Sherry Black may have been the mother-in-law of one of the richest men in Utah, but she spent a majority of her time at her independent bookstore, B&W Billiards and Books. It was there, on Nov. 30, 2010, where the 64-year-old Black was found stabbed to death.
The case has been cold since the beginning with virtually no leads. In 2017, Parabon Nanolabs got involved, in 2018 a cold case detective with the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake took over, and last week, police finally arrested Adam Antonio Spencer Durborow after a DNA match.
Black was the mother-in-law of Greg Miller, the former CEO of the ownership company of the Utah Jazz NBA team. According to police, a men’s Armani Exchange belt was left at the scene of her murder, as well as blood and palm prints from the suspected killer. At the time, DNA testing of the blood revealed it was male, but it did not match a CODIS profile. Familial testing was even performed, but again, there was no match.
The case went cold with no suspects or persons of interest named.
Then in 2017, on the seventh anniversary of Black’s death, police announced they worked with Parabon Nanolabs to put the DNA from the crime scene through phenotyping. As Desert News reported, the phenotyping results indicated there was a 97.8% likelihood the suspect had light brown skin, a 55.2% likelihood he had brown or black eyes, and a 99.6% likelihood he had black hair.
On October 10, 2020, police arrested Durborow—who matches the overall description. Five days later, a DNA sample collected from Durborow was matched to DNA left at the crime scene. Fingerprints and palm prints from the suspect were also a match. Additionally, Fox13 reported Durborow admitted to the killing after being read his Miranda rights last weekend.
Durborow would have been 19 years old at the time of Black’s murder. His rap sheet includes petty theft, once just two months before the murder of Black and another in January 2011. County records indicate Durborow’s foster father was arrested on child pornography charges. A woman believed to be his birth mother lived just a mile from Black’s bookstore.
“[The South Salt Lake Police Department and Unified Police Department] collaborated to review the evidence, find new leads, and interview witnesses. Sheriff Rosie Rivera thanks the detectives, investigators, and many others from UPD, SSLPD, DA, the Utah Crime Lab, and Parabon Nanolabs for working together in common pursuit of justice for the Black family. Solving cold cases like this one is possible, in part, due to technological advancements,” the Unified Police Department said in a statement.
Photo: Mugshot courtesy of Salt Lake County Jail; Composite courtesy of Parabon Nanolabs.