Who Killed My Father

Summary

Cold Case Files: Who Killed My Father

Host: Paula Barros
Release Date: February 11, 2025

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Introduction

In this gripping episode of Cold Case Files, Paula Barros delves into the tragic murder of Freddie Farah, a beloved grocery store owner in Jacksonville, Florida. The case, which remained unsolved for over four decades, showcases the relentless pursuit of justice by Freddie’s family and dedicated investigators.

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The Crime: May 22, 1974

On the Wednesday before Memorial Day weekend, Freddie Farah was diligently managing his Grand Park Food Market, catering to a tight-knit Palestinian community in Jacksonville. As Freddie attended to his customers, a young man entered the store under the guise of asking for a price check. Moments later, the situation escalated dramatically.

Detective Margaret Ratigan: "The suspect pointed it at Mr. Farah. Mr. Farah stepped to his right... The suspect made a couple statements like give it up. Give me the money."
[03:41]

As Freddie instinctively reached to move the firearm, the young man fired a single shot, striking Freddie in the head. Despite being rushed to Methodist Hospital, Freddie succumbed to his injuries, leaving his family devastated.

Freddie Farah's Family Member: "I took a bullet out of my pocket and I slid it across the table."
[02:22]

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Initial Investigation and Cold Case

The immediate aftermath saw police officers scouring the neighborhood for witnesses. Witness Alfonso Bates provided a critical description of the suspect, a Black male approximately six feet tall. A young man named Billy McLeod became a person of interest after being seen fleeing the scene, but insufficient evidence led to his release.

Detective: "When you tell me that you were never there, then your denials are just as good as the confession."
[02:26]

Without concrete evidence or DNA technology, the case quickly went cold, leaving Freddie’s family, especially his son Bobby, yearning for answers.

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Decades of Pursuit

For over 40 years, Bobby Farah remained steadfast in his quest to uncover the truth behind his father's murder. His relentless pursuit eventually led him to connect with Sergeant Dan Jansen of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

Bobby Farah: "I did want to see him face to face, and I knew Bobby was going to ask questions, and I did want to hear his answers."
[36:01]

In 2016, advancements in forensic technology reignited hope. Detective Jansen revisited the case, utilizing enhanced fingerprint analysis techniques that ultimately linked the fingerprints found on evidence to Johnny Miller.

Detective: "He said, 'did you not know that my dad was murdered?' And I said, 'no.' And now that I was a cold case sergeant, 'Did I mind if I would take a look at his father's case?'"
[21:23]

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Breakthrough and Arrest

The identification of Johnny Miller marked a significant breakthrough. Despite challenges in locating Miller, persistent detective work led to his arrest in New Orleans. However, the untimely passing of eyewitness Annette Bryant posed a substantial hurdle, as her testimony was pivotal for prosecution.

Detective: "Without Ms. Bryant's testimony, it seemed to us that the likelihood of obtaining a conviction in this case was quite low."
[35:28]

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Restorative Justice and Closure

To provide closure for the Farah family, prosecutors proposed a restorative justice session. This innovative approach allowed Miller to meet with Freddie’s family, offering an opportunity for dialogue and understanding.

Bobby Farah: "Mr. Miller kept saying, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry.' And then I just told him, 'we forgive you.'"
[38:48]

The session proved transformative. Freddie’s mother demonstrated immense forgiveness, while Bobby found peace in releasing his long-held grudge.

Freddie Farah's Family Member: "The fact that he gave me more answers than I've had in 43 years, it just helps me."
[39:46]

Johnny Miller subsequently pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, bringing an end to one of Jacksonville’s oldest cold cases.

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Conclusion: The Power of Persistence and Forgiveness

"Who Killed My Father" is a testament to the enduring human spirit and the pursuit of justice. It highlights how advancements in forensic science, coupled with unwavering dedication, can eventually bring resolution to even the most enduring mysteries. The Farah family's journey underscores the profound impact of forgiveness and the closure it can bring, not just to victims' families but to the broader quest for justice.

