October 20, 2025 | By: Jacob Justice This story is part of a collaborative project between Project: Cold Case and the University of North Florida’s Applied Journalism class. Julia Golden loved stories—reading them, writing them, and capturing them in photographs. At home in McGehee, Arkansas, she spent her days with her 3-year-old daughter, Vanessa, reading books and snapping pictures of the little girl she adored. “She loved to read with me,” Vanessa said. “Even at three, three and a half, I was already reading. And she loved taking pictures—especially of me. She thought I was the cutest baby ever.” But their story was cut short. On the morning of September 24, 1989, Julia was found murdered in the living room of her apartment. Vanessa, just three years old, discovered her mother’s body and ran next door to the apartment manager, Sharon Bordeaux, who was also a close friend of Julia’s. Julia had been stabbed more than 100 times. There were no signs of forced entry or struggle, leading... Read More