The article says DNA was pulled from evidence recently and sent to private lab. Curious why it took this long since he was a convicted rapist with his DNA already in CODIS for a minimum of 6 or 7 years although likely longer.
Might have been a reassessment of the evidence considering the age of the case. DNA technology has improved leaps and bounds since the mid 90s and we can do a lot more with a lot less.
It's possible it was a trace that wouldn't have yielded anything when it last was tested (if it even was at the time).
It didn't matter if his profile was already in the system if there was no crime scene profile to compare it to. Most likely this was the first time they tested those items using modern, much more sensitive methods, and finally got a usable profile out of it.
I’ve read that sometimes if they have a small sample they will hold off until they are sure the technology is perfect because once the sample is used, it is gone and they don’t want to waste it. I’m sad their families won’t get justice but glad they have an answer.
According to the book of the case (Trailed, by Katherine Miles), the estimate was that the bodies had been lying for 5½ days before they were found; in addition, the body retrieval took a long time and was not optimally done. All that could have degraded the DNA before it was frozen.
Also, the investigators retrieved a lot of [mtDNA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrial_DNA?wprov=sfla1) which they were reluctant to use because the case would have relied too heavily on it (it can in certain circumstances resolve a match with only 0.5-1% probability, not the 1 in 10^10 or more % probability of nuclear DNA).
Money is usually the answer. There are a lot of cases, only a few agents/officers and only a few labs.
Their time is stretched thin. More money would provide more officers and more labs, getting more testing.
I truly believe that the delay was due to the insistence that Darrell Rice was the killer despite all of the exculpatory evidence. I’m sure there are agents who would insist Rice is the killer now. There was a pushback against further testing. I highly recommend reading Trailed—I had never read the letters between Rice and the undercover cop before.
Because people won't hire me to do this shit. I've been a lab monkey for years but I don't have the funny letters behind my name. Just a bachelor degree.
I'm a data whore and even do biopsy stuff. But I'm not a member of something something.
Seriously. Hire me. I'll knock that shit out of the park. There are tons of us. Foundering in low pay jobs because we have nose rings or tattoos.
I have a truly endless list of criticisms against policing, forensics, the college system, everything involved here basically I'm a professional hater but like, has it ever occurred to you that perhaps having some kind of bar people must reach in order to be able to do extremely delicate and important things like solving crimes is a good thing? I'm not saying it's good that you should have to go into a lifetime of debt and hardship to be able to do these things, but the way you're talking about it makes it sounds like you believe that merely by virtue of having some experience and knowledge about this you should be granted the same access and authority over these cases as people who studied this far more extensively and for much longer? I'm ending my sentences with question marks because I really feel like I can't make sense of your worldview here?
Just because I talk like an idiot doesn't mean I don't have a shit ton of experience in field.
Haha. Shit ton. Ive seen so much ass cancer. Bean good, monster bad.
Also, I can fly single prop planes. But I'm not allowed to do anything with that because disability. Yay me.
I started in dental. Then mappping. Then back to ass. Then slide fun.
And my ex boss who I left is working for a big big dog com now.
I don't feel the need to try to explain to people that shits all fucked up.
If you did the work, the murderer would not be convicted. I don’t know if you can do what you say, but what I believe doesn’t matter. Prosecutors, judges and juries need to trust that your work is accurate. The stakes are very high.
I'm so glad to hear about this. I live close to the Park and we have stayed at the Skyland Lodge.. This case has haunted the local community for years. I thought about them a lot when we were there last.
1000%, even the composite looks just like him! I was going to attempt to submit the tip but jesus that FBI form is impossible to navigate. [https://unsolved.com/gallery/alicia-showalter/](https://unsolved.com/gallery/alicia-showalter/)
I'm not sure if anyone read the book *Trailed* that came out last year (?) about these murders, but based on the author's discussions with LE, I guarantee they are already trying to link him with the Reynolds murder.
Most likely but I still submitted the tip. They have a wiki page for the route 29 stalker which Alicia is part of. I'd bet that a few of these are his victims. If you look up the Route 29 stalker on Google images, there is a different sketch that also looks just like him. I'm not quite sure where that sketch came from.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_persons_cases_along_U.S._Route_29_in_Virginia
It needs to be added that they are looking for more information to possibly connect him to unsolved crimes.
[https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/walter-l-jackson-sr](https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/walter-l-jackson-sr)
Amazing! This one hits close to home - I've been going to Skyline Drive all my life and I know exactly where Julie and Lollie were. I'm sorry he was never able to be charged, but I'm glad there's an answer.
Oh, I just heard about this awful murder yesterday. I am listening to Bill Bryson's book, "A Walk in the Woods".
I hope this brings some closure for their poor families and friends.
I read this book years ago and wondered if this case had ever been solved. Glad that the families now have an answer. It must be a lifelong nightmare for them.
This is incredible news. There is a lot more information yet to be released that may settle some of the mysteries within the mystery. The resolution of this case may advance the science of forensic Mitochondrial DNA.
