ROCHESTER, N.Y. — It took the jury just about five hours to return a verdict for a case that goes back almost 40 years.

Charged with three counts of second-degree murder, Timothy Williams entered a packed courtroom Friday, hoping he would not be convicted in the 1984 Thanksgiving Day slaying of 14-year-old Wendy Jerome.

What You Need To Know

  • Timothy Williams found guilty on three counts of second-degree murder in the death of 14-year-old Wendy Jerome
  • Jerome was killed back in 1984
  • The cold case was reignited with the use of familial DNA

The brutal details of her killing played out throughout the trial.

For each of the three counts, the jury found Williams guilty.

It was an emotional moment for the family that had waited nearly four decades for this day.

“This door is closed. After all these years, this door is closed,” said Marlene Jerome, Wendy’s mother. “Will it ever be over for me? No. But this door is closed. And now we gear up for the next part of this when I get to say my say to him.”

“I’m glad it’s finally over. We can begin to heal,” said Bill Jerome, Wendy’s brother. “But Wendy will never leave our minds, our memories and the way we’ve felt this whole time. The healing’s going to begin.”

This is a re-trial after the first ended in a mistrial in December because of allegations of alleged juror misconduct.

“Just a relief and a relief for the family as well,” said Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley. “Justice delayed was not going to be justice denied for Wendy. We, after almost 40 years, we were able to get justice for her.”

A decades-old cold case brought to life because of a familial match to DNA.

“Familial DNA and any type of DNA databases that we have are critical to law enforcement, and what’s extremely frustrating for us is that we know the technology is out there, but for us to be able to utilize that technology is pretty much an act of God,” said Rochester Police Capt. Frank Umbrino. “And one of the things that we really need to look at moving forward is how to allow investigators, especially in investigations of this nature, to access the information that is readily available quicker.”

Police and Wendy’s family hope this case will offer hope that more cold cases and missing persons cases can be investigated and solved.

“She is and always will be my heart. My heart — that’s who Wendy was,” said Marlene Jerome. “She was a friend. She was a daughter; a sister. There wasn’t a person that knew her that didn’t love her.”

Sentencing is scheduled for April 17. Williams faces a maximum of 25 years to life and a minimum of 15 years to life in prison.