At a bond hearing Tuesday in a Fulton County cold case from 21 years ago, investigators said the suspect had a gun in his house that matched the ballistics of the murder weapon.

Jerry Lee Sr., 61, faces charges in the death of Lorrie Ann Smith, who was 28 when she was killed May 25, 1997. Lee was arrested in late October after ancestry evidence allegedly tied his DNA to the crime scene, AJC.com previously reported.

MORE: 21 years later, police make arrest in shooting death of Fulton County woman

For more than 20 years, investigators had no idea who killed Lorrie Ann Smith.

Smith was shot several times in the back in her home on Stonewall Tell Road, and her body was discovered by her parents. She fought back against her attacker, whose blood was found, police said.

The judge didn’t grant Lee bond Tuesday and said he would make a decision by the end of the week, Channel 2 Action News reported. Lee was an Atlanta Department of Corrections officer at the time of Smith’s homicide.

Dana Bogensch (Photo: Channel 2 Action News)
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Smith’s family told Channel 2 they hope Lee, who lived less than a mile from the home where Smith died, does not get bond.

“He’s been dormant and quiet for 21 years, and I really hope he is not granted bond,” Dana Bogensch, Smith’s sister, told the news station.

Lee faces charges of murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to Fulton County Jail records.

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In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

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