my office has been followed up on. That has helped in bringing us to this conclusion," said Sgt. Lynn Shuler with the Dekalb County Police Department.

Donald Eugene Ashe (DeKalb County Police Department)

Malone was shot when she entered a friend’s apartment on Tree Mountain Parkway in Stone Mountain.

According to a police report, Malone walked in on five or six people who had tied up the residents of the apartment. She was shot multiple times. 

“We credit today’s arrest to never giving up, and extensive detective work that led us to new evidence, which ultimately resulted in Ash’s arrest,” DeKalb County police wrote in a statement sent to FOX 5 News.

Police said new GBI evidence helped investigators make an arrest. 

Police said the case is still under investigation, but they expect to make more arrests in the case. 

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