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Rosa McMillan (9 of Hearts, North Carolina)

July 1, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In August 1989, 85-year-old Rosa McMillan was beaten to death in her Fayetteville, North Carolina home, the same house her late husband had built for her. Her daughter Elaine and son-in-law Rodney discovered her body when they stopped by on their way to the beach and noticed her porch light was on in the daytime—a violation of Rosa's rigid routine. She turned those lights on every night and off every morning. She locked her doors. She kept her home neat. Inside, the house was ransacked, papers dumped everywhere, and Rosa's body was covered with a floor rug, with items from drawers piled on top of her. The murder weapon was a wooden fence post pulled from her own garden; the killer had raised it so high while striking her that it left marks on the ceiling tiles. The official cause of death was blunt force trauma. Her purse, containing about $500, was untouched. This was not a robbery.

The first suspect and the DNA dead end

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:40) **Case Introduction: Rosa McMillan, the Nine of Hearts** - Host Ashley Flowers introduces the case of Rosa McMillan and the term "brick" for a case that stays with a detective.
  • 2 (02:16) **The Night of the Murder** - Details of the crime scene and the discovery of Rosa's body by her family.
  • 3 (05:58) **Initial Investigation and the "Pizza Box" Suspect** - Police develop an early theory linking the murder to a serial predator, Harry Klein Lee.
  • 4 (11:36) **The Arrest of Harry Klein Lee and DNA Exclusion** - Harry is arrested in 1996, but DNA evidence clears him of Rosa's murder.
  • 5 (14:20) **Detective Corsion's Theory: The "Massey Hill Group"** - Corsion develops a new theory involving a group of young people partying and a specific person of interest, "Larry."
  • 6 (16:25) **Larry's Confession and the Missed Opportunity** - Larry was questioned early in the case and appeared to confess, but was released without being followed up on.
  • 7 (17:57) **Larry's DNA Exclusion and the Missing Piece** - Larry's DNA also doesn't match the sexual assault kit, but Corsion argues this doesn't rule him out.

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Show Notes

Our card this week is Rosa McMillan, the 9 of Hearts from North Carolina. 

On August 6, 1989, Rosa McMillian was found murdered inside that home. She had been brutally attacked—and sexually assaulted—in her own living room.

The crime scene didn't make sense, and a few mysterious items were left behind by whoever killed Rosa. Something else left behind? The killer's DNA.

In most cases, that would be enough to close the books. But in Rosa’s case…DNA isn’t what brought answers. In fact, it’s the opposite…and the one thing that would keep a solve out of reach.

  • If you know anything about the murder of Rosa McMillan in Fayetteville, North Carolina, please call the  Fayetteville Police Department at 910-433-1529. You can also call Fayetteville Cumberland County Crime Stoppers Tips at 910-483-8477.

 

View source material and photos for this episode at: thedeckpodcast.com/rosa-mcmillan

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The Deck is hosted by Ashley Flowers. 

Text Ashley at 317-733-7485 to talk all things true crime, get behind the scenes updates, and more!


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