DNA Breakthrough Leads to Arrest in 23-Year-Old Ohio Murder Cold Case
DAYTON, OHIO — September 20, 2026

A 23-year-old murder investigation in Dayton, Ohio, has taken a major turn after police arrested a man following a DNA match linking him to the 2003 killing of Arlene Hall.

Jesse James Lockley Jr. was arrested on September 15 and booked into the Montgomery County Jail. Murder charges have been approved against him, according to Dayton police.

Victim Discovered in 2003
Hall was last seen alive on March 19, 2003. She was reported missing by her son several weeks later.

On April 21, 2003, investigators discovered her body in the basement of a property on Germantown Street in Dayton.

Authorities determined that Hall had died from strangulation and ruled the death a homicide.

Despite investigating multiple leads at the time, detectives were unable to identify a suspect, and the case eventually became a cold case.

DNA Testing Reopens the Investigation
The case received renewed attention in December 2025, when Dayton investigators began reviewing the evidence again and submitted physical evidence for DNA testing.

On July 10, 2026, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation laboratory notified detectives that DNA belonging to an unidentified male had been recovered from Hall’s clothing.

Later that month, investigators were informed that the DNA matched Lockley.

Police and FBI agents subsequently located Lockley and brought him in for questioning on September 15.

Authorities said Lockley made incriminating statements during the interview.

Investigation Continues After 23 Years
Dayton police said the arrest followed months of renewed investigative work by their Homicide and Cold Case Units, working alongside federal investigators.

The department said the arrest cannot undo the loss suffered by Hall’s family, but officials expressed hope that the development will provide some measure of closure.

Lockley remains in custody as the criminal case moves forward.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations against Lockley have not been proven in court.

Source: WHIO, Dayton Police Department.