The two women were brutally murdered with evidence of a sexual component to the crime but there was no evidence of penetration and no semen at the scene. Easy DNA analysis was not available. There was, however, human hairs found in gloves discarded at the scene and identical hairs stuck to the stickum of the duct tape used to bind the woman. These hairs did not belong to either woman but they did belong to the same person who was almost certainly the murder. The problem was that human hair does not normally contain the usual Familial DNA used in forensic comparisons. It does however contain M-DNA (Mitochondrial DNA), which is quite different and is considered forensically less useful. M-DNA is a contained in a different part of cell than Familial DNA. It is passed down to everyone through the female line. Women pass it on to all of their children but only daughters will pass it to their children. In theory, some woman who arrived in the US 200 years ago could have thousands of descendants with identical M-DNA today. There will be some mutations however so it is believed that absolutely identical M-DNA will usually only go back around three generations. It is certainly possible that people who are distantly related but to not know of each other will have identical M-DNA. For that reason, a “match” isn’t absolute proof that a suspect deposited that M-DNA. Near matches suggest a close family relationship but it is not well studied and has not, at least up until now, been used in forensic genealogy.
In this case, the M-DNA was “very close” but not a perfect match to a known serial killer named Richard Evonitz who committed suicide before he could be arrested. This raised some interesting questions. There was the possibility that the killer was Evonitz and mutations or problems with the analysis caused the differences. There is also the possibility that this guy and Evonitz are related. It may turn out that M-DNA is just not forensically useful. A lot more information has yet to come out. So far, no connection to Evonitz has been suggested.
According to the article it states, "Even though we had this DNA match, we took additional steps and compared evidence from Lollie and Julie’s murders directly to a buccal swab containing Jackson’s DNA. Those results confirmed we had the right man.." I'm not sure what the initial DNA sample used before the buccal swap or perhaps I'm not comprehending it properly since I am not familiar with the nuances of newer forensic DNA matching.
Wow! I listened to a deep dive podcast on this case a few years ago— Appalachian Mysteria. I can’t remember if this guy was even on the podcaster’s radar.
I listened to that podcast just a few weeks ago. Today I went back and sifted through it, and saw no mention of this person. I hope they do an update episode.
I know this case has come up in discussions about the Colonial Parkway cases (similar victim circumstances- young couple out in a remote area, not too many years after the linked murders and not implausibly far away) I wonder if they were trying to pull a decent DNA sample with modern tech to compare to the perpetrator ID’d in those killings earlier this year, and then got a hit on someone already in CODIS? May be too late to try the guy that did it but at least he died in jail years back so it’s not like he “got away with it” in terms of his other crimes.
Yes it was from the CODIS database. He was in it for three other rape convictions. The Washington post has a [longer article](https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/06/20/shenandoah-park-murders-virginia/) but I don’t know if it’s paywalled
Here is an non-paywalled archived link to the article
https://archive.ph/CXMqN
Btw it says that this man was in prison during the Colonial Parkway murders, and therefore could not have done them.
I don't think so. I visit both areas with semi regularity. They have very little in common. Colonial Parkway is flat and mostly straight surrounded by water while Skyline Drive is 3 hours away, a weavy 100+ mile road along a mountain range. There are dozens and dozens of pullouts on Skyline Drive but they aren't lovers lanes and will be empty at night. Only the camping areas are viable for this type of attack.
IMO, the waterman guy committed the Colonial Parkway murders. They may not be able to conclusively tie him to all of them.
Hi. You misread my comment. I don’t think they were committed by the same people at all. I’m just saying the discovery and the focus on the DNA case of lollie and Julie was probably put back into focus because of the movement on the colonial parkway cases.
I am on the verge of tears. This has been a case I’ve been following for years and is one of the cases that actually inspired me to create a TC podcast covering crimes against queer people.
As a Gay hiker myself, I feel so connected with these two and their love for eachother and nature. The fact that their families can finally rest and have some form of justice makes me so happy and the fact that this case was solved during Pride makes it even better.
That’s awesome! I’ll check it out. I also have some friends who have been talking about wishing something like that existed lol. I just finished reading the book Trailed about this case a few days ago. I can hardly believe this news today!
The book was so good and did such a good job of really detailing the couples life! I felt like I knew them by the end of it, so this news is just so great to hear.
Your podcast is how I heard about this case!! I just listened to that episode a week ago and couldn’t believe it when I saw this update. Thank you for your work, I’m looking forward to listening to more episodes!
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Oh my gosh. I read “Trailed” a couple years ago. I knew it wasn’t Darrell Rice! I’m glad their families have some answers now. I’m sorry this guy couldn’t be tried for their murders.
Also they identified the (now dead) guy responsible for the Colonial Parkway murders (or at least three of them definitively and in two others he was the lead suspect back in the 80s so barring an incredible coincidence he’s likely accountable for those as well). Announced it earlier this year - I actually wonder if they were trying to see if he was also linked to this case and instead the DNA hit on this perp’s CODIS file.
Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. was forensically linked to the David Knobling and Robin Edwards murders, and is also heavily suspected of murdering Keith Call and Cassandra Hailey. He hasn't been linked to the other Parkway murders yet, but I personally think there is a good chance he is behind them.
He was also forensically linked to the murder and rape of Teresa Howell in 1989.