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Notable Quotes:

• Bobby Farah: "He just wanted to know."
  [02:44]

• Freddie Farah's Family Member: "I'm not going to stop asking until they tell me to stop."
  [02:39]

• Detective Ratigan: "With today's fingerprint technology... in 1974, you rolled prints and you looked at them under a magnifying glass."
  [14:15]

• Ryan Backman (Project Cold Case): "The most important thing to Bobby in the world was finding out who did it. That was the thing that he needed and wanted most. He wanted justice."
  [25:28]

---

This episode encapsulates the heartache of a family left in the dark for decades and the relentless pursuit that eventually shed light on a long-forgotten crime. Through technology, perseverance, and the human capacity for forgiveness, Cold Case Files delivers a poignant narrative of loss, justice, and healing.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Bobby Farah]

My son Bobby was only six and a half at the time of his father's death. Every policeman he saw, he would always ask, would you find out who killed my daddy?

[Detective]

Freddie Ferrer was shot one time in the head and died as a result. How do you forget something like this?

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

I took a bullet out of my pocket and I slid it across the table.

[Detective]

We were left with trying to figure out how, if at all, we could prove our case. When you tell me that you were never there, then your denials are just as good as the confession.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

So like Mom, I'm not going to stop asking until they tell me to stop.

[Bobby Farah]

After 40 years, I had hoped that Bobby would move on to just let it go. But he never would. He just wanted to know.

[Narrator]

There are over 100,000 cold cases in America. Only about 1% are ever solved. This is one of those rare stories. It's May 22, 1974 in Jacksonville, Florida. It's the Wednesday before Memorial Day weekend and Freddy Farah, owner of the Grand Park Food Market, is busy ringing up his regular customers. Pam Hazel is an assistant state attorney for the Florida State Attorney's office.

[Witness]

A young man entered the store. That young man asked for a price check and as Mr. Farrow was giving that response, the young man pulled out a firearm.

[Narrator]

Detective Margaret Ratigan is from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

[Detective]

The suspect pointed it at Mr. Farah. Mr. Farah stepped to his right, kind of in front of the register. The suspect made a couple statements like give it up. Give me the money.

[Witness]

Mr. Farah instinctively reached up to move the firearm out of his face. And as he did, the young man shot one time and hit Mr. Farah.

[Detective]

One bullet struck Mr. Farah in the head just above the right eye.

[Narrator]

The man bolts out of Grand Park Food market empty handed. 34 year old Freddy Farah clings to life as an ambulance rushes him to nearby Methodist Hospital. Nadia Farah is Freddy Farah's wife.

[Bobby Farah]

Mother in law told me Freddie got shot in the hand and that he's at the emergency room. I ran to the emergency room and all of my relatives were in the front of the emergency room. And the minute I saw their faces, I knew it wasn't a shot in the hand. I fell to the ground and they told me that he had been shot in the head. His heart was still beating, but they think he was brain dead. We stayed there until they finally pronounced him dead. I was born in Jerusalem, Palestine. In 1948, the country of Palestine was partitioned into Israel and Palestine. Palestine. And there were a lot of wars going on and upheavals and massacres. So my father was worried about my mother and the children. So we came to the United States when I was 5 and have lived in Jacksonville all of that time. Jacksonville has a very large, close knit Palestinian community. They look after each other, they support each other. I met Fred at family wedding. His Arabic name is Fuad F U A D but I called him Fred or Freddie. Freddie was born in Valdosta, Georgia, but his parents of course were Palestinian. When Freddie was in high school, he would go to work in the grocery stores. When he graduated, he really wanted to go to college. He wanted to be a Pharmacist. So he had to take the bus to the University of Florida for the entrance examination. The bus was late and he missed the exam. And I guess he was so disappointed that he never tried again. Since he was well known in the grocery stores where he worked, he stayed with them and progressed up to manager. At the time, when we were married, he was only 21 years old and he was already a manager. Freddie was a very fun, loving young man. His smile could just melt your heart. He loved to dance. He loved country music. Not the twang country music, but the story country music. Like John Denver, Eddie Arnold. And most of all, he loved his children. As a matter of fact, he wanted more children. But I said, no, four is enough. But he did love his family, and his son Bobby is just like him. Freddie was very particular about everything.

[Narrator]

Bobby Farah is Freddie Farah's son.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

My mom saw me organizing my money in my wallet. She said, your daddy was the same way.

[Bobby Farah]

Look at that smile. Yeah, yeah, you had your daddy's smile.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

He worked a lot, so we saw him at night. He always would come home and play with us.

[Bobby Farah]

He bought two grocery stores of his own. The very first one was a very small grocery store. And the second one was when his cousin died who had a much larger grocery store. His uncle told him, why don't you come take over this grocery store?

