Court upholds ‘cold case' conviction
The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday upheld the murder conviction against a man who killed an Atlanta woman more than 17 years ago.
Sherman Ridley was convicted by a Fulton County jury in 2006 for the 1994 strangling of Lorraine Lansford, 28, in a vacant house on McAfee Street. Years after Ridley had pleaded guilty to raping two other woman, Atlanta Police began investigating the cold case involving Lansford, who was attacked in a similar manner. A DNA test tied Ridley to her murder, prosecutors said.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
