Persistance pays off for NBCPhiladelphia blogger and news photographer, Jim Friedman.
After years of prying with Bethlehem detectives and investigators to get information about the unsolved murder of Holly Branagan, Friedman's latest blog got the attention of Northampton District Attorney John Morganelli.
Friedman's blogs helped spark enough new interest in the case that now Morganelli plans to meet with detectives and the county coroner and possibly impanel a Grand Jury in the Branagan case.
Branagan was stabbed 18 times in her Bethlehem home 30 years ago. In fact, the anniversary of her death was just last week.
The attack was so violent the kitchen knife that was used to kill her broke off in her back. Police suspect the cheery high school senior knew her attacker.
Holly's father has been waiting all these years for some resolution. His son, Holly's brother, died six months after her murder in a gas station explosion. It was ruled accidental, but the dad has always felt like the two deaths were connected.
Investigators say the initial investigation into Holly's murder bogged down when Branagan's friends and others who may have had information refused to talk to police. Jim covers that angle along with the serial killer theory in his blogs.