[Narrator]

In 1972, Freddie buys the grand park food market.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

I was allowed to go to the store and I would stand on a milk crate, wooden crate, I remember. And I was fascinated with the coins in the cash register. So he would let me stand on the crate and I would, you know, play with the coins.

[Bobby Farah]

He would always give the children some candy when they came into the store. He would extend credit to the customers until they got their welfare checks. So he was very well liked. Shortly after he bought that store, he told me, I don't think I'm going to stay in this store very long. And I was wondering why he said that there were long hours. Maybe he wanted to spend more time with the children. He was a very family oriented man, but he never answered me why he didn't want to stay in that store for very long.

[Narrator]

Jacksonville police arrive on the scene at the grand park food Market. Sergeant Dan Jansen is with the Jacksonville sheriff's office.

[Detective]

Back in the 70s, the Grand park area was more of a residential neighborhood that had a convenience store kind of in the middle of it.

When the detectives entered the store, they noticed three items. A pig mix box, a frosting can, and a Soda can on the counter near the register. But nothing was taken. Money wasn't taken.

[Narrator]

Unsure who left these items on the counter and why, crime scene technicians bagged them as potential evidence. Detectives then turned to Freddy's uncle and coworker Issa Farah.

[Detective]

Also in the store at the time, along with Freddie Fair was Freddie's uncle who was sitting on a kind of bread box that was at the other end of the counter. He didn't really see a whole lot.

He heard the gunshot and saw the suspect flee out of the store. Asafara gave a description of a Black male, about 6 foot tall.

[Narrator]

Detectives hit the neighborhood around Grand Park Food Market eager to find more witnesses. One local resident grabs their attention.

[Detective]

Alfonso Bates is interviewed. Mr. Bates tells the detectives that he's walking down the street on his way to the dry cleaners which is nearby the food store. He remembers he sees Billy McLeod. Billy lived in the neighborhood not very far from the store. His mom had some sort of tavern that was just down the street from the Mini Martin. He tells the detectives. Billy's wearing a blue shirt, blue pants. When Alfonso hears the gunshot, he sees Billy McLeod running through the alleyway, running from the direction of the store. I don't know what other evidence they had but Billy McLeod running from the business piqued the detectives interest.

[Narrator]

Jacksonville detectives tracked down 22 year old Billy McLeod.

[Detective]

He's taken in. Billy McLeod is interviewed by detectives. He said he didn't know anything about the murder. He just heard that it had happened and that Mr. Farah had died.

[Narrator]

Detectives called Freddy's uncle Issa to the station hoping he can identify their only suspect. Issa takes a good look at Billy McLeod.

[Detective]

Asa and Farrah stated that Mr. McLeod was not the person who committed the murder.

[Narrator]

Detectives release Billy McLeod.

[Bobby Farah]

My oldest was 11 and she understood very well what death was. The second one was eight and I think she understood two. But the two youngest, Bobby was six and the youngest was five. They did not have that concept of death at that time.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

I remember being upstairs and one of my aunts was sitting on the bed with us and my sisters were crying. The house was full of people and not sure that we really comprehended 100% what was really going on.

[Bobby Farah]

They did not go to the funeral. I don't know why. In hindsight I think they should have because it would have been closure for them. It was a struggle day by day. The youngest, she came up to me and she says, when's daddy coming home? I just explained to her that daddy was up in heaven. And. And that he would not be coming home because he's in a much better place. I did not break down in front of them, but, of course, when I was alone, that was a different story.

[Narrator]

Six days after Freddie's murder, desperate for leads, detectives double down on their canvas of the neighborhood around the Grand Park Food Market.

[Detective]

You would go out into the neighborhood because people talk in the neighborhood. They know people, and then there's word on the street when people start talking. So you definitely get out there and see what people have heard, what they know, and what they saw.

[Narrator]

Through word on the street, detectives learned there may have been a customer in the store at the time of the shooting.

[Detective]

Annette Bryant was 14 years old at the time. She lived in the neighborhood. She had gone up to the store to buy some items for her mother.

[Narrator]

Detectives find Annette at her home.

[Witness]

Ms. Bryant saw the tall, thin, black male with a red shirt outside the store. And when she was inside the store, that same young man entered the store putting the cake mix, cake frosting, and the soda can on the counter. She was able to tell the police that the young man pulled out a firearm and said something along the lines of this is a robbery, or this is. She said that Mr. Farah reached forward to move the gun, potentially protecting her as the gun was pointing also in her direction. And when he did, the gun fired as the shooter shot the firearm.

