Former British Prime Minister William Gladstone probably never met the Adams County law enforcement community, but we&8217;re fairly certain he&8217;d have been astonished by its work.

Gladstone, a 19th century politician, was famously quoted as saying, &8220;Justice delayed, is justice denied.&8221;

A case in Adams County Circuit Court last week may have changed Gladstone&8217;s sentiment a bit.

Two years ago, Adams County Sheriff Ronny Brown formed the county&8217;s cold case unit. The group faced the challenge of attempting to solve some of the area&8217;s seemingly &8220;unsolvable&8221; crimes.

Last week, the group quietly celebrated after its first cold case was solved and a murderer was finally nabbed 12 years after his bloody deed was completed.

On Thursday, a jury convicted William Terry Davis of killing his ex-wife, Rena Davis.

The conviction provided justice &8212; albeit delayed &8212; for Rena Davis and her family that for 12 years wondered how someone could get away with murder.

Moreover, the Davis case provides hope for several other families who have found themselves in the same situation. We can only hope that the hard-working men and women of the cold case unit are able to provide them with some closure, too.

From our perspective, delayed justice may not be ideal, but it certainly beats the alternative and we&8217;re thankful our community&8217;s crime investigators will never stop seeking justice.