On June 29, 1987, Jade Maurice Clark was sitting in his custom Nissan 300 ZX outside the Danceteria nightclub in the 800 block of North Highland Avenue when a man approached, pointed a handgun and attempted to steal his car.

Clark pulled out his own handgun and a struggle ensued. The suspect shot Clark multiple times, and he later died. But the victim fired back once during the robbery and struck the suspect. Thirty years later, that single shot fired by Clark led to a conviction of Los Angeles resident Pierre Romain, who was found guilty on Aug. 10 of first-degree murder.

The conviction capped a decades-long investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department into the shooting outside the long-closed nightclub near Highland and Willoughby Avenues. In the years following the murder, leads dwindled and the detective who initially investigated the case retired.

Although the case went cold, it was not forgotten. In the early 2000s, detectives with the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division revived the investigation, embarking on a long sequence of events that culminated with the murder conviction last week.

“I am very satisfied,” said Det. Mitzi Roberts, with the LAPD’s Robbery-homicide Division. “I think the jury got it right. I am happy we are finally able to give some peace to the victim’s mother.”

Clark’s shot pierced Romain’s arm and went out the other side. Police recovered the .25-caliber bullet at the scene and held it as evidence.

Roberts said shortly after the murder, Romaine was identified as a suspect. He was recovering from the gunshot wound to his arm. She said murder charges were filed, but the case was dismissed due to lack of evidence.

When DNA testing became available in the early 2000s, police submitted the bullet to a crime lab. Human tissue on the bullet was linked to Romain and he was charged with murder in 2003. However, the saga was far from over.

Romain’s attorneys delayed the trial for 14 years. The defendant remained free on bail the entire time, and was even hired as a federal police officer for the U.S. Department of Defense, the detective said.

“I can’t explain how that happened, and that’s kind of another issue. There are some things about this case that I am not privileged to talk about, but it happened. It’s too bad,” Roberts said.

Romain, now 53, was believed to be a gang member when the murder occurred, Roberts said. He faces 27 years to life in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 15.

The detective added that solving the case had always been a priority, and she is glad it is nearly over.

“[The delay] was extremely frustrating for me, and I know it was extremely frustrating for the victim’s mother. It’s kind of unbelievable,” Roberts said. “It involved him getting a new attorney and court delays. It’s unexplainable how 13 years went by. It’s the slow wheels of justice. He was able, in my opinion, to manipulate the justice system.”