[Detective]

Annette is the only eyewitness who sees the shooting, and she even sees the suspect place the cake mix, the frosting can, and the soda can on the counter prior to the shooting, because Mr.

[Witness]

Farah's uncle was not able to see the shooter and not able to see the shooter put items on the counter. Ms. Bryant's account was crucial in that she was the one who was able to give context to those items and connected them directly to the shooter.

[Narrator]

Detectives then realize one of those items might hold the key to the case.

[Witness]

The fingerprints would be the only thing they would have to go on forensically. They dusted the cake mix, they dusted the frosting, and they dusted the red apple Shasta can.

[Detective]

They were able to achieve positive prints. We had fingerprints on two of the items.

They had a partial on the cake mix and the frosting can.

[Witness]

It was a much more significant piece of evidence than anything that they had at the time.

[Detective]

With today's fingerprint technology, not only can they read the ridges, but they can read depth of ridges and how those ridges interact with each other. Back in 74, you rolled prints and you looked at them under a magnifying Glass, if you were lucky, maybe a microscope. And the evidence technicians attempt to lift prints off of the items left behind. They lift fingerprints off of two of the items. They did do a search, and that search was only done on a local level.

This is before you're able to check stuff nationally. And if the suspect hadn't had an arrest record prior to the homicide occurring, he would have never been identified.

So they weren't able to get any matches.

[Witness]

Back in 1974, there was not DNA as there is today. So when they were unable to get a fingerprint match, there was not a lot more for them to do.

[Narrator]

The investigation slows to a crawl by summer's end. And with new leads drying up, the case goes cold. Until three months later.

[Bobby Farah]

Freddie and I had the same birthday, January 24th. And for several years, I did not celebrate our birthdays. It was just a very sad day for me. I don't think the children even realized when my birthday was. Those early years for the children, they had birthdays as always, Christmas as always. I didn't deprive them of anything.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

If it wasn't for my mother, I'm not sure where we'd be. You know, she's always provided for us. And I felt it's my job to protect my mother and my family.

[Bobby Farah]

If I had to go to the grocery store, the children would not let me go by myself. They were afraid I would not come back.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

That's probably about the time I started asking police officers, friends, whatever, to help me find who killed my dad.

[Bobby Farah]

Three of my children were in the school safety patrol. The safety patrols had a police officer sponsor, and Bobby would always ask, would you look into my daddy's case? Would you find out who killed my daddy?

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

As I got older, I became good friends with several of the police officers, and I do a few ride alongs with them.

[Narrator]

As years become decades, Bobby keeps a close circle of connections in law enforcement. He's always on the lookout for an opportunity to revive his father's case. This episode is brought to you by iqbar, our exclusive snack sponsor. Make this year's resolution stick. With the help of IQ Bar. Lean into health and wellness this year with delicious IQ Bar products carefully crafted for superior brain and body performance. I've been trying to cut back on sugary snacks and boost my focus while working, and IQ Bar has been perfect at helping me do just that. Prioritize your health and wellness with snacks and drinks that deliver on taste and nutrition. Start the new year off right with IQ Bar's brain and body boosting. Bars, hydration mixes and mushroom coffees. Their Ultimate Sampler pack includes all three. I really love having the sampler pack on hand so I can have options to choose from depending on what I'm craving. IQ Bar makes the number one brain and body nutrition bar, hydration mix and instant coffee in the US with over 15,000 five star reviews. IQ Bar products are entirely free from gluten, dairy, soy GMOs and artificial sweeteners. Snack smarter with IQ Bar offering more fiber, less sugar and fewer carbs and alternatives. Choose from nine satisfying flavors like mint chocolate chip, chocolate, Sea salt and banana nut. Personally, I'm hooked on the Peanut Butter Chip bar. It's the perfect mid afternoon pick me up IQ Mix their zero sugar drink mix hydrates with electrolytes, improves mood with magnesium, and boosts clarity with Lion's Mane Adaptogen. It comes in seven refreshing flavors including passion fruit and Pina colada. I've been swapping out my usual sugary sports drinks for IQ Mix after my workouts and I feel so so much better. And right now IQ Bar is offering our podcast listeners an exclusive deal. 20% off all IQ bar products plus get free shipping. To get your 20% off, just text cold to 64,000 text cold to 64,000. That's cold C O L D to 64,000 message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Some might say homes.com is the best home shopping site. Why? Picture a sleek, beautifully designed ad free user interface. That's homes.com, offering a search experience without distracting ads for parents who want the best for their kids. It's the go to site with the most in depth school info, including details and reviews from multiple sources like Niche. But there's more. Homes.com boasts a comprehensive and transparent agent directory. Plus it's the only site that always directly connects you with the listing agent who knows the home best. But what about neighborhood information? Homes.com takes the crown with the most in depth neighborhood content, extensively researched to highlight each area's unique personality. And there's the comprehensive search experience with 22 data visualization layers, seven environmental layers, and the ability to search by commute and architectural factors. It's the home search you've been searching for. Homes.com goes above and beyond to bring home shoppers the in depth information they need to find the right home. Homes.com We've done your homework. It's now January 1998, 24 years after Freddy's murder.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