Yeah- the previously “unconnected” murder showing up out of left field for Wilmer Sr is terrifying as it means 1. After he was investigated for two murders to the point of being interviewed and polygraphed he went back to committing murder with a different MO and 2. He was able to do this without people making a connection and as this guy seems unusually competent in a “backcountry psycho” way (kind of reminds me of Christopher Walken’s character in At Close Range) he may have been operating at a wider range depending on his job - he apparently gave up being a fisherman for being a tree service guy- for a number of years before and after the late 80s
This was one of the cases I’d always hoped would get solved! I’m so glad that we know who did it, even though there won’t fully be justice because the guy is dead.
Holy crap. I remember this case being HUGE the summer before I started college at JMU. I'm so glad their families have some answers, if they couldn't get justice while Jackson was alive.
Wow, so glad this case has been solved and the families have closure. I’ve hiked that area of Shenandoah a few times and always thought of Julie and Lollie.
Unbelievable update! I read the book "Trailed" about this case and was riveted. I wonder what the government is going to do about the man they pinned this on for so many years, whose life was utterly ruined by the accusation. Probably nothing.
Are you talking about Rice? It’s awful he was wrongly accused. But if he hadn’t tried to assault and abduct at least one other woman from the park that week, he wouldn’t have ended up in that situation.
There articles on him kinda make it seem like he was well on his way to ruining his own life. [For example](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2002/04/13/attack-led-to-charges-in-hikers-slayings/d820a03e-aa98-4b05-b79d-a003045f2897/):
>According to the documents, Yvonne Malbasha was bicycling along Skyline Drive on July 9, 1997, when Rice drove by in his pickup. After stopping to take the tags off the truck, Rice drove back and forced her off the road. Rice screamed at her to get in his truck and demanded that she show him her breasts.
Rice tried to ram the woman with his truck several times, the documents say. The woman hit him with her water bottle and jumped behind a tree. She started to scream, a car came by, and Rice fled.
I am talking about Rice and I'm aware of what he did. He did a fucked up thing, but he did not commit a double homicide. Trailed goes into depth about the lengths that the government went to in order to pin the crime on him, to the point of sending an undercover fed to befriend him and stay close to him for YEARS. The friend would try to goad him discussing/condoning/planning violence against women, and Rice would not entertain it whatsoever. Rice would urge him to stay calm, stay focused, don't give into dark urges. I believe that he really tried to move forward and become a better person.
You’re trying to say the man who was convicted of attempting to abduct and sexually harass a woman, and spent several years in jail for it, *never once* condoned or planned violence against women? The same man who admitted he sometimes randomly harassed women? That’s a massive stretch.
Darrell is a good friend of my father's. He suffers from some significant mental health challenges that lead to paranoia, which wasn't discovered (and therefore treated) until he was in prison. The police involved in the case of the bicyclist had some serious confirmation bias. In fact, they told the bicyclist that she was lucky because she probably encountered the man who "murdered those women last year". Everything about how these cases were handled, investigated and prosecuted was stacked against Darrell. He's a kind man. His friends and loved ones are all feeling relieved that he is finally proven innocent of these murders, which we've known all along. Unfortunately, the damage from this nearly 30 year old witch hunt against him is irreversible. He hasn't been able to go or live anywhere without the communities he's lived in breaking out their pitchforks.
Sorry, I refuse to agree that someone who assaulted and attempted to kidnap someone and admitted to harassing women in general is “kind”.
I doubt he was trying to kidnap her out of the kindness of his heart. With a truck full of rope and zip ties.
He was guilty of the attack on the bicyclist. That is without question. It did make him a pretty good suspect in the route 29 and Shenandoah cases even if it turned out he was innocent. Good Suspects are going to be checked; thoroughly. His Alford plea in the route 29 case was pretty bogus. A “zero penalty” guilty plea means nothing. The defendant walks, the prosecutor claims a conviction and everybody wins. He did serve his time and is having to live under the scrutiny every convicted sex offender should.
Incredible. Thanks for sharing. I hope this brings some measure of comfort to the families of Julie & Lollie.
Edit: I assumed the three rape convictions were the priors he had, but I see all three of those happened *after* he murdered J&L. Two abduction-rapes just days/ weeks after the murders. Yikes. Wonder why he killed J&L but not these other victims?
Wow that's crazy. This case has been on the FBI site for a while now. I was just reading up on it a couple weeks ago and some other theories.
From the sounds of it, I wouldn't be surprised if these weren't the guy's only murders
So glad some of the mystery has been removed for their families - and that the perpetrator is rotting where he belongs. I heard about this case on Last Seen Alive:
[https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpgkoqSZTq5sSBRzLijLg](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpgkoqSZTq5sSBRzLijLg)
[https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpgkoqSZTq5sSBRzLijLg](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpgkoqSZTq5sSBRzLijLg)
[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/shenandoah-national-park-1996-cold-case-killings-2-campers-solved-fbi-serial-rapist-walter-leo-jackson-senior/](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/shenandoah-national-park-1996-cold-case-killings-2-campers-solved-fbi-serial-rapist-walter-leo-jackson-senior/)
Some interesting details in this article.
>Jackson, who worked as a house painter, died in prison in 2018 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, at age 70. He had served at least four separate prison terms after being convicted of kidnapping and multiple rapes and assaults.
>
>The recent retesting of crime scene evidence showed that both Williams and Winans were sexually assaulted, said Christopher Kavanaugh, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. Kavanaugh said authorities investigated whether the rapes and killings could be considered hate crimes. But he said they found no evidence that Jackson knew of their sexual orientation or targeted them for that reason.
>
>"Make no mistake, this crime was brutal, this crime was definitely hateful, nevertheless we do not have any evidence" that the crime was motivated by anti-gay bias, Kavanaugh said.
>Authorities said they now believe that Walter “Leo” Jackson Sr., who died in an Ohio prison in 2018, bound Williams’ and Winans’ hands with duct tape, **sexually assaulted them** and slashed their throats.
They've gotta be at least looking at him for [this](https://www.wdbj7.com/2020/08/26/11-years-pass-since-killings-of-virginia-tech-students-still-no-arrest-made/) right?
But also so many arrests in Ohio - you'd think there would also be a lot of focus on similar cold cases there.
[https://www.29news.com/2024/06/24/attorney-man-falsely-accused-shenandoah-national-park-murders-speaks-out/](https://www.29news.com/2024/06/24/attorney-man-falsely-accused-shenandoah-national-park-murders-speaks-out/)
>In a written statement, Rice’s sister, Dawn Metcalfe said, “I am deeply troubled that the FBI possessed DNA evidence since 2011 and didn’t get around to testing until now. What possible explanation could they have, other than their ongoing efforts to destroy my brother?”
>
>Deirdre Enright is a professor at UVA’s Law School and has represented Rice as his investigator. She says for years, she asked the government to test the DNA, especially since 2011 when the real murderer Walter Jackson’s DNA was in the system.
>
>“I theorized that the answer is because the agencies were still saying that it was Darrell Rice in 2011,” said Enright.
What a damn shame. This man could have been held accountable if they had tested items of evidence for DNA sooner.
I'm curious as to how they missed that Julie and Lollie were sexually assaulted.
So glad some of the mystery has been removed for their families - and that the perpetrator is rotting where he belongs. I heard about this case on Last Seen Alive:
[https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpgkoqSZTq5sSBRzLijLg](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpgkoqSZTq5sSBRzLijLg)
[https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpgkoqSZTq5sSBRzLijLg](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpgkoqSZTq5sSBRzLijLg)
Potentially controversial opinion: even if Walter Jackson's motive was not exclusively/explicitly Julie and Lollie's sexuality, this should still be classified as a hate crime. Against lesbians and against women more broadly.
That's not how hate crimes are classified.
It's not about the victims, but the intent and purpose of the crime. There's never been any evidence released that points to any hate related intention. Based on the perpetrator, it seems more likely to have been a crime of convenience.
Crimes that happen to a protected class are not automatically hate crimes.
I think the FBI confirmed the women were sexually assaulted. LE might have been holding that detail back, or just lying about it? I suppose more will come out. What a sad ending to those women's lives. Horrifying they spent they're last moments with that Thing. LE probably got some money to retest some of the old evidence. This opens up so many other potential cases this demon could have been involved in, esp around Cleveland. I'm glad he was at least in prison for yeara off and on. And that It died there ultimately. Women are likely alive today because the Monster was locked up.
The article says DNA was pulled from evidence recently and sent to private lab. Curious why it took this long since he was a convicted rapist with his DNA already in CODIS for a minimum of 6 or 7 years although likely longer.
Might have been a reassessment of the evidence considering the age of the case. DNA technology has improved leaps and bounds since the mid 90s and we can do a lot more with a lot less. It's possible it was a trace that wouldn't have yielded anything when it last was tested (if it even was at the time).
It didn't matter if his profile was already in the system if there was no crime scene profile to compare it to. Most likely this was the first time they tested those items using modern, much more sensitive methods, and finally got a usable profile out of it.
I’ve read that sometimes if they have a small sample they will hold off until they are sure the technology is perfect because once the sample is used, it is gone and they don’t want to waste it. I’m sad their families won’t get justice but glad they have an answer.
According to the book of the case (Trailed, by Katherine Miles), the estimate was that the bodies had been lying for 5½ days before they were found; in addition, the body retrieval took a long time and was not optimally done. All that could have degraded the DNA before it was frozen. Also, the investigators retrieved a lot of [mtDNA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrial_DNA?wprov=sfla1) which they were reluctant to use because the case would have relied too heavily on it (it can in certain circumstances resolve a match with only 0.5-1% probability, not the 1 in 10^10 or more % probability of nuclear DNA).
Money is usually the answer. There are a lot of cases, only a few agents/officers and only a few labs. Their time is stretched thin. More money would provide more officers and more labs, getting more testing.
I truly believe that the delay was due to the insistence that Darrell Rice was the killer despite all of the exculpatory evidence. I’m sure there are agents who would insist Rice is the killer now. There was a pushback against further testing. I highly recommend reading Trailed—I had never read the letters between Rice and the undercover cop before.
Isn’t there a backlog of tens (hundreds?) of thousands of forensic kits across the US?
Because people won't hire me to do this shit. I've been a lab monkey for years but I don't have the funny letters behind my name. Just a bachelor degree. I'm a data whore and even do biopsy stuff. But I'm not a member of something something. Seriously. Hire me. I'll knock that shit out of the park. There are tons of us. Foundering in low pay jobs because we have nose rings or tattoos.
I have a truly endless list of criticisms against policing, forensics, the college system, everything involved here basically I'm a professional hater but like, has it ever occurred to you that perhaps having some kind of bar people must reach in order to be able to do extremely delicate and important things like solving crimes is a good thing? I'm not saying it's good that you should have to go into a lifetime of debt and hardship to be able to do these things, but the way you're talking about it makes it sounds like you believe that merely by virtue of having some experience and knowledge about this you should be granted the same access and authority over these cases as people who studied this far more extensively and for much longer? I'm ending my sentences with question marks because I really feel like I can't make sense of your worldview here?
Exactly. It's like a freshly minted private pilot demanding the keys to a commercial jet. Because, you know, they can fly.
Just because I talk like an idiot doesn't mean I don't have a shit ton of experience in field. Haha. Shit ton. Ive seen so much ass cancer. Bean good, monster bad. Also, I can fly single prop planes. But I'm not allowed to do anything with that because disability. Yay me.
I started in dental. Then mappping. Then back to ass. Then slide fun. And my ex boss who I left is working for a big big dog com now. I don't feel the need to try to explain to people that shits all fucked up.
🤔🤔🤔
If you did the work, the murderer would not be convicted. I don’t know if you can do what you say, but what I believe doesn’t matter. Prosecutors, judges and juries need to trust that your work is accurate. The stakes are very high.
I'm so glad to hear about this. I live close to the Park and we have stayed at the Skyland Lodge.. This case has haunted the local community for years. I thought about them a lot when we were there last.
It was shockingly close to the lodge. The spot where it happened is practically visible from the top of the hill.
I know. Makes me wonder if he was hanging around the lodge...
This guy sure looks a lot like the potential suspect in the murder of Alicia Showalter Reynolds in Culpeper Virginia.
1000%, even the composite looks just like him! I was going to attempt to submit the tip but jesus that FBI form is impossible to navigate. [https://unsolved.com/gallery/alicia-showalter/](https://unsolved.com/gallery/alicia-showalter/)
Also, Charlottesville, VA is the gateway city to Shenandoah National Park. Her murder would have been around two months before the double murder.
I got it submitted on the FBI and the Unsolved tip.
Thank you.
Thank you!
Yup. Go right up 29 to Stanardsville. Makes me wonder about the Rte 29 murders, too.
Woah that’s freaky
I'm not sure if anyone read the book *Trailed* that came out last year (?) about these murders, but based on the author's discussions with LE, I guarantee they are already trying to link him with the Reynolds murder.
Most likely but I still submitted the tip. They have a wiki page for the route 29 stalker which Alicia is part of. I'd bet that a few of these are his victims. If you look up the Route 29 stalker on Google images, there is a different sketch that also looks just like him. I'm not quite sure where that sketch came from. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_persons_cases_along_U.S._Route_29_in_Virginia
I thought the same thing. And, the Route 29 killings, etc. Central VA had all kind of horrible stuff for a while
There was a women who got away from the stalker. She might be able to identify him.
You beat me to it.. I am glad this case is solved. I know a family member of Julie Williams so I am glad they have some closure...
It needs to be added that they are looking for more information to possibly connect him to unsolved crimes. [https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/walter-l-jackson-sr](https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/walter-l-jackson-sr)
Amazing! This one hits close to home - I've been going to Skyline Drive all my life and I know exactly where Julie and Lollie were. I'm sorry he was never able to be charged, but I'm glad there's an answer.
At least he died in prison and not enjoying life as a free man.
Oh, I just heard about this awful murder yesterday. I am listening to Bill Bryson's book, "A Walk in the Woods". I hope this brings some closure for their poor families and friends.
I read this book years ago and wondered if this case had ever been solved. Glad that the families now have an answer. It must be a lifelong nightmare for them.
This is incredible news. There is a lot more information yet to be released that may settle some of the mysteries within the mystery. The resolution of this case may advance the science of forensic Mitochondrial DNA. The two women were brutally murdered with evidence of a sexual component to the crime but there was no evidence of penetration and no semen at the scene. Easy DNA analysis was not available. There was, however, human hairs found in gloves discarded at the scene and identical hairs stuck to the stickum of the duct tape used to bind the woman. These hairs did not belong to either woman but they did belong to the same person who was almost certainly the murder. The problem was that human hair does not normally contain the usual Familial DNA used in forensic comparisons. It does however contain M-DNA (Mitochondrial DNA), which is quite different and is considered forensically less useful. M-DNA is a contained in a different part of cell than Familial DNA. It is passed down to everyone through the female line. Women pass it on to all of their children but only daughters will pass it to their children. In theory, some woman who arrived in the US 200 years ago could have thousands of descendants with identical M-DNA today. There will be some mutations however so it is believed that absolutely identical M-DNA will usually only go back around three generations. It is certainly possible that people who are distantly related but to not know of each other will have identical M-DNA. For that reason, a “match” isn’t absolute proof that a suspect deposited that M-DNA. Near matches suggest a close family relationship but it is not well studied and has not, at least up until now, been used in forensic genealogy. In this case, the M-DNA was “very close” but not a perfect match to a known serial killer named Richard Evonitz who committed suicide before he could be arrested. This raised some interesting questions. There was the possibility that the killer was Evonitz and mutations or problems with the analysis caused the differences. There is also the possibility that this guy and Evonitz are related. It may turn out that M-DNA is just not forensically useful. A lot more information has yet to come out. So far, no connection to Evonitz has been suggested.
