Montgomery County Police arrested a woman’s ex-boyfriend for her murder 30 years after she died, officials announced Wednesday.

Police arrested Amir Jalil Ali on Tuesday in Laurel for the 1995 fatal shooting of his then-girlfriend, Denna Fredericka Campbell. This closes one of the department’s oldest cold cases, Montgomery County Department of Police Chief Marc Yamada said at a news conference.

Campbell was a four-year veteran of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department when she was found fatally shot in her White Oak apartment by Ali, who, at the time, was known as Kenneth Burnell Wonsom. He was initially charged with murder for her death, but those charges were dropped two months later.

Having more evidence now, prosecutors have, again, charged Ali with first-degree murder for Campbell’s death. Ali, who officials say legally changed his name in 2021, is being held at the Montgomery County Detention Center without bond. He did not have an attorney listed at the time of publication.

Who was Deena Fredericka Campbell?

Campbell was a D.C. Metropolitan Police officer in the 7th District at the time of her death, officials said. Colleagues remember her as being energetic and full of life, D.C. Metropolitan Police Executive Assistant Chief Andre Wright said at the news conference.

Campbell was 24 when she died and, though young in age and early in her tenure, Wright said she was on track for a promising career.

Wright said Campbell pulled four people from a burning van on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1993 that earned her praise from department leaders and the community.

“Those actions proved Officer Campbell was ready to place the safety of those in the community above herself,” Wright said. “We hope this news can bring some form of closure to all of those who have carried the burden of this tragedy for over three decades.”

‘Long time coming’

Police were called to the 1500 block of Heather Hollow Circle in White Oak on Sept. 16, 1995, for a burglary and shooting. Ali allegedly told officers that he left for the store around 3 a.m. and returned to find his girlfriend, Campbell, unresponsive.

Campbell had been shot five times. Detectives have searched for answers ever since.

Additional interviews with witnesses at Campbell’s part-time job, friends and others shed light on the fear she felt and concerns she had about Ali, Detective Paula Hammill, who worked on the case, said at a news conference. Being able to present what they’ve found to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office brought Hammill both emotion and peace, she said.

“It was a long time coming,” Hammill said. “It’s good to start back over and look at everything again and see like, ‘OK, well, what maybe can we look at differently? What did we not see that we now see?’”

When Hammill notified Campbell’s lone living parent, her father, about the arrest, she said the only words he could utter were “Thank God.”