SHENANDOAH COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Investigators from the FBI Richmond Field Office have announced that they have identified a suspect in connection to two murders that took place in Shenandoah National Park in 1996.
According to FBI Richmond, on May 24, 1996, Laura “Lollie” Winans and Julianne “Julie” Williams were murdered at a campsite near Skyland Resort in Shenandoah National Park. Their bodies were found on June 1, 1996, after an extensive search by National Park Service rangers.
FBI Richmond assigned a new investigative team to review the case in 2021 and recently, a private lab was able to link DNA taken from several items of evidence to Walter “Leo” Jackson, a convicted seral rapist from the Cleveland area of Ohio who died in prison in 2018.
“After 28 years, we are now able to say who committed the brutal murders of Lollie Winans and Julie Williams in Shenandoah National Park,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “I want to again extend my condolences to the Winans and Williams families and hope today’s announcement provides some small measure of solace.”
The FBI is continuing to work to determine if Jackson can be connected to any other unsolved crimes. Anyone with information related to Jackson is asked to contact the agency online.
SHENANDOAH COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Investigators from the FBI Richmond Field Office have announced that they have identified a suspect in connection to two murders that took place in Shenandoah National Park in 1996.
According to FBI Richmond, on May 24, 1996, Laura “Lollie” Winans and Julianne “Julie” Williams were murdered at a campsite near Skyland Resort in Shenandoah National Park. Their bodies were found on June 1, 1996, after an extensive search by National Park Service rangers.
FBI Richmond assigned a new investigative team to review the case in 2021 and recently, a private lab was able to link DNA taken from several items of evidence to Walter “Leo” Jackson, a convicted seral rapist from the Cleveland area of Ohio who died in prison in 2018.
“After 28 years, we are now able to say who committed the brutal murders of Lollie Winans and Julie Williams in Shenandoah National Park,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “I want to again extend my condolences to the Winans and Williams families and hope today’s announcement provides some small measure of solace.”
The FBI is continuing to work to determine if Jackson can be connected to any other unsolved crimes. Anyone with information related to Jackson is asked to contact the agency online.