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FBI Identifies Serial Rapist as 1996 Shenandoah Double Murderer

DNA evidence links Ohio's Walter Jackson to the brutal killings of two female hikers nearly three decades ago.

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FBI Richmond Special Agent in Charge Stanley Meador speaks during a press conference in Richmond, Virginia, on June 20, 2024.
The FBI's Richmond Field Office identified a suspect through DNA that was connected to the murders of Laura “Lollie” Winans and Julianne “Julie” Williams in 1996.

Overview

  • Walter Jackson, a convicted rapist who died in 2018, has been identified through DNA evidence as the murderer of Julie Williams and Lollie Winans.
  • The women were found bound, gagged, and with their throats slashed at their Shenandoah National Park campsite.
  • A new investigative team reexamined the case in 2021, leading to the DNA match with Jackson.
  • Previous suspect Darrell Rice was exonerated after DNA evidence ruled him out.
  • Authorities found no evidence that the murders were motivated by the victims' sexual orientation.