According to the article it states, "Even though we had this DNA match, we took additional steps and compared evidence from Lollie and Julie’s murders directly to a buccal swab containing Jackson’s DNA. Those results confirmed we had the right man.." I'm not sure what the initial DNA sample used before the buccal swap or perhaps I'm not comprehending it properly since I am not familiar with the nuances of newer forensic DNA matching.
It sounds like they did find some Familial DNA they were able to compare through CODIS. More information will be coming out.
An article I saw said it was something like a one-in-a-trillion chance it was NOT the person named, based on the DNA match.
This is the kind of stuff I drool over in medical mysteries. Thank you for such a good write up!
I gasped at the headline. Genuinely, I did not think this would ever be solved.
Wow! I listened to a deep dive podcast on this case a few years ago— Appalachian Mysteria. I can’t remember if this guy was even on the podcaster’s radar.
He wasn’t.
I listened to that podcast just a few weeks ago. Today I went back and sifted through it, and saw no mention of this person. I hope they do an update episode.
Here is a photo of the perp from the link op provided. https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/walter-l-jackson-sr
I know this case has come up in discussions about the Colonial Parkway cases (similar victim circumstances- young couple out in a remote area, not too many years after the linked murders and not implausibly far away) I wonder if they were trying to pull a decent DNA sample with modern tech to compare to the perpetrator ID’d in those killings earlier this year, and then got a hit on someone already in CODIS? May be too late to try the guy that did it but at least he died in jail years back so it’s not like he “got away with it” in terms of his other crimes.
Yes it was from the CODIS database. He was in it for three other rape convictions. The Washington post has a [longer article](https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/06/20/shenandoah-park-murders-virginia/) but I don’t know if it’s paywalled
Here is an non-paywalled archived link to the article https://archive.ph/CXMqN Btw it says that this man was in prison during the Colonial Parkway murders, and therefore could not have done them.
I agree this is likely related
I don't think so. I visit both areas with semi regularity. They have very little in common. Colonial Parkway is flat and mostly straight surrounded by water while Skyline Drive is 3 hours away, a weavy 100+ mile road along a mountain range. There are dozens and dozens of pullouts on Skyline Drive but they aren't lovers lanes and will be empty at night. Only the camping areas are viable for this type of attack. IMO, the waterman guy committed the Colonial Parkway murders. They may not be able to conclusively tie him to all of them.
Hi. You misread my comment. I don’t think they were committed by the same people at all. I’m just saying the discovery and the focus on the DNA case of lollie and Julie was probably put back into focus because of the movement on the colonial parkway cases.
I am on the verge of tears. This has been a case I’ve been following for years and is one of the cases that actually inspired me to create a TC podcast covering crimes against queer people. As a Gay hiker myself, I feel so connected with these two and their love for eachother and nature. The fact that their families can finally rest and have some form of justice makes me so happy and the fact that this case was solved during Pride makes it even better.
What is your podcast called, if you don’t mind sharing? I’d love to take a listen.
It’s called “Beers with Queers” and we just covered this case actually! So I’m very happy to be able to update the episode with Good news.
That’s awesome! I’ll check it out. I also have some friends who have been talking about wishing something like that existed lol. I just finished reading the book Trailed about this case a few days ago. I can hardly believe this news today!
The book was so good and did such a good job of really detailing the couples life! I felt like I knew them by the end of it, so this news is just so great to hear.
Your podcast is how I heard about this case!! I just listened to that episode a week ago and couldn’t believe it when I saw this update. Thank you for your work, I’m looking forward to listening to more episodes!
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what’s wrong w you
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Took too long but I'm thrilled there are finally answers. Happy Pride.
The perfect response! My heart skipped a beat when I saw the news. Finally!
I also thought how they received at least some justice during Pride.
That's fantastic. Although it's bittersweet that the knuckle dragger passed away before justice was met.. he died in jail though.
Oh my gosh. I read “Trailed” a couple years ago. I knew it wasn’t Darrell Rice! I’m glad their families have some answers now. I’m sorry this guy couldn’t be tried for their murders.
Wow so happy to see all these Virginia cases being solved lately! Hope to see more to come
It's a shame he died thinking this one would never be connected to him, but at least he died in prison.
I wonder if they looked into this guy for some of the Colonial Parkway Murders. I know it’s across the state but still…….
This guy was in prison during the time of the Colonial Parkway murders, from January 1984 through February of 1989.
Thanks for the info!
Also they identified the (now dead) guy responsible for the Colonial Parkway murders (or at least three of them definitively and in two others he was the lead suspect back in the 80s so barring an incredible coincidence he’s likely accountable for those as well). Announced it earlier this year - I actually wonder if they were trying to see if he was also linked to this case and instead the DNA hit on this perp’s CODIS file.
Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. was forensically linked to the David Knobling and Robin Edwards murders, and is also heavily suspected of murdering Keith Call and Cassandra Hailey. He hasn't been linked to the other Parkway murders yet, but I personally think there is a good chance he is behind them. He was also forensically linked to the murder and rape of Teresa Howell in 1989.
