More than 24 years ago, an Atlanta woman was found dead, only partially clothed, off Lake Acworth Drive in Cobb County.
Yvonne Weems, 37, had been shot to death, and investigators also believe she had been sexually assaulted. Since her body was found Jan. 12, 1991, there had been no arrests. But Cobb County police never stopped investigating the cold case.
Late Wednesday, police announced an arrest in the case. George Frederick Gengarelly, 63, of Hernando, Fla., was arrested at his home and charged with Weems’ murder, Sgt. Dana Pierce said.
It was DNA that led police to the arrest, Pierce said. But specific details of the investigation weren’t released.
Address records showed that Gengarelly lived in Bartow County at the time of Weems’ death. His Adairsville address was about 25 miles north of the recreation area where the woman’s body was found.
From Georgia, Gengarelly moved to Florida, records showed. But he wasn’t always a free man.
In 1995, Gengarelly was charged with second-degree murder in Volusia County, and in 1998, he was sentenced to 15 years prison, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. On Dec. 16, 2009, Gengarelly was released from a Florida prison, records showed. Two years later, he was married.
Back in Cobb County, police issued an arrest warrant for Gengarelly, charging him with murder, aggravated assault, aggravated sodomy, rape and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, Pierce said.
Wednesday morning, Gengarelly was arrested and booked into the Citrus County jail, booking records showed. He was being held without bond late Wednesday and is expected to be extradited to Cobb, according to police.
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