We are closer to justice for the murder of an Austin native than ever before, and we congratulate law enforcement in Philadelphia for it.

Philadelphia wasn’t the only community rocked by Beau Zabel’s murder in 2008. Zabel, a 2003 Austin High School graduate, was cut down in his prime with no clear leads on his killer. One man, Marcellus Anthony Jones, was the prime suspect in Zabel’s murder for years, but police didn’t have enough evidence to charge him with the crime.

That changed in recent weeks, as witnesses have stepped forward to testify against Jones, who is serving a life sentence for killing a man police believe was the getaway driver in Zabel’s murder. Jones was charged with Zabel’s murder Tuesday.

That police have charged someone in Zabel’s death is heartening news, though we must point out Jones is only charged with the murder, not proven guilty of committing it. This may lead to a sense of closure to residents who knew Zabel, and who sought justice for his death.

We commend Philadelphia investigators for continuing to pursue a case gone cold, and for working to prove what they, and Zabel’s family, suspected for so long: that Jones may have killed Zabel. This gives us hope that local authorities can solve open cases like the Lansing Corners shootings, among other things.

We await Jones’ trial and testimony on Zabel’s murder, and we hope for a fair judicial process. Above all, we hope for a conclusive explanation behind Zabel’s murder, so our community can heal, too.