Suwanee man facing murder charges for 2022 cold case killing, police say
Cold case murder solved in Gwinnett County
Gwinnett County police say they've made an arrest in the 2022 cold case murder of a man found dead outside his parents' home.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Gwinnett County police say they've made an arrest in the 2022 cold case murder of a man found dead outside his parents' home.
Authorities say detectives in New York helped them with a breakthrough in the Labor Day murder mystery.
Delano Hill (Gwinnett County Police Department)
The backstory:
On Sept. 5, 2022, 44-year-old Matthew Jones was discovered stabbed to death in the front yard of his parents' home in Suwanee.
Family members described Jones as a gentle soul who worked at a local Kroger and was heavily involved at his church.
Weeks after Jones's body was found, detectives shared a security video of a person of interest in the case walking away from the homicide scene on Ridge Oak Drive.
Security video from deadly Suwanee stabbing investigation
Police said detectives are looking for a person seen on video wearing a black hoodie with a reflective strip, black pants, white shoes and a two-strap backpack.
Authorities have never released what they believe was the motive behind the killing.
What we know:
In late December 2024, the Gwinnett County Police Department was contacted by investigators in New York about a possible connection between a suspect in their jurisdiction and the case.
According to officials, the suspect "had apparently provided intimate details about a homicide case that were not made public." The man was later identified as 20-year-old Suwanee resident Delano Hill.
On March 21, officers arrested Hill at his home.
He's now in custody at the Gwinnett County Jail, charged with felony murder, malice murder, and aggravated assault.
What they're saying:
"Investigators extend their gratitude to the New York Police Department for their valuable assistance in this case," the Gwinnett County Police Department said.
Rev. Frank Cox doesn’t know why anyone would want to murder one of his parishioners. "You never expect anybody in your fellowship to be murdered," Rev. Cox said. "He was one of the most gentle spirits of any man you want to meet."
Rev. Cox is the pastor at North Metro Baptist Church in Lawrenceville. Matthew Jones was a member. "(He’d) do just about anything for you if he could,"
Rev. Cox said. "This would be the last guy you would think."
The Source: FOX 5 spoke with the Gwinnett County Police Department. FOX 5's Christopher King spoke with Rev. Frank Cox about the murder. This article has been updated since it was originally published to add more details.