CLEVELAND, OHIO – The murder case of Gloria Pointer from 1984 will be revisited by Dateline NBC in an upcoming episode titled “A Promise to Gloria.” The 14-year-old was walking to Harry E. Davis Junior High School on December 6 when she went missing. Later that day, her body was found by a custodian in a fire escape stairwell, after being sexually assaulted and beaten to death.
Cleveland authorities, cold case detectives, and the FBI spent 30 years investigating the case. In 2013, DNA evidence from Pointer’s clothes led to the arrest of Hernandez Warren, who confessed to killing her and pleaded guilty. The upcoming episode of Dateline NBC will delve into how detectives used DNA evidence to solve the case after three decades.
A website dedicated to Gloria Pointer revealed that she was on her way to receive a perfect attendance award on the day she was murdered. Witnesses reported seeing a man following her on the day of the murder. Warren was identified as the suspect after his DNA was linked to the crime using the latest DNA techniques. Despite his criminal history, the partial DNA profile had been identified years earlier, but the results were never entered into databases that link criminals to crimes.
Warren admitted to authorities that he attacked Pointer as she was walking to school, claiming to have been under the influence of drugs at the time. He received a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 30 years. He later attempted to withdraw his guilty plea but was denied by the court.
The episode of Dateline NBC on Gloria Pointer’s murder case will air on January 5, 2024. Warren is currently serving a sentence for aggravated murder and rape in Pointer’s murder case.