MIRAMAR, Fla. – On Oct. 21, 1986, William “Billy” Halpern was brutally murdered in his Miramar home and now detectives have identified the individual responsible for his death.
Halpern, who was 28 years old at the time, was a former Hallandale Beach Fire Rescue paramedic who was found dead in the bedroom of his townhome in the Woodscape subdivision, police said.
Investigators said Halpern was “cut ear to ear” by an unknown object and bled to death.
Detectives learned that Halpern, who was an avid bodybuilder, also worked at the Apollo Gym in Hollywood, a business tied to several murders.
A week after Halpern’s death, Harry Van Collier, then 28, and another one of Halpern’s acquaintances, James Hinote Jr., 31, were fatally shot in their heads at a fellow gym member’s home in Pembroke Pines.
Former Miami-Dade Police Officer Gil Fernandez, owner of that gym, is currently serving three life sentences but was cleared of physical involvement in Halpern’s murder, linked through DNA evidence.
Following a January press conference where Halpern’s relatives spoke out, new information pointed to Collier as the culprit responsible for Halpern’s murder. Detectives connected similarities between Halpern’s case and a double murder in Tamarac, clearing the investigation.
“Because we have Harry Collier’s fingerprint at the Tamarac double murder scene, and the similarities between that murder scene and the scene of Billy Halpern’s murder, along with numerous interviews we conducted, we are confident that if Harry Collier were alive today, we would be charging him with murder and he would stand trial,” said Miramar Police Detective Danny Smith.
Detectives said Collier was murdered seven months after Halpern’s death.
Detectives said they matched Collier’s fingerprints to Halpern’s case along with a previous double murder that involved Charles Mitch Hall and Sharlinda Draudt who were both killed inside Hall’s apartment. Detectives identified Collier as the primary suspect in both cases.
Many believed Halpern’s case was solved and the alleged suspect was behind bars, but that was not true, according to investigators.
On Tuesday, Smith said his department was pleased to announce the Billy Halpern case has been “exceptionally cleared” after naming Collier as the suspect.
Detectives previously said they believe several people were involved in his murder and he may have let them into his home since there was no forced entry.
They don’t believe Halpern was involved in any criminal activity, but people who attended the Apollo gym were connected to illegal drug and gun activity.
Smith said he believes Halpern was killed to “keep him quiet” because he knew of the criminal activity that was taking place at the gym.
“To be without your brother for that long is terrible,” Lori Halpern, Billy Halpern’s sister, told Local 10 News back in January. “It won’t bring Billy back, but it will give me closure it is important that they find out why and that they get punished for what they have done.”
Although Halpern’s murder suspect has been identified, authorities are still urging the public to contact the Miramar Police Department at 954-602-4000 or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477 if they have any information on the case.
Watch the press conference here: