James Lawrence III was charged with the murder of Christy Dawn Myers

NEED TO KNOW

Nearly 30 years after a young Georgia mother was found stabbed to death near her car, a suspect has been charged with murder.

Christy Dawn Myers was 20 years old when she was discovered with multiple stab wounds on Broxton-Fitzgerald Highway in Coffee County, Ga., on Sept. 15, 1998, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

For more than two decades, the case remained unsolved, the GBI said. But through continued forensic testing, authorities identified James Lawrence III, 47, as a suspect.

Per the GBI, Lawrence was arrested on Thursday, Oct. 1, and charged with felony murder, malice murder and aggravated assault.

It is not immediately clear if Lawrence has entered a plea or retained an attorney.

CBS News reported that witnesses reported seeing Myers at a local store before her death and had left alone.

Her body was found by a neighbor near the crime scene who heard a conversation before the sound of a car accelerating, according to the report.

Chelsea Wolfe, Myers’ daughter, said her mother was known for her friendly personality, per CBS.

“I don’t want my mom to be remembered as just a victim,” Wolfe reportedly said. “She was so much more than that. She was resilient and she was a fighter. She deserved to live her life and watch her family grow.”