2007 Cold Case Murder of Young Girl Solved?
Eight years ago, in early November, the body of 11-year-old Jodi Parrack was discovered abandoned in a cemetery. She had disappeared somewhere between her friend’s home and her own house, a route of only a few blocks, and her body was later found in the Constantine Township cemetery.
The case went cold quickly, with many leads and no results. In 2011, the Michigan State Police took over and assigned a small, full time team to the investigation. And now, almost a decade later, police have found the man they believe to be Jodi’s killer.
65-year-old Daniel Furlong lived in Constantine at the time of Jodi’s death, distantly connected to the family. But the investigation didn’t point to him until recently, when Furlong, who now lives in a mobile home park in White Pigeon, made a terrible mistake with another young girl.
In August, the young girl came running home, screaming frantically for her mother. She claimed to have been enticed into a man’s garage, where he then pulled out a knife and an extension cord. Terrified, she fled shrieking. And not long afterwards, the police were on Furlong’s doorstep.
After his arrest, the MSP troopers investigating Jodi’s death looked at the possible similarities in the cases. Add Furlong’s proximity to Jodi’s last known whereabouts at the time of her death, and something clicked into place. The troopers requested that the crime lab run samples of Furlong’s DNA and compare it to DNA taken from Jodi’s body. It was a match.
Furlong, already in trouble for the attempted assault on the young girl in White Pigeon, is now facing additional charges. Court records show that he has been charged with murder, kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct. What has not been clarified is whether or not the CSC charges pertain to the Parrack case, or the most recent one from White Pigeon.
Although Furlong had been released from jail on a $50,000 bond after his initial arrest, police arrested him again on the newest charges as soon as they were able. According to the police, Furlong has no prior criminal record, although authorities now intend to take a closer look at his life and history.
Furlong’s preliminary examination has been scheduled for September 29th. As of now, there is little other information available about this case, but we will keep you updated as new information is made available.