I was doing some shopping and I ran into a police officer that I'd seen many times. His name was Jim parker. He told me how he worked in cold case, and that's when I mentioned to him about my dad's murder.

[Narrator]

Detective parker cracks open Freddy farah's case and zeroes in on the fingerprints from the cake mix box and frosting tin. With advances in fingerprint technology over the last 26 years, Detective Parker hopes a wider database search could be the answer.

[Detective]

He specifically asked for these prints to be run statewide, to be run basically up the eastern coast, you know, surrounding states, Georgia, north Carolina, Virginia. But all of them come back negative. There just wasn't enough at that time to make the connection.

In December of 2016, I walked into southern grill to go grab some breakfast. I saw Bobby at the counter. I made contact with him just to say hi, haven't seen you in a long time.

[Narrator]

Bobby had met Dan years earlier through the officers he'd accompanied on ride alongs.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

He was wearing a shirt and tie and a sport coat. And I kind of teased him, said, what'd you do, get a real job? I said, you're not a police officer anymore. He said, they moved me from homicide to cold case. And when he said that, I said, my dad was murdered in 1974.

[Detective]

He said, did you not know that my dad was murdered? And I said, no. And now that I was a cold case sergeant, Did I mind if I would take a look at his father's case?

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

Dan said, let me look into it. But Bobby, you know, 40 something years is a long time. I don't want to make you any promises that we can do anything for you.

[Detective]

Sergeant Dan jansen, my supervisor at the time, Came to me and asked me if I would look at the 1974 Freddy Farah case. He hands me a brown folder. There's not much in there. A responding officer report. There's a crime scene investigators report. There's probably 10 photographs of the scene. So there wasn't a whole lot to work with.

But there were some latent prints that have not been resolved.

So my first thing is, okay, let's try these prints. They were ran unsuccessfully in 1998. Why not try it again?

[Narrator]

It's now January 4, 2016, 43 years after Freddy Farah's murder.

[Detective]

Technology has grown immensely over the years, and we've got great equipment to identify suspects. When I looked at the Freddy farah case, we just had fingerprints. And so we ran the fingerprints again. Ended up getting a report that the latent print from the frosting can and the cake mix box came back to a Johnny Miller.

I was exhilarated. It was amazing to me that here we are, 43 years later, and we're getting ready to possibly solve a cold case.

I run Johnny Miller in our local databases. Back in 1974, he was a young male, late teens. All right, we got something. But then you also have to think this could just be anybody who went over and picked up a can and put on the counter prior to the suspect coming in. I had met with the Farrah family to find out if they had hired anybody to come in and help stock shelves. Any explanation? His fingerprints were on there. And the family told me they never hired anybody outside the family.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

I sat my mom down and I told her, I said, listen, something's going on in daddy's case. And mom just kind of looks at me. I said, bobby, what are you talking about?

[Bobby Farah]

I lost Freddie. Nothing could have brought him back. So what good was it going to do me if they caught this individual? To me, it didn't make any difference whether they caught him or not. I had hoped that Bobby would move on because this happened so many years ago, so just let it go. But he never would.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

I was like, mom, I'm not going to stop asking until they tell me to stop or there's no other avenue.

[Detective]

Bobby's mom didn't want this case reopened. And when I heard that, I knew that it was time for Project Cold Case to step in and help the Farah family go through this time.

