Thirty-two years to the day after 15-year-old Laralee Spear was abducted and murdered, Volusia County detectives are seeking information from the public that could help bring her killer to justice.
On April 25, 1994, Laralee was walking home from her bus stop outside DeLand when she was abducted in the middle of the afternoon.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Laralee was then killed near a burned-down residence located approximately a quarter-mile away from her family’s home on Deerfoot Road.
Investigators believe that Laralee’s death occurred “within minutes of getting off the school bus.”
For over three decades, VCSO detectives have been trying to solve this case. They have learned over the course of the investigation that prior to Laralee’s murder, people were gathering at the abandoned property to “hang out and shoot guns.”
The sheriff’s office believes that “someone out there knows something that could help this investigation.”
In September 2024, at the request of VCSO, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) announced that it is joining the cold case investigation in the hopes of discovering leads that can help solve Spear’s murder.
“This case has been unsolved for too long,” stated FDLE Orlando Special Agent in Charge Felipe Williams. “Partnering with (VCSO) allows us to combine resources and expertise, giving us new perspectives and allows us to use modern investigative strategies. Our goal is to generate new leads and solve this case once and for all.”
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this case.
If you have any information regarding this cold case that could help investigators, please call 1-888-277-TIPS (8477) or contact the VCSO Major Case Unit via email at: [email protected].