February 5, 2010-- News 12 at 11 o'clock

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The new Cold Case division of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is tasting success on their first case. Today, two men were arrested and charged with a February 1975 murder on Meadowbrook Drive. Bronzi Leon Peppers was found shot in the head in the front yard of his home.

After receiving a tip and interviewing people, warrants were issued for 58 year old William “Butch” Lawrence Coffey III and 53 year old Mark Anthony Hill. Coffey was arrested in Oklahoma and Hill was arrested in Augusta Friday afternoon.

Investigators identified another suspect, Tony Ray Ouzts, but Ouzts died in a car accident in the 1990s. Two other potential suspects are not being identified at this time.

The release sends this message: Anyone who’s ever participated in a homicide and thought they got away with it, that no longer how long ago, there is a very real likelihood that you will someday be brought to justice.

Investigators are calling it one of the toughest, coldest cases they've ever cracked and it's also the first case the "Cold Case Division" opened.

Though it was a gloomy day in Augusta, solving this case was one of the brighter spots for a family who waited 35 years to the week for justice.

Of many homes, neighboring 2921 Meadowbrook Drive where then 25-year-old Peppers was killed, Charles Elton was one of the only ones who still lived on the street.

"All I can remember is, I didn't see it, I didn't hear it, but I heard about it the next day," the 83-year-old said.

Though he heard about it the next day, 12,786 days later, he was shocked to hear it had been solved.

"I had really forgotten about it until I heard it on the news then my mind said to myself, 'Could that be that man who lived next door to me?'"

Sure enough it was, but the outlook for solving the case was dim until a letter came into the sheriff's office tipping them off to clues they could use to solve the case, Lt. Scott Peebles of the Richmond County Sheriff's Office said.

"The information seemed credible, but there was no way for us to verify the information because we could find nothing about the murder," said Lt. Peebles.

That's because records were flooded out of the old office, but after some digging and interviews they found out Peppers allegedly stole drugs from a drug dealer.

The dealer, Ouzts teamed up with four others and tried to kidnap Peppers to hold him ransom, but when that plan failed, a fight broke out which escalated into Ouzts shooting him in the front yard.

"It sounded that way," said Peppers neighbor Elton about it being a drug deal. "Because those drug dealers, they mean business."

The Sheriff's Office means business too and solving this case is proof that they will catch you eventually.

"You've got away with it until now, but somehow, some day, you should know there's a great possibility you'll be brought to justice," Lt. Peebles said.

There may be other arrests pending, Lt. Peebles added.