Boyfriend of teenager found strangled in a pond 20 years ago is arrested for her death as police hear prison confession from friend
- 16-year-old Rayna Rison was found strangled in a pond in 1993
- Jason Tibbs charged with murder after inmate tips off police
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A 38-year-old man has been arrested over the murder of a teenage girl who was found strangled in a pond 20 years ago.
Jason Tibbs has been charged with murdering 16-year-old Rayna Rison in La Porte, Indiana, in March 1993.
Rison's disappearance on March 26, 1993, garnered widespread attention. It was featured on "America's Most Wanted" and it inspired former Oakland Athletics owner Charlie Finley to offer a $25,000 reward for her safe return.
Rayna's family said they were relieved to learn of the arrest has given them some closure after 20 years of wondering how her body came to be body dumped in a pond.
Suspect: Jason Tibbs has been charged with the murder of 16-year-old Rayna Rison in 1993
'We've been stuck in the "'Who did this and why?" for 20 years,' Rayna's sister, Wendy Hakes told ABC News. 'Now we know who did this. We just have to figure out the why.'
After two decades, a prison confession led police to Tibbs when an inmate described seeing him remove a body from the trunk of his car, according to NWI.
Rayna was reported missing by her father, Bernie Rison, after she failed to come home after her shift at an animal shelter.
The day after she went missing, Rayna's car was found in a rural area several miles from her home. A week later, her new boyfriend's high school letter jacket, which she had been wearing, was found hanging from a tree.
It was a month before fishermen found Rayna's body in a pond a few miles from where her car was found.
Prosecutors initially charged her brother-in-law, Ray McCarty, with killing her. Three years before her death, he pleaded guilty to molesting her and was given a three-year suspended sentence that included 100 hours of community service, mandatory counseling and three years of probation.
A newly elected prosecutor dropped the charge against McCarty the following year after determining there was insufficient evidence linking him to Rayna's murder.
Despite the high-profile case attracting attention across the U.S. and being featured on America's Most Wanted at the time, there were no other leads.
Tibbs, who went to school with Rayna, had dated the teenager and the couple remained good friends up until her death, according to NWI.
He had been a person of interest early on in the investigation, according to court documents, after his ring was found in Rayna's car and letters found in her bedroom from him said he would 'go to almost any extreme' to date her again.
Relief: Rayna's parents Ben and Karen Rison, and her sister Wendy with a picture of the murdered teenager
Ms Hake told ABC News: 'He wasn't interested in school. He was interested in doing other things that weren't necessarily productive for society. He liked to get in trouble.'
The case was reopened about five years ago, by La Porte police. An inmate, who was 14 at the time of the murder, confessed in 2008 to seeing Tibbs drive into a barn with another man, Eric Freeman.
Rickey Hammons said they had a body in the trunk of his car but he didn't report seeing it because he had been smoking drugs in the barn at the time and feared he would get into trouble.
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ShareThen, two months ago, Freeman told police he saw Tibbs strangle Rayna after they had an argument, according to court documents.
Despite knowing the identity of the alleged murderer for 20 years, Freeman will not be prosecuted because of a plea deal he made for his testimony.
While the arrest may answer some questions for the victim's family, they said it will do nothing to ease the pain of losing Rayna.
Shock: Ben Rison and Wendy Hakes say the family is reeling after being told a suspect has been arrested
The teenager's mother, Karen Rison, said: 'I don't believe there will ever be closure because nothing can bring her back.'
Her father, Ben, added: 'We're still kind of reeling. It's going to take time to absorb all of this.'
Tibbs has been charged with murder and non-negligent manslaughter, according to What's New La Porte. He is due back in court on September 13.
Judge Tom Alevizos entered a not guilty plea on behalf of Tibbs and ordered him to be held without bond.
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