[Narrator]

Ryan Backman is the executive director of Project cold case.

[Ryan Backman]

In October 2009, my father had been murdered. And then as my dad's case went cold, I started to recognize avoidance services for families of unsolved cases. So in 2015, I founded Project Cold Case to serve those families.

[Narrator]

Though Project Cold Case typically helps families advocate for their loved ones, Sergeant Jansen believes Ryan can offer the Farah family, especially Bobby, something more.

[Ryan Backman]

Bobby was a lot like me. He had lost his dad, and my dad was murdered. We truly bonded over both having that experience. I felt like for a long time, there were people that kind of wanted Bobby to move on. And that was not the case with me. He knew that he could tell me anything about his dad, anything that he was thinking about his dad and about the investigation.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

I feel like I can call Ryan and talk to him at any time about anything, you know, And I think he feels the same way about me.

[Ryan Backman]

It can be very complicated when you're working with families of unsolved murders and particularly some family members that don't want to reopen those wounds. But the most important thing to Bobby in the world was finding out who did it. That was the thing that he needed and wanted most. He wanted justice.

[Detective]

Once the identification of the prince came back to Johnny Miller, the the next thing that Detective Ratigan needed to do was locate the witnesses in the case.

I had one witness statement from Annette Bryant. I ended up locating her in Charlotte, North Carolina.

[Narrator]

Only 14 at the time of Freddie's murder. Annette Bryant is now 57 years old.

[Detective]

And she was now somewhat frail. She had stage four cancer. Detectives asked if she recalled the incident at the convenience store in 1974. She said, you watched a man get shot and actually die right before your eyes. Of course I remember that.

She remembered the suspect coming in. She remembered him asking Mr. Farah for a cake mix, placing it on the counter, asking for the frosting can, placing it on the counter. And she remembers him grabbing a can of fruit soda and placing that on the counter as well.

That's huge for us because it's something that she's identifying exactly to a T all these years later.

And then she remembers the suspect shooting Mr. Farah and running out. Her memory was so great and she made my case so strong. We definitely had to find Johnny Miller and we had to talk to him. He had to explain his fingerprints. Our last known address for Johnny Miller is in New Orleans. Then that was a five year old address. What if we went out there and he's not there? He's just this needle in a haystack. But there's only one way. Sergeant Janssen said, you gotta go.

[Narrator]

Detective Ratigan and her partner drive eight hours from Jacksonville to New Orleans in search of Johnny Miller.

[Detective]

We coordinated with New Orleans Cold case unit to help us out. The detectives took us by the last known address of Johnny Miller. We found out that Johnny was evicted several years prior. The last the landlord knew he was living on the streets in New Orleans. All I could think of is we've driven all the way out here and we're going to come up empty handed.

[Narrator]

The New Orleans cold case investigator, working with Detective Ratigan takes a close look at her photo of Johnny Miller.

[Detective]

The detective said, I recognize this guy. He dresses up as a street performer in the French Quarter, but really had no other information. My partner and I took it upon ourselves to drive around the French Quarter to try to locate this guy. After about an hour, we saw a lot of street performers, but no luck. We ended up going into one of the precincts in the French Quarter and met up with a uniform officer Once we showed him the picture, he ended up recognizing Johnny Miller. And he said, I'll look around for him.

[Narrator]

Less than an hour later, Detective Ratigan gets a phone call. The officer has found Johnny Miller.

[Detective]

He spoke with Mr. Miller, just briefly. I told him I was a detective from Jacksonville and I was working an investigation. Johnny agreed to come speak with us.

[Narrator]

I never been to this dope store.

[Detective]

Never been to that store.

[Narrator]

I can hear him.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

I said, don't put nothing on me.

[Narrator]

They never been next to me. They cry.

[Detective]

When I've got your fingerprints and you tell me that you were never there, then your denials are just as good as a confession.

[Witness]

There would be no other explanation for his fingerprints being on the items inside the store. Items that Ms. Bryant would be able to testify that the shooter put on the counter directly before the murder.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

So you say I killed this man in.

[Detective]

Well, I'm telling you that witnesses saw this person put these. These items down and those items were processed. And in 1974, these latent prints, these fingerprints were lifted. And when we recently ran them in, in December of this past year, they matched with you and me. Yes, sir. How long?

[Bobby Farah]

Let me even be in there.

[Detective]

This is him now. I'm 150% sure.

