Arrest made in Officer Decker's death

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - After an almost two-year investigation, Virginia Beach Police have charged a suspect in the 2010 murder of Norfolk Police Officer Victor Decker .

The suspect is identified as 20-year-old Raymond Lewis Perry, formerly of the 6400 block of South Stoney Point in Norfolk. He is charged with First Degree Murder, Armed Robbery and two counts Use of a Firearm. Police say Perry is serving an 88-year sentence in South Carolina for a series of robberies in Virginia Beach and other jurisdictions.

The Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney's Office will institute extradition proceedings, but Macie Pridgen with the office says Perry won't be in Virginia Beach for at least 3 to 6 weeks.

Officers say more than 200 sources of information were interviewed in this case.

The following agencies were involved in the investigation: Norfolk Police Department’s Uniform and Detectives Divisions and Special Investigations Unit, Virginia State Police, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Portsmouth Police Department, and Virginia Beach’s and Norfolk’s Commonwealth Attorney’s Offices. 

Following Perry's arrest, Norfolk Police Chief Mike Goldsmith released the following statement:

"On behalf of the Norfolk Police Department I would like to thank Chief Jim Cervera and the Virginia Beach Police Department for their relentless determination over the last 18 months to solve the murder of Officer Victor Decker. Their efforts and the hundreds of hours put into this investigation has resulted in an arrest that will provide a level of closure for the men and women of the Norfolk Police Department, particularly those who worked with Vic on a daily basis. I would also like to thank the public for their support during this time.

Finally, and most importantly, let me remind you to continue to keep Victor's wife, Dawn and daughter, Charlotte, in your thoughts and prayers. While they too must be experiencing a measure of relief at the arrest, they will soon face the difficulty of the upcoming trial.

Any additional information on the case should be directed to the VBPD's Public Information Office."

Decker was found the morning of Oct. 26, 2010, on the ground beside his truck parked along Oceana Boulevard with his Norfolk police badge hanging around his neck . Norfolk Police Chief Bruce Marquis confirmed that Decker's gun was at his house not with him.  The night of his death, Decker was at the Atlantis Go-Go Club for a breast cancer fundraiser . A passerby found Decker's body just after 7 a.m. the next day. Police tell 10 On Your Side Decker was shot at close range, and someone took his wallet, which was recovered a couple of days later.

Decker was one of seven Virginia officers who received the 2009 VACP/VPCF Award for Valor .  He left behind a wife and infant daughter at the time of his death.

Although an arrest has been made, the case remains under investigation by the VBPD's Homicide Unit.