Cold case investigators renew push to solve young mother's 1994 Windsor Mill murder

WINDSOR MILL, Md. — Cold case investigators at Baltimore County Police are renewing their search for answers in the 1994 murder of Raycol Harris, a 23-year-old mother who lived in Windsor Mill.

According to her obituary, Harris was born in Baltimore and graduated from Woodlawn High School. She worked as a beautician, and was remembered for her "dynamic laughter and smile."

During the first weekend of October, several suspects broke into Harris' townhome through the back entrance. Harris called 9-1-1, police said. The suspects forced their way into the bedroom, where she was shot first.

"She tries to flee down the stairs, possibly to exit the residence, and that's where she gets shot additional times downstairs, and that's where she's found deceased," Cpl. Dona Carter of the Baltimore County Police cold case squad told WMAR-2 News.

Detectives asked WMAR-2 News to shed new light on Harris' case.

"Every indication is that this was targeted and that they were coming to her home specifically when this happened," Carter added.

Harris' 2-year-old child was found in the home unharmed.

The home invasion was not the first; four months prior, several suspects had broken into her home, tying her up and ransacking it, police told WMAR-2 News.

Police say different theories and names were pursued over the years, but nothing came of them.

"Several items, we know, were touched by the perpetrator or perpetrators, there in the home. They were sent for DNA testing and unfortunately, there just wasn't enough DNA to obtain a profile to get us any closer to who may have done this to her," Carter said.

Now, investigators hope enough time has passed that someone will clear their conscience or provide a detail they didn't before.

"Several people were interviewed from the neighborhood. Maybe they remember something that they didn't tell the police at the time, you know, maybe they were in fear and they didn't want to talk at the time, so it's never too late to come forward with any information that you might have," Carter said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Baltimore County Police at 410-887-3943.

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