[Narrator]

When you think about businesses with criminally good sales, like Death Wish coffee or Selena Gomez's rare beauty, you might focus on their in demand products or great marketing. But the real secret weapon, it's often the business behind the business that makes selling simple for millions of entrepreneurs. That business is Shopify. Nobody does selling better than Shopify. They're home to the number one checkout on the planet, featuring the not so secret weapon shop pay, which boosts conversions up to 50%. That means way fewer abandoned carts and way more sales going. If you're serious about growing your business, your commerce platform needs to be ready to sell wherever your customers are scrolling or strolling on the web, in your store, in their social media feeds, and everywhere in between. It's no secret. Businesses that want to grow grow with Shopify. So if you're ready to take your sales to the next level, it's time to join the platform that's powering millions of successful businesses worldwide. Upgrade your business and get the same checkout Selena Gomez uses. Sign up for your $1 per month trial period of shopify.com cold case all lowercase go to shopify.com cold case to upgrade your selling today. Shopify.com coldcase this episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. We're always hearing about red flags to Watch out for being rude to waiters, playing music out loud while hiking. But what about the positive signs? You know those little things that make you think, wow, this person might be a keeper. Maybe it's how they actively listen when you speak, respect your boundaries, or always return their shopping cart. These green flags are crucial in building healthy, loving relationships. But here's the thing. Sometimes it's hard to recognize these positive signs, especially if you've had challenging relationships in the past. That's where therapy comes in. It can help you identify those green flags, learn how to embody them yourself, and build relationships that truly nurture you. Therapy has been extremely beneficial to many people in my life. It's given them the perspective they need to make positive changes in their lives. And therapy isn't just for dealing with major crises. It's a powerful tool for personal growth, learning to set boundaries, and becoming the best version of yourself. That's why I'm excited about BetterHelp. They've made therapy accessible and convenient, serving over 5 million people worldwide. With a network of more than 30,000 credentialed therapists, you're bound to find someone who fits you. You can even switch therapists anytime at no extra cost. So whether you're navigating the dating scene, working on your marriage, or just focusing on self improvement, BetterHelp can support you in creating relationships that love you back. Discover your relationship green flags with better help. Visit betterhelp.com cold case to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp. H-E L p.com coldcase Johnny Miller is arrested in New Orleans. Within hours, the Farah family is called into the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

They sat us down. Ryan was there from Project Cold Case. When I saw Ryan, something just told me, you know, wow, something's going on. They had Margo on a conference call in Louisiana, and they told us that they had made an arrest. And I remember kind of slamming my hand down on the table and saying, I knew it, you know, And I got up and walked out.

[Ryan Backman]

I followed Bobby out the door. There's something that just overcomes you in that moment. I grabbed him, gave him a big hug, and we just kind of allowed the moment to sink in.

[Bobby Farah]

I sat there dumbfounded. I did not know what to say.

[Witness]

The grand jury issued an indictment for Mr. Miller. The state intended to proceed with first degree murder charges on Mr. Miller.

[Detective]

I believed that the case was strong. We had forensic scientific evidence, latent fingerprints that were unequivocally identified to Mr. Miller. And we had A witness who had a very clear recall of the events.

[Narrator]

Though Annette Bryant gave police a statement at the time of the murder, prosecutors now need her sworn testimony.

[Witness]

We spoke to her in early December of 2017 and let her know that her deposition was scheduled for January of 2018, at which point she said that she would absolutely be available for a deposition. Right after the holidays, we contacted Ms. Bryant and we learned from her daughter that she had actually passed away approximately two weeks after we last spoke with her.

[Detective]

I felt like the wind was taken out of our sails in this particular case. An arrest had been made. We had a suspect in custody on a 43 year old cold case, the oldest cold case solved in the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office history. It was painful to hear that Ms. Bryant had passed away.

[Witness]

Ms. Bryant was the link between the items placed on the counter with fingerprints and the shooter. Without Ms. Bryant, the jury could find Mr. Miller not guilty and the family would never get the answers they were looking for.

[Detective]

So we were left with trying to figure out how, if at all, we could prove our case.

[Witness]

When Ms. Bryant passed away, we had to regroup and decide what was most important for the Farah family and justice moving forward. Injustice, obviously can mean different things for different cases.

[Detective]

Without Ms. Bryant's testimony, it seemed to us that the likelihood of obtaining a conviction in this case was quite low. And it was important to us to be able to provide the family with answers while still holding the defendant accountable.

