DETROIT, MI --

Johnny R. Kennedy's life did an about face.

Detroit police already had him, but they didn't know it yet.

After being convicted of second-degree murder in 1995 -- a mutilation and

disinterment charge was dropped -- Kennedy, 57, thought freedom was within reach. Kennedy was scheduled to be released on an upcoming parole, Detroit Police Chief James Craig said Friday, but now he's charged with another murder and facing life in prison.

On Nov.17, 1993, Detroit police found a dead 27-year-old woman nude inside an abandoned building on the 2700 block of Cass.

The leads trailed off and the case filed sat dormant for decades.

Police recently took a look at the file, one of among thousands of unsolved Detroit killings, and found DNA evidence that wasn't initially tested due to the lack of the technology at the time of the investigation.

The samples were sent to the state police forensic lab and results matched Kennedy, whose DNA was in the the database due to prior convictions.

He's now charged with open murder. Kennedy has previous convictions for receiving stolen property in 1974 and armed robbery and second-degree sexual assault in 1975.

Detroit police homicide officials say the department with 63 detectives often reviews cold case files for DNA evidence that could solve old crimes.

The decision to review Kennedy's case file as his parole date approached was coincidental, said