After nearly three decades, authorities have finally identified the man they believe killed Julianne Williams and Laura Winans in Shenandoah National Park in 1996. The F.B.I. office in Richmond announced that new DNA evidence pointed to Walter Leo Jackson Sr., a convicted serial rapist from Ohio who died in prison six years ago.
The case, which initially was believed to be an anti-gay hate crime, led to charges against another man in 2004 that were eventually dropped by prosecutors. Now, with the new DNA evidence linking Jackson to the murders, authorities have some closure for the families of the victims.
Christopher R. Kavanaugh, the U.S. attorney for the western district of Virginia, expressed his condolences to the families of Williams and Winans and hoped that the announcement would provide some solace after 28 years of uncertainty.
An F.B.I. investigative team revisited the case in 2021, re-examining leads, interviews, and evidence from the crime scene. The DNA match to Jackson’s DNA finally brought some answers to the long-standing mystery.
Officials revealed that Jackson had an extensive criminal history, including convictions for rape, kidnapping, and assault. They also stated that there was evidence of sexual assault on both women before their deaths.
Park rangers discovered Williams and Winans with their throats slashed near the Skyland Resort in Shenandoah National Park in 1996. Another man, Darrell David Rice, was initially indicted for the murders in 2002, but the charges were dropped in 2004 when DNA evidence did not match.
At a news conference, officials mentioned that they had investigated the possibility of charging Jackson with a hate crime but found no evidence to suggest that he knew about the sexual orientation of the victims. They also released details about Jackson’s vehicles and asked for the public’s help in determining if he had additional victims.
After nearly three decades, the families of Julianne Williams and Laura Winans finally have some closure, knowing that the man believed to have killed their loved ones has been identified, even though he is no longer alive to face justice.
