DNA evidence recently linked deceased serial rapist Walter Leo Jackson Sr. to the murders of two women, Julianne Williams and Laura Winans, nearly 30 years ago in Shenandoah National Park. The women were a couple who went missing on May 24, 1996, while camping near Skyland Resort. Their bodies were discovered on June 1, 1996, after being bound and having their throats slashed. The FBI has confirmed that Jackson was responsible for the brutal murders, noting his history of kidnapping, rapes, and assaults.
Jackson, who died in a prison in Ohio in March 2018, was forensically linked to two rapes that occurred in Ohio just weeks after the murders of Winans and Williams. A painter by trade and an avid hiker, Jackson visited Shenandoah National Park, where the murders took place. In 2004, another man, Darrell D. Rice, was indicted for the killings, but charges were dropped before his trial after his DNA did not match evidence at the crime scene. The Virginia FBI reopened the case in 2021, leading to the positive DNA match connecting Jackson to the murders.
Investigators re-examined evidence, photos, and interviews in the case, utilizing advancements in DNA technology to retest pieces of evidence to identify the perpetrator. A DNA match was found in the federal DNA index system, linking Jackson to the murders with a statistical chance of 1 out of 2.6 trillion of the DNA originating from someone other than him. Jackson was likely driving a 1984 Chestnut Brown AMC Eagle 30 at the time of the murders, but he was known to use temporary tags, alter license plates, and frequently change vehicles.
The murders of Williams and Winans had sparked shock and fear in the community and the nation, leaving the case unsolved for nearly three decades. With the identification of Jackson as the perpetrator, investigators hope to bring closure to the victim’s families and determine if he was responsible for other crimes. The FBI is working to determine whether Jackson may have been involved in any other unsolved cases, given his criminal history and the possibility that he was connected to additional crimes. The breakthrough in the case highlights the importance of advancements in DNA technology and the persistence of law enforcement in solving cold cases.
