MURDER
CASE #: 2003-41
Simon Scates
Status:
Open
Date of Offense:
Date of Offense:
Jurisdiction:
Offense Location:
Roswell, Georgia
Summary:
Simon Scates, 38, a co-owner of Blue Moon Salon in Roswell, Georgia, was found stabbed 47 times inside his Roswell home on July 20, 2003. A second victim, Gretchen Hardister, was also found dead at the scene. The case remains unsolved; as of October 2020, police had not made any arrests and were retesting evidence with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Vital Statistics
Circumstances of Offense:
Simon Scates was found dead inside a Roswell home on Sunday, July 20, 2003. He had been stabbed 47 times. Gretchen Hardister, a 37-year-old woman, was also found dead at the scene. Her presence in Simon Scates' house and the circumstances connecting the two victims remained unexplained.
Additional Details:
As of October 2020, the case remained unsolved with no arrests made. Roswell police crime scene experts sent evidence to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for retesting in response to renewed family pressure for answers. Simon Scates' daughter Reid sent a letter to police asking them to refocus attention on the unsolved homicide. The Roswell Police Department assigned Detective Dewayne Gooden to the case and identified persons of interest, though details were not publicly revealed. Gretchen Hardister's sister Lane noted that Gretchen had a Master's degree in electrical computer engineering and worked for a major defense contractor. Gretchen's former husband had been killed in a crash at age 26.
Case Last Updated:
Timeline of Events
Roswell police sent evidence to Georgia Bureau of Investigation for retesting following family appeals. Detective Dewayne Gooden assigned to case; persons of interest identified but not publicly revealed.
Simon Scates found dead inside his Roswell home, stabbed 47 times. Gretchen Hardister also found deceased at the scene.
Associated Persons
Olivia S. (Child) - Living
Colin S. (Father) - Living
Sara S. (Sibling) - Living
Reid S. (Child) - Living
Gretchen H. (Other) - Deceased
Lane H. (Other) - Living
Dewayne G. (Person of Interest) - Living
Jenia S. (Spouse) - Living
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