New DNA evidence helped Baltimore police solve the six-month-old killing of a 63-year-old woman who worked at the Walters Art Museum, detectives said Wednesday.
The results of the test, police said, led them to a troubling conclusion: Mary Page was killed by her own daughter.
“Every homicide is really a tragic incident, but when you have a family member involved, that?s why I say this is so heinous a crime,” said Col. John Bevilacqua, chief of detectives.
Bevilacqua called the investigation into the crime “lengthy and sophisticated.”
Charged with rape and first-degree murder are Carolyn Redd, 41, and her boyfriend, Lawrence Damarcus Gee, 33, both of Baltimore.
“The final break in the case was two things: incriminating information from Mr. Gee and DNA,” Bevilacqua said. “… The motive appears to be money.”
The results of DNA evidence that police received last week proved that Gee raped Page, police said.
On Aug. 19 at 10:30 a.m., homicide detectives found Mary Page, 63, raped and dead of strangulation and blunt-force trauma in the basement of her home in the 200 block of North Culver Street.
A day earlier, Page had failed to show up for her job as a security guard at the Walters. Her employer became concerned and called police, according to charging documents.
Police learned Redd and Gee had lived with Page, but she forced them to leave her home because they were stealing from her, charging documents say.
Officers noticed Page?s purse was missing from the scene and learned that Redd is the sole beneficiary of Page?s life insurance policy, police said.
Both suspects are being held in custody.
