Man accused of first-degree murder in stabbing at north Lincoln home in 2023

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Police made an arrest Thursday in the slaying of a 76-year-old man at a north Lincoln home in 2023.

The Lincoln Police Department said investigators charged Alaric Harden, 46, on suspicion of first-degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

Harden was already in the Lancaster County Jail, where he was already in custody on unrelated charges, according to LPD.

On Dec. 19, 2023, officers were sent to a home near New Hampshire and North 12th streets on a welfare check of Larry Cole.

When officers arrived, the front door was barricaded and a strong odor of gas was coming from inside the home, police said.

Lincoln Fire & Rescue crews were called in and entered the home.

They found Harden and took him to a hospital for natural gas exposure, according to LPD.  Cole’s body was discovered in the living room and appeared to have been “deceased for several days.”

Police said an autopsy determined that Cole died from stab wounds to the head, neck and torso, along with “blunt force trauma” to the head.

During the investigation, the state crime lab discovered a knife next to the kitchen sink, which had both Cole’s and Harden’s DNA on it.

LPD commended its investigators for their “dedication and diligence over the past year,” which led to Harden’s arrest.

Police are expected to provide more information at a regular media briefing on Friday.