Break In 19 Year Old Murder Case

November 3, 2006 at 11:52 AM CST - Updated July 26 at 8:50 PM

Reporter: Stefanie Silvey
New Media Producer: Rachel Chambliss

UPDATE, SAT 3:30 PM: Four people are arrested, including a former Central City police officer, in the 1987 murder of Corinna Mullen.

Former police officer Billy Fields was once in charge of the Mullen murder case. Now, he's charged with killing her.

Also charged, are Mullen's roommate, Angela Smith, and two former friends of Mullen's boyfriend, Jimmie Royce Springer. Springer was charged a year after Mullen's death but a jury acquitted him.

Relatives of the victim say Corinna Mullen's mother, Patricia, prayed every day for a break in the case. She died five weeks ago.

Claude Mullen, the victim's father says, "She always told me joking around that, 'If I leave before you do, I will get the person.' Yeah, it's been rough the past month, bad."

Jimmie Cramer, a murder suspect, states, "I'd like to let them know that I didn't have nothing to do with it, and I hope whoever did, gets what's coming to them, because nobody don't deserve that. My most goes out to them because that was wrong; there wasn't nothing right about that."

Investigators are confident they have arrested the four main suspects which are in custody, but say there could be more arrests in the case.

Reporter: Stefanie Silvey

New Media Producer: Rachel Beavin
UPDATE, FRI, 7:45 PM: A cold file case gets hotter with another arrest in a 1987 murder. 
It happened in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky and four people are now behind bars in connection with the murder of 20-year-old Corinna Mullen back in 1987.
Among those charged in the killing is former Central City Police Lieutenant, Billy Fields, who was once the lead investigator on the case.
In a newspaper report just days after the murder, Fields is quoted as saying he discovered her body in the trunk of her abandoned car. 
Fields also charged Mullen's roommate at the time and two friends of Mullen's boyfriend, Jimmie Roy Springer.
Springer was charged a year after her murder but acquitted.
On Friday, 14 News Reporter, Stefanie Silvey, talked with the victim's family as well as one of the murder suspects.  
The Mullen family has been through its share of ups and downs these last few months.
Claude Mullen, victim Corrina Mullen's father says he wishes his wife, Patricia Mullen, was here,  "My wife passed away five weeks ago and i would have given anything if she could have lived to seen this day."
Patricia Mullen died not knowing her daughter's murder case had been reopened but on her birthday came the news of four arrests.
On the same day Corinna's daughter who was two when she died, learned she's having a baby girl of her own.
Claude Mullen is thankful he still has a granddaughter, "If reenie wouldn't have dropped her off that night to stay with us i might not have her either."
The family is relieved over the arrests and not entirely surprised. They've heard for years three of the four were involved.
Jimmie Cramer was the only suspect they never heard mentioned.
Jimmie Cramer says he is innocent "That's one thing I'm not. I ain't no murderer, rapist or kidnapper, no way. "
Cramer says the family deserves justice and he hopes they get it.
Cramer is hoping science will prove his innocence: "I would take a DNA test, a lie detector test whatever, to prove my innocence, I know this is a big shame to my family and everything, uh I hope they do get whoever did this because they do need to be put away, but I know I didn't have anything to do with it and don't know nothing about it."
The family wants people to remember that Corinna wasn't just a murder victim: she was a daughter, mother, sister, and a friend.
Corrina's sister, Heather Mullen, echoes that sentiment, "She was a person, she did have a heart that beat."
The family wants those charged with killing her to remember that most of all.
Heather is ready for justice, "For them to spend the rest of their life behind bars, everyday to wake up and think about what they have done and what they did to her and what they did to our family. I want them to wake up every day and hear her name."
Police believe they have the four people responsible for Corinna Mullen's murder in custody but say more arrests could follow. We'll keep you posted.  
Media Producer: Kerry Corum
Three suspects are under arrest Friday morning, in a murder case that's almost 20-years-old, and more arrests are expected.
The body of 20-year-old Corrina Mullen was found in the trunk of her car, parked in central city, in 1987.
Billy fields, a 63-year-old central city resident, is charged with murder, rape and kidnapping.
Angela smith, a 40-year-old  Madisonville resident, is charged with complicity. And Jimmie Cramer, a 37-year-old central city resident, is charged with murder, rape and kidnapping.
Kentucky state police began investigating this case in 1988, at the request of Corrina Mullen's father.
One person was charged with her murder then, but that person was acquitted.
Five months ago, a Kentucky state police detective was reassigned to the case, and discovered new evidence that lead to the latest arrests.