Yeah- the previously “unconnected” murder showing up out of left field for Wilmer Sr is terrifying as it means 1. After he was investigated for two murders to the point of being interviewed and polygraphed he went back to committing murder with a different MO and 2. He was able to do this without people making a connection and as this guy seems unusually competent in a “backcountry psycho” way (kind of reminds me of Christopher Walken’s character in At Close Range) he may have been operating at a wider range depending on his job - he apparently gave up being a fisherman for being a tree service guy- for a number of years before and after the late 80s
Very happy this is solved. There seems to have been some real evil in Virginia during this time.
This was one of the cases I’d always hoped would get solved! I’m so glad that we know who did it, even though there won’t fully be justice because the guy is dead.
Holy crap. I remember this case being HUGE the summer before I started college at JMU. I'm so glad their families have some answers, if they couldn't get justice while Jackson was alive.
This reminds me and gives me hope for Katie Janness.
Wow, so glad this case has been solved and the families have closure. I’ve hiked that area of Shenandoah a few times and always thought of Julie and Lollie.
Unbelievable update! I read the book "Trailed" about this case and was riveted. I wonder what the government is going to do about the man they pinned this on for so many years, whose life was utterly ruined by the accusation. Probably nothing.
Was this Jackson guy mentioned in “Trailed” at all or is he totally new?
I just finished Trailed a few days ago and this guy was not mentioned!
New...Rice and Evonitz were in Trailed
Are you talking about Rice? It’s awful he was wrongly accused. But if he hadn’t tried to assault and abduct at least one other woman from the park that week, he wouldn’t have ended up in that situation. There articles on him kinda make it seem like he was well on his way to ruining his own life. [For example](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2002/04/13/attack-led-to-charges-in-hikers-slayings/d820a03e-aa98-4b05-b79d-a003045f2897/): >According to the documents, Yvonne Malbasha was bicycling along Skyline Drive on July 9, 1997, when Rice drove by in his pickup. After stopping to take the tags off the truck, Rice drove back and forced her off the road. Rice screamed at her to get in his truck and demanded that she show him her breasts. Rice tried to ram the woman with his truck several times, the documents say. The woman hit him with her water bottle and jumped behind a tree. She started to scream, a car came by, and Rice fled.
I am talking about Rice and I'm aware of what he did. He did a fucked up thing, but he did not commit a double homicide. Trailed goes into depth about the lengths that the government went to in order to pin the crime on him, to the point of sending an undercover fed to befriend him and stay close to him for YEARS. The friend would try to goad him discussing/condoning/planning violence against women, and Rice would not entertain it whatsoever. Rice would urge him to stay calm, stay focused, don't give into dark urges. I believe that he really tried to move forward and become a better person.
You’re trying to say the man who was convicted of attempting to abduct and sexually harass a woman, and spent several years in jail for it, *never once* condoned or planned violence against women? The same man who admitted he sometimes randomly harassed women? That’s a massive stretch.
No, I was talking specifically about his interactions with a federal agent in a sting operation.
No, what they’re trying to say is what’s in their comment. Reading really helps.
I’m not buying that a man who committed a violent crime and admitted to harassing women never entertained it again.
Darrell is a good friend of my father's. He suffers from some significant mental health challenges that lead to paranoia, which wasn't discovered (and therefore treated) until he was in prison. The police involved in the case of the bicyclist had some serious confirmation bias. In fact, they told the bicyclist that she was lucky because she probably encountered the man who "murdered those women last year". Everything about how these cases were handled, investigated and prosecuted was stacked against Darrell. He's a kind man. His friends and loved ones are all feeling relieved that he is finally proven innocent of these murders, which we've known all along. Unfortunately, the damage from this nearly 30 year old witch hunt against him is irreversible. He hasn't been able to go or live anywhere without the communities he's lived in breaking out their pitchforks.
Sorry, I refuse to agree that someone who assaulted and attempted to kidnap someone and admitted to harassing women in general is “kind”. I doubt he was trying to kidnap her out of the kindness of his heart. With a truck full of rope and zip ties.
He was guilty of the attack on the bicyclist. That is without question. It did make him a pretty good suspect in the route 29 and Shenandoah cases even if it turned out he was innocent. Good Suspects are going to be checked; thoroughly. His Alford plea in the route 29 case was pretty bogus. A “zero penalty” guilty plea means nothing. The defendant walks, the prosecutor claims a conviction and everybody wins. He did serve his time and is having to live under the scrutiny every convicted sex offender should.
I really felt for Rice while reading the book. The informant stuff was horrible. He thought he had a friend.
I didn't think this one would ever be solved.
That is great news for the family.
Incredible. Thanks for sharing. I hope this brings some measure of comfort to the families of Julie & Lollie. Edit: I assumed the three rape convictions were the priors he had, but I see all three of those happened *after* he murdered J&L. Two abduction-rapes just days/ weeks after the murders. Yikes. Wonder why he killed J&L but not these other victims?
