Jump to content

Murder of Debra Jackson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Apelcini (talk | contribs) at 22:11, 23 November 2022. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"Debra Jackson" redirects here. For the nurse, see Debra Jackson (nurse).
Debra Jackson
Undated photograph of Debra Jackson
Born
Debra Louise Jackson

September 23, 1956
Harris County, Texas, U.S.
Disappearedc. 1977
Abilene, Texas, U.S.
StatusIdentified August 6, 2019
DiedOctober 30 or 31, 1979 (aged 23)
Cause of deathMurder by strangulation
Body discoveredGeorgetown, Texas, U.S.
Resting placeOdd Fellows Cemetery, Georgetown, Texas[1]
Other names"Orange Socks"
Known forFormerly unidentified decedent
HeightBetween 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
and 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) (approximate)
Murder of Debra Jackson
LocationGeorgetown, Texas, U.S.
DateOctober 30 or 31, 1979
Attack type
Murder by strangulation, rape
VictimDebra Louise Jackson, aged 23
PerpetratorDisputed
ConvictedHenry Lee Lucas
VerdictGuilty
ConvictionsCapital murder
SentenceDeath; commuted to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole

Debra Louise Jackson (September 23, 1956 – October 30 or 31, 1979)[2] informally known as "Orange Socks" when unidentified, was an American murder victim who went unidentified for nearly 40 years before being identified via a DNA match with her surviving sister in 2019. Her murder is believed to have taken place on October 30 or 31, 1979, in Georgetown, Texas. Her body was found naked, except for the pair of orange socks from which the nickname was derived.[3][4][5] She had been strangled, and was believed to have died only hours before the discovery.[6][7][8][9]

Henry Lee Lucas confessed to and was convicted of her murder. Though doubts have been raised about his complicity in this crime, Lucas's conviction was not overturned. His death sentence was commuted by then-Texas governor George W. Bush in 1998; Lucas died in prison in 2001. There is strong evidence that Lucas was in Florida when Jackson was murdered.[10][11]

Evidence and physical description

Jackson, who had been sexually assaulted, was found in a culvert on Interstate 35, having been dragged to and thrown over a guardrail.[4][5][12] The cause of death was ruled as strangulation, as a large amount of bruising was visible on her neck. Other bruises were also visible, caused by her body having been dropped from the overpass, after being dragged through a patch of grass.[12] Blood stains were also present at the scene. The victim was initially estimated to be in her twenties at the time of her death. Several other murders had taken place along the same interstate in Travis County, Texas, which police stated may have been connected to the then-unidentified victim.[13]

Jackson's legs were unshaven, with a large number of insect bites. She had long toenails, her fingernails were painted and a hairline scar was observed beneath the chin. The victim's earlobes were noted to be "unique" and her toes were noted to be longer than average.[14] Despite her injuries, she had not broken a bone during her life.[6][8][9][12][11] She had reportedly suffered from salpingitis due to contracting gonorrhea.[6][7] She had ten-inch-long brown hair with a reddish tint, hazel eyes, and her age ranged from 15 to 30 years. She was approximately five feet eight inches to five feet ten inches tall, and weighed between 140 and 160 pounds.[4][6][9] Two of her teeth were missing; the remainder were well-maintained, although they showed little sign of dental treatment.[4][15] A silver ring was found on her hand, containing an abalone or mother of pearl stone. Her ears were pierced.[6][11]

A towel was found at the scene along with her body, which she may have been using as a makeshift sanitary napkin.[6][12] One of two matchbooks found at the scene belonged to a hotel from Henryetta, Oklahoma, which supported the theory she was a hitchhiker or drifter.[5][12][15]

Confession by Henry Lee Lucas

See also: Henry Lee Lucas

In 1982, serial killer Henry Lee Lucas confessed to her murder, although there was no physical evidence that he had been involved in the killing, sexual assault or disposing of the body.[5][8][16] In an interview, he stated that he picked her up in Oklahoma, where they had sex.[17] He asked her for sex again while he was driving; he claimed that at this, Debra said "not right now" and attempted to leave his car, at which point he killed her and raped her corpse. He then drove her body to Georgetown.[7][12][18][19] Lucas told authorities that the victim had stated her name as being "Joanie" or "Judy". He had previously showed officers how he had supposedly dragged her body over the guardrail when taken to the location where her body was found.[7][9][12][20]

One report claims that at the time of Jackson's murder, Lucas was working in Florida, whereas the murder took place in Texas.[10][3] Interrogators also stated that he had contradicted himself several times when confessing to the murder, and his defense also stated that he was shown images of the crime scene before his interview.[11][19] In order to have traveled to Oklahoma, to Texas and back to Florida, it was estimated that he would have had to drive at an average of seventy miles an hour, without stopping, which many find unlikely.[17][21] Lucas later recanted this statement after his conviction in 1984 and, by involvement of the state governor, George W. Bush, his death sentence was reduced to life imprisonment, as Jackson's murder was the only case that resulted in his receiving the death penalty.[3][10] Lucas had a history of dubious confessions, something that led others to doubt his truthfulness (he confessed to upwards of 3,000 murders).[4][5][9][15][22] Lucas recanted his confessions, stating that the only murder he had committed was that of his mother, Viola.[16]

Media appearances and further investigation

Contemporary reconstruction of Jackson, based on mortuary photographs, created prior to her identification.