[Narrator]

The state approaches the Farah family with an idea. A plea deal with Johnny Miller. In exchange for time served, Miller would plead guilty to Freddie's murder and meet with the Farah family to answer their questions.

[Bobby Farah]

I did want to see him face to face, and I knew Bobby was going to ask questions, and I did want to hear his answers.

[Narrator]

Johnny Miller takes the plea deal and agrees to meet with the Ferrer family in a restorative justice session.

[Detective]

The main goal of restorative justice is to bring the offender and victim or victim's family together so that the offender is held to account by explaining and apologizing for what he or she has done.

[Witness]

Restorative justice was a good opportunity in this particular case because the family had 43 years to somewhat come to terms with the death. And Mr. Miller had 43 years to mature into a person who would be willing to tell them the answers to their questions. This was the first time that I had ever been involved in something like this where the defendant would be sitting in the room with the family.

[Narrator]

The Farahs, along with the detectives, prosecutors and defense Attorneys anxiously await Johnny Miller's arrival.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

Finally, I could hear him. He was in shackles and cuffs, and you could hear him coming down the hallway into the library where we were.

[Witness]

When he came into the room, you could hear a pin drop. Everyone, I think, was a little on edge about how it was going to go.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

I asked him, did he know my dad? He told me, yes, that he shopped at my dad's store, that my dad was very nice to all the children that came in. I asked him, was he angry with my dad? Did my dad upset him? He said that he found the gun and he was going to take it into my dad's store to ask my dad what he should do with it. And he said something overcame him when he got into the store and he pulled the gun out of his tool bag.

[Detective]

He just kind of. Something snaps in him and ends up trying to rob the store.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

And he said that my dad saw the gun and lunged at the gun to protect the little girl. And when he did, the gun went off. He said he just turned around and ran out of the store.

[Witness]

There was a sigh of relief from around the room at how sincere he was. And it really did seem to impact his life as well as obviously, the life of the victim's family.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

I actually took a bullet out of my pocket, and I slid it across the table and I pointed to it and I said that right there. This one little item changed our lives, yours included. And he just looked at me like a deer in headlights.

[Witness]

It had such an impact, I think, on everyone to just realize how in one moment in time, you can change the life of so many people.

[Bobby Farah]

Mr. Miller kept saying, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. And then I just told him, we forgive you. I live by that rule that you have to forgive others in order to receive forgiveness. And it's a relief off of my mind, too. I don't want to hold grudges.

[Detective]

Mrs. Farrow just blew me away. Such a strong woman and such a forgiving woman. I was crying. I believe the state attorney was in there crying. We were just so, so humbled by her.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

I'm a little different than my mom. For me to say that I forgive him. No, sir, I'm not ready to say that. My mom told me in Arabic, I hope that this gives you your answers and that you can move on with this.

[Bobby Farah]

It gave me peace. I hope gives Bobby peace.

[Narrator]

Five days after meeting with the Farahs, Johnny Miller pleads guilty to second degree murder and is released from jail.

[Freddie Farah's Family Member]

The fact that he is on the street as a free man. I mean, does it bother me? Yes, it bothers me. But the fact that he gave me more answers than I've had in 43 years, it just. It helps, helped me, you know, so I'm good with this. My dad was a really good man. He loved his children. He loved my mom. There's a picture at their wedding and looks like they're in the back of the limousine. And you could just see it in his eyes, how in love he was with my mom. And that's the way I'd want somebody to remember my dad, the big smile on his face.

[Bobby Farah]

People ask me why I didn't remarry. And I always say, when you've had the best, you don't want second best. Freddie was the love of my life. I only lived with him, unfortunately, a very short time. So I don't know what would have happened in our later years. But I envy all these old couples that walk hand in hand. And I always wonder, what would it have been like?

[Ryan Backman]

At Pluto tv, we're celebrating Black History Month with our curated collection of black content, all streaming for free. Find groundbreaking films including Selma, Django, Unchained, Ali and Coach Carter.

[Bobby Farah]

You have an incredible gift up here.

[Ryan Backman]

Gripping series like Power and the Game, Next level comedies, music video channels and more. Brilliant black entertainment. Intense, intentionally curated and all free this month and always on Pluto tv. Stream now. Pay never.

[Narrator]

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[Bobby Farah]

Com.