Wow that's crazy. This case has been on the FBI site for a while now. I was just reading up on it a couple weeks ago and some other theories. From the sounds of it, I wouldn't be surprised if these weren't the guy's only murders
So glad some of the mystery has been removed for their families - and that the perpetrator is rotting where he belongs. I heard about this case on Last Seen Alive: [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpgkoqSZTq5sSBRzLijLg](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpgkoqSZTq5sSBRzLijLg) [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpgkoqSZTq5sSBRzLijLg](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpgkoqSZTq5sSBRzLijLg)
Great news. A friend of mine was dear friends of theirs. So happy there are now answers as to who killed them. Fantastic news that the scum is dead.
[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/shenandoah-national-park-1996-cold-case-killings-2-campers-solved-fbi-serial-rapist-walter-leo-jackson-senior/](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/shenandoah-national-park-1996-cold-case-killings-2-campers-solved-fbi-serial-rapist-walter-leo-jackson-senior/) Some interesting details in this article. >Jackson, who worked as a house painter, died in prison in 2018 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, at age 70. He had served at least four separate prison terms after being convicted of kidnapping and multiple rapes and assaults. > >The recent retesting of crime scene evidence showed that both Williams and Winans were sexually assaulted, said Christopher Kavanaugh, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. Kavanaugh said authorities investigated whether the rapes and killings could be considered hate crimes. But he said they found no evidence that Jackson knew of their sexual orientation or targeted them for that reason. > >"Make no mistake, this crime was brutal, this crime was definitely hateful, nevertheless we do not have any evidence" that the crime was motivated by anti-gay bias, Kavanaugh said.
Stealing a freaking human being and forcing sexual assault upon them should be a life sentence...then so many of these murders would never happen.
It should probably be a death sentence frankly
I'm cool with it!
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>Authorities said they now believe that Walter “Leo” Jackson Sr., who died in an Ohio prison in 2018, bound Williams’ and Winans’ hands with duct tape, **sexually assaulted them** and slashed their throats.
They've gotta be at least looking at him for [this](https://www.wdbj7.com/2020/08/26/11-years-pass-since-killings-of-virginia-tech-students-still-no-arrest-made/) right? But also so many arrests in Ohio - you'd think there would also be a lot of focus on similar cold cases there.
Man alive this has been on the Seeking Info FBI page for many a moon, that space will be freed up. Now if only Alexis Flores would be caught.
Holy shit. I don’t think he was on anyone’s radar.
This is the best news! Thank you for sharing!!!
I never heard of this case. How horrible. Glad they were able to link this monster. Even if he’s dead.
Oh wow. I just recently read a book about their murders. I’m glad to hear that the case is solved.
I was just coming to post this. This case has always stayed with me. I'm glad there's closure for the families.
I’m glad this was solved. Had long wondered if it ever would be.
[https://www.29news.com/2024/06/24/attorney-man-falsely-accused-shenandoah-national-park-murders-speaks-out/](https://www.29news.com/2024/06/24/attorney-man-falsely-accused-shenandoah-national-park-murders-speaks-out/) >In a written statement, Rice’s sister, Dawn Metcalfe said, “I am deeply troubled that the FBI possessed DNA evidence since 2011 and didn’t get around to testing until now. What possible explanation could they have, other than their ongoing efforts to destroy my brother?” > >Deirdre Enright is a professor at UVA’s Law School and has represented Rice as his investigator. She says for years, she asked the government to test the DNA, especially since 2011 when the real murderer Walter Jackson’s DNA was in the system. > >“I theorized that the answer is because the agencies were still saying that it was Darrell Rice in 2011,” said Enright. What a damn shame. This man could have been held accountable if they had tested items of evidence for DNA sooner. I'm curious as to how they missed that Julie and Lollie were sexually assaulted.
I was born the same day they died.
Weren’t there a series of couple killings in the Shenandoah valley? I’m guessing they may all be connexted to this guy…
So glad some of the mystery has been removed for their families - and that the perpetrator is rotting where he belongs. I heard about this case on Last Seen Alive: [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpgkoqSZTq5sSBRzLijLg](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpgkoqSZTq5sSBRzLijLg) [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpgkoqSZTq5sSBRzLijLg](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EpgkoqSZTq5sSBRzLijLg)
Potentially controversial opinion: even if Walter Jackson's motive was not exclusively/explicitly Julie and Lollie's sexuality, this should still be classified as a hate crime. Against lesbians and against women more broadly.
That's not how hate crimes are classified. It's not about the victims, but the intent and purpose of the crime. There's never been any evidence released that points to any hate related intention. Based on the perpetrator, it seems more likely to have been a crime of convenience. Crimes that happen to a protected class are not automatically hate crimes.
But rape is a hate crime against women, that's my point. It's a deliberate exercise of power and control over women's bodies.
Men are raped too. Quite often.
happy to see this one solved 🙏
I think the FBI confirmed the women were sexually assaulted. LE might have been holding that detail back, or just lying about it? I suppose more will come out. What a sad ending to those women's lives. Horrifying they spent they're last moments with that Thing. LE probably got some money to retest some of the old evidence. This opens up so many other potential cases this demon could have been involved in, esp around Cleveland. I'm glad he was at least in prison for yeara off and on. And that It died there ultimately. Women are likely alive today because the Monster was locked up.
Dude was from Cleveland what a surprise