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Former Pro Boxer Arrested For 1987 Cold Case Murder Of His Manager

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department's Cold Case Homicide Unit have announced the arrest of a former pro boxer for the murder of his manager in 1987.

Former Pro Boxer Arrested For 1987 Cold Case Murder Of His Manager

Members of the FBI-LAPD Fugitive Task Force arrested 50-year-old Exum Speight Wednesday morning around 10:45 in the city of San Fernando.

Speight was charged with one count of murder for killing Douglas Stumler, then 30.

The murder occurred on March 29, 1987 in Stumler's apartment on South La Cienga Boulevard in the West LA area.

Stumler's body was discovered by a friend who went to check on him after he failed to report to work at the LA County Housing Authorities.

In his spare time, Stumler also managed several boxers, including Speight. Officials say Stumler managed Speight for two years.

Detectives said they got a break in the case when they were able to review forensic evidence under a grant from the National Institute of Justice's "Solving Cold Cases with DNA" program.

Authorities said DNA played a "key" role in getting the case solved. Stumler was reportedly strangled and stabbed.

Detective Rick Jackson of the LAPD's Cold Case Unit told KCAL9's Juan Fernandez "it was a violent death. There was lots of blood."

Stumler1
Douglas Stumler was murdered in 1987. (credit: LAPD)

In 1996, nine years after Stumler's murder, Speight fought Wladimir Klitschko, the current WBA, IBO, IBF and Ring heavyweight champion of the world.

Investigators said Speight hasn't boxed for quite some time.

They told Fernandez he was working as a security guard at several medical marijuana dispensaries in and around Venice.

Speight is expected to appear for arraignment in the Airport Superior Court on Thursday.

Anyone with information concerning this case is asked to contact LAPD Robbery-Homicide Cold Case Detective Jackson at (213) 486-6825.

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