West Virginia Senate lawmakers have passed a bill honoring the memory of Leah Hickman, a 21-year-old Marshall University student from Mason County who was found murdered in her Huntington apartment nearly 19 years ago. Her case gained national attention and remains unsolved.
The Leah Hickman Memorial Act would create a statewide cold case task force within the West Virginia State Police to help investigate unsolved crimes. Supporters say the goal is to bring justice to cases that have gone cold and show criminals they can still be held accountable years later.
The bill now heads back to the House for consideration of changes made by the Senate.