In 2001, a missing woman's photograph surfaced that resembled the decedent, but DNA testing did not match. Another media report suggested that "Orange Socks" was a woman who had disappeared in the 1970s, together with her abusive boyfriend.[9] There was some speculation that "Orange Socks" was Martha Morrison, but she was eventually ruled out.[23] In 2015, Morrison's remains were later identified as a Jane Doe found in Washington the same year she disappeared.[24] Several other missing women were also excluded.[23]

The "Orange Socks" case was featured twice on the TV series America's Most Wanted. An anonymous woman called to the program on one occasion saying she had seen "Orange Socks" hitchhiking on the day of her murder, but the lead did not generate any new information.[6]

In 2016, on the 37th anniversary of her discovery, new sketches of "Orange Socks" were released by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The organization also entered her into their database.[25]

In May 2018, law enforcement announced that they were examining the victim's ring as well as running tests to identify where the victim's socks were made. A book of matches found near the body was traced to a hotel in Oklahoma but did not identify anyone matching her description.[1]

By January 2019, it was announced that DNA from Jackson's socks contained the profiles of two or more males. It is unknown if the evidence will be enough for further examination.[26] The DNA was recovered from fingernail scrapings as well as pubic hair samples.[14]

Identification

In August 2019, "Orange Socks" was identified as Debra Jackson. The DNA Doe Project had identified a potential cousin of "Orange Socks" through their research. A revised sketch (by forensic artist Natalie Murry) had also caught the attention of Jackson's sister.[27] Members of Jackson's family visually identified the decedent based on morgue photographs and physical characteristics. Jackson's sister then submitted a saliva-based DNA kit and the results confirmed the two were related. Jackson was last seen around 1977 and had never been reported missing. Further investigation found that Jackson had worked at the Ramada Inn in Amarillo, Texas and Bur-Mont (an assisted living facility) in Azle, Texas in 1978. Law enforcement also stated that they believe she worked at R.E. West and C.G. Cole Admiral PTR, Realty Investment LTD in 1979, in an unknown location.[14]

Many other details about her life also remain unclear, but it is known she attended school locally and may have used the alias surnames "Moon" and "Larned".[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Spencer, Bridget (May 24, 2018). "Investigation continues into 'Orange Socks' cold case". KTBC. Fox. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Garner, Erica (September 3, 2019). "Police looking for info on cold case murder victim with ties to Abilene". KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "Inside the Criminal Mind". Time Life. 2014. p. 21.
  4. ^ a b c d e "'Orange Socks' DPS seeks help in identifying Lucas' victim". The Facts. June 19, 1998. p. 9. Retrieved August 5, 2014 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ a b c d e "One-eyed drifter to die for 'orange socks' killing". AP Online. March 31, 1998. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "Case File: 33UFTX". Doenetwork.org. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c d RJ (January 23, 2012). "Joanie Doe: I'm known for my orange socks". Can You Identify Me?. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  8. ^ a b c Michael Graczyk (June 17, 1998). "Orange Socks tombstone simply reads: Unidentified Woman 1979". Abilene Reporter-News. Archived from the original on March 21, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Vertuno, Jim (October 31, 2004). "Identity of 'Orange Socks' remains a mystery". Associated Press. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  10. ^ a b c "Lucas Says He Won't Beg for Life". The Paris News. June 25, 1998. p. 13. Retrieved August 6, 2014 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  11. ^ a b c d Lunsford, Lance (May 28, 2006). "Drifter's confession to Williamson murder failed to hold up". Lubbock Avalanch-Journal. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g "UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 1979". The Paris News. June 17, 1998. p. 15. Retrieved August 6, 2014 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  13. ^ "KVUE REWIND: 'Orange Socks' body found". KVUE. November 1, 1979. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  14. ^ a b c Knight, Drew; Covagnaro, Hank (August 7, 2019). "1979 'Orange Socks' cold case victim identified as Debra Jackson of Abilene". KVUE. ABC. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  15. ^ a b c Austin, Nancy (November 1, 2007). "Halloween: Anniversary of the Dead". Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  16. ^ a b Verhovek, Sam Howe (January 8, 1992). "Death-row Inmate May Not Deserve Penalty". Indiana Gazette. Indiana Gazette. p. 4. Retrieved October 11, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  17. ^ a b Husain, Michael. "Myth Of A Serial Killer: The Henry Lee Lucas Story." American Justice. Dir. Michael Husain. Prod. Bill Kurtis. A&E. 1997. Television.
  18. ^ "AG probing Lucas confessions". The Paris News. The Paris News. April 15, 1985. p. 1. Retrieved October 11, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  19. ^ a b Ramsland, Katherine. "Henry Lee Lucas: Prolific Serial Killer or Prolific Liar?". Archived from the original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  20. ^ "Countdown to Execution: Death Date Set for Lucas". The Facts. Clute, Texas. June 15, 1998. Retrieved July 18, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  21. ^ Schechter, Harold (December 30, 2003). The Serial Killer Files: The Who, What, Where, How, and Why of the World's Most Terrifying Murderers. New York City, New York: Ballantine Books. p. 64. ISBN 0345465660.
  22. ^ "TEXAS SPARES LIFE OF SERIAL KILLER LUCAS ONLY MURDER EVIDENCE IN 'ORANGE SOCKS' CASE IS RECANTED CONFESSION". Rocky Mountain News. June 27, 1998. Archived from the original on June 29, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2014 – via HighBeam Research.(subscription required)
  23. ^ a b "NamUs UP # 8056". identifyus.org. National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. October 21, 2010. Archived from the original on August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  24. ^ Gillespie, Emily (July 13, 2015). "Remains of homicide victim found near Vancouver identified after 41 years". The Columbian. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  25. ^ "Jane Doe 1979". missingkids.org. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. October 31, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  26. ^ Knight, Drew (January 15, 2019). "Williamson County officials make headway in 1979 'orange socks' cold case". KVUE. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  27. ^ "Orange Socks Doe". DNA Doe Project. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Debra_Jackson&oldid=1123465421"