Please Help Catch Joshua Harmon's Killer. His Family Has Been Waiting For 31 Years To Bring Them To Justice.

Joshua Randall Harmon

He had a truly unconditional love for all people, and more so for all of God's creatures. 

It was as if he was one with them, and would spend hours with any creature, however, his favorite were rabbits. Joshua was a quiet boy, who was easily scared and intimidated. He was a nature nut, loving the outdoors. While he had a learning disability, the family said he was well adjusted, but he was too timid to wander off by himself, and had no behavioral issues.

He was born on August 14th, 1979 to Cherie and Larry Harmon.

Joshua was attending special education classes at Kimball Bridge Elementary School.

In April of 1988,  8-year-old Joshua and his family moved from Holcomb Crossing Apartments to 1456-B Raintree Crossing, Roswell, GA, outside of Atlanta. He enjoyed the fact that his new home had woods and a lake behind it. Joshua regularly played outside in the area of his apartment building and the other buildings in the immediate vicinity. He searched for turtles around the lake and played in the “fort” in the woods.

On Sunday May 15th, 1988, Joshua had been playing outside, with friends and alone, all day. Joshua’s grandfather, Roy Carlisle, said that the boy told him that that afternoon that he had had a run in with some older boys that roughed him up after a rock throwing incident. Afterward, Joshua was back outside. His mother said that that he was in and out of the apartment throughout the day for various reasons. 

When, around 7 p.m. rolled around, Cherie heard the ice cream truck's bell ringing outside. She expected Joshua to come running in to get the dollar she had set aside for him a treat, but he didn't. She became a little concerned. Cherie then started making dinner of fried eggs and bacon. She asked Joshua's stepfather, Douglas Laws to let Joshua know to stay close to home. Doug couldn't find him and around 7:20 p.m., other family members and neighbors began a search. 

A neighbor told the family that Joshua had stopped by their house around 7:00 PM to ask if his child, Joshua’s friend, could come outside to play. The family was eating dinner so the boy could not come outside. Joshua told the neighbor that he was going to be waiting for the neighbor boy in the woods at the fort. This is the last reported sighting of Joshua alive.

Ten minutes after the search began, it was clear he was nowhere nearby and the police were called.

Originally, it was thought he might had gotten confused and had tried to go to his old home, a mile away, and became disoriented in the wooded area.  

A 17-year-old neighbor girl and her boyfriend thought they say a boy matching his description (Blonde, 55 pounds, white shirt, and cutoff jeans) sliding down a steep embankment and going towards an opening in the fence at around 8 p.m.

An extensive search happened over the next 48 hours. The first day, Roswell police officers searched the 60 acres of woods surrounding the apartment complex.

Tuesday, more agencies joined and during this time the lake behind the complex was searched by divers. At 1 p.m., the family got a call with someone saying “I’ve got you’re kid.” This turned out to be a sick hoax.

At about 3:30 p.m., Lt. Donald Moss with the Roswell PD stumbled upon Joshua’s body by accident. Joshua lay lifeless, buried under pine straw and loose dirt. On top of that logs had been placed. He  was shirtless, beaten and strangled to death.

Joshua's mother collapsed at the news and had to be hospitalized due to her emotional state.

"I keep hoping it will all turn out to have been a mistake that the body they found wasn't really his and I'll wake up one morning and find him back at home. I know that's not going to happen, but I can't help wishing." Cherie was quoted as saying.

Joshua's step-father as well as his biological father both participated in the search efforts. They were both terribly upset.  Larry was so upset he collapsed to his knees, sobbing.

Joshua Harmon was buried on Friday of the week he died. According to a tribute left by his mother, there were firetrucks stationed on the funeral route, something her son would have loved.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, in conjunction with the FBI, came up with a profile for the killer. It is surmised that the killer 25-35-year-old male, white, average or above average intelligence, and probably lived close to the scene of the crime. They felt he was on his second or third marriage, that it was a strained relationship, and more than likely experiencing finical problems. Friends would describe him as explosive, and if confronted about it, become withdrawn, defensive, and argumentative. That he “clearly wishes to tell his side of the story, but is reluctant because he fears those close to him would not understand how he could have committed such a crime.” 

30-year-old Norman Lewis Glenn was originally considered a suspect. He had been convicted of child molestation and sentenced to four to six years. He was serving his time at Fulton County Correctional Institution in Alpharetta, which was just eight miles away. He escaped six hours before Joshua was declared missing. Two days after Joshua's death, authorities said he was seen as not being involved, even though Glenn was still at large.

Joshua's stepfather was a prime suspect at the time as well, at least until two years after Joshua's murder. Joshua’s grandfather, Roy Carlisle, who was visiting from Illinois,  remained a suspect at least two years later as also.

Cold case detectives as well as Joshua's family is asking for anyone with information, no matter how small, to please call Roswell police Detective Jennifer Bennett at 770-640-4380 or contact her via email at jbennett@roswellgov.com. Information can also be submitted anonymously to the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or online at StopCrimeATL.com.

Please help bring Joshua's killer to justice and put this brutal murderer behind bars.