2013 Cold Case: Man Now Facing Murder Charge in Camden County, NJ

3,287 days ago, a man was stabbed to death in Camden and now a suspect has been charged in connection to that crime.

Camden County Prosecutor Grace MacAulay says 58-year-old Duane Parker of Camden has been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder, and first-degree robbery in connection to the fatal stabbing of 57-year-old Timothy Appling of Camden.

According to authorities,

On December 14, 2013, at approximately 2:43 a.m., officers from the Camden County Police Department were dispatched to Broadway and Atlantic Avenue in Camden and located the victim bleeding on the ground. The victim was transported to Cooper University Hospital for treatment and was later pronounced deceased. A postmortem examination of the victim determined the cause of death to be a stab wound and the manner of death to be homicide.

MacAulay's office says during an initial investigation, detectives recovered DNA evidence from the victim’s fingernails, but no potential matches were found at the time.

A press release also states that detectives learned from a witness that a man called "Park" or "Parks" with a scar on his forehead had been the person who robbed and assaulted Appling.

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In 2020, as DNA technology improved, detectives were notified that Parker, who has a scar on his forehead, was a potential match.

This past December, the New Jersey State Police Laboratory confirmed that Parker was the source of the DNA collected from the victim’s fingernails.

MacAulay said in a statement,

No matter how much time goes by, we will not stop seeking justice for victims and their families,” said Prosecutor MacAulay. “This case is yet another example of the dedication of our detectives and partner agencies to holding individuals who commit violence responsible for their actions.

Parker is currently being held in state prison on unrelated charges. He was charged with Appling’s murder last week.

The public is reminded that charges are accusations and all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.