CALEDONIA, Mich. — After nearly 26 years, an arrest has been made in connection to the 1996 murder of Sharon Hammack in Caledonia Township.
The Kent County Sheriff's Office says they have arrested 64-year-old Garry Dean Artman of Florida. Artman was taken into custody in Mississippi and is currently awaiting extradition back to Michigan.
He is charged with Homicide, Open Murder, Homicide, Felony Murder, and Criminal Sexual Conduct 1st Degree.
Detectives say advancements in DNA testing helped to further piece together evidence from the 1996 homicide.
The murder happened on October 3, 1996, when Kent County deputies responded to 76th Street SE, between Patterson Ave and Kraft Ave in Caledonia Township. Deputies found a deceased woman and determined she had been sexually assaulted and strangled to death.
Police did not give a timeline on when Artman will be extradited back to the state.
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