DA Calls for "Full Court Press" on Branagan Murder

Could a break be near in solving the cold-case murder of Holly Branagan?

Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli met with Bethlehem Police Detectives Mark DiLuzio and Thomas Galloway along with Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek on Tuesday to discuss the murder of Branagan. 

The two and a half hour meeting in the DA’s office was "good, but we have a lot of work to do," said Morganelli. 

He had high praise for Galloway and DiLuzio for the complicated task of poring over the enormous case file. This new generation of minds has created new theories -- listed at least six “people of interest,” said Morganelli “These people are not suspects," he said. 
 
In the coming weeks, they plan to construct profiles, which are merely background investigations on many people questioned throughout the investigation. Morganelli did not elaborate much about specifics other than to say, "There are a lot of people to interview and to update their whereabouts." 

Most, if not all physical evidence will be packaged and sent out to a lab for forensic tests.  He did not say whose lab the material would be sent to, private or a lab run by law enforcement. 

A couple of years ago, the knife used in Holly’s brutal attack was sent to the Pa. State Police for DNA testing -- again. The results were negative -- again. 
 
Morganelli wants "a full court press" on this case. He suggested to Bethlehem Police Commissioner Randall Miller to add another detective from the department to assist in the investigation or a county detective could be assigned. 

"Time, retirements, the time it takes to do it… We were put in a position we have to be in'" Morganelli told me. "I do believe (this murder) is solvable."  Morganelli has not decided to empanel a grand jury at this time, but has not ruled out the possibility.
 
The DA will meet these investigators again in 30 days.

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