RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. — The family of an Amador County 20-year-old is feeling a sense of relief, more than a year after he was shot and killed at a Rancho Cordova party.
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office was searching for the killer of Corey Shearer since Aug. 5, 2022. Thanks to new evidence, deputies have charged a suspect, 19-year-old Amyis Coogler, with homicide.
"Corey's life mattered, and there needs to be justice," said Corey's mother, Crystal Shearer, who has followed the investigation closely.
She said she was shaking uncontrollably when she learned about the arrest.
"I've gotten discouraged a couple of times, but the picture that they had of the potential suspect was very clear," Shearer said, adding that she thought it was "just a matter of time" before authorities would catch him.
It was only after Coogler was arrested in an attack and robbery outside a cafe near Stockton Boulevard in Sacramento last year that investigators got the last piece of the puzzle.
"Based on that arrest, they were able to collect DNA evidence," said Sacramento County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Amar Gandhi.
That DNA evidence, combined with witness accounts and other evidence, supported homicide charges for Coogler.
The revelation came after long months of investigating.
"I think it’s a safe assumption to say that there were a lot of people that saw what happened that hadn’t come forward and still haven’t come forward," Gandhi said.
As for Corey Shearer's family, with a suspect in custody, there's hope that this development is the first big step toward justice.
"Any room he walked into, he could light it up with just one word, his smile was so bright," said Rihanna Shearer, Corey's younger sister.
"Corey was very very loved. He's missed every day," Crystal Shearer added.
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