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Gloria Pointer's 1984 murder may date back decades but it is hardly a case that can be forgotten by anyone who has come across it. The bright-eyed 14-year-old girl was simply on her way to her school on a day that she was particularly excited about. But she never made it there. Instead, she was assaulted and murdered.
The case is set to the subject of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered season 14 episode 9, titled A Promise to Gloria. The episode airs at 8 pm EST on Oxygen on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. The synopsis for the episode reads:
"A mother searches for answers in the unsolved murder of her 14-year-old daughter until new DNA technology changes everything."
The case was solved, but nearly 30 years after the crime. The criminal behind this murder, Hernandez Warren, confessed to the crime after he was arrested and has since remained in prison.
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Ahead of the upcoming episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered, let us go over five chilling details from the murder of Gloria Pointer.
5 chilling details about the murder of Gloria Pointer
1) It was a very special day for Gloria Pointer until she was assaulted and killed
Gloria Pointer was especially excited to reach Harry E. Davis Junior High School on the morning of December 6, 1984, as she was slated to be given an award for perfect attendance that day.
Sadly, she never made it to school on that day and was found at the bottom of a fire escape stairwell hours later.
2) Several witnesses reportedly saw Gloria being followed by a black man
While the technology wasn't developed enough back in 1984 to pinpoint a DNA match, several witnesses claimed to have seen a black man following Gloria. One witness even claimed that the strange man grabbed the girl's arm near 10515 Orville Avenue. They disappeared after this.
3) The case went cold for decades
After Gloria's body was found, it was determined that she was assaulted and beaten to death. However, with no technological advancements, the DNA found in the scene could not lead anywhere. Moreover, the authorities scrambled for leads for quite a while and eventually gave up.
The case resurfaced in 2013 when DNA found from the case was finally linked to a convicted r*pist Hernandez Warren.
4) Hernandez Warren pleaded guilty to the murder and expressed his regret
After getting arrested three decades later, Hernandez Warren pleaded guilty to the assault and murder of Gloria Pointer. He also expressed his regret, stating that he was in a drug-induced frenzy at the time and felt amply guilty about the same.
Before this murder conviction, Warren had already served a long time in prison for a different crime. He was sentenced to thirty years to life for the assault and murder of Gloria Pointer.
5) Gloria Pointer's mother continues to honor her life
Following the immense loss, Yvonne Pointer took it to herself to honor her daughter's memories and became an advocate for anti-violence. Through motivational speaking and establishing communities, Yvonne dedicated her life to helping those in need.
She also established the outreach program, College Connection, for high school students in their final year. She was later inducted into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame and even appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
The upcoming episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered will cover this case in further detail.
