FBI Richmond identifies suspect in 1996 Shenandoah National Park murders

SHENANDOAH COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The FBI has recently identified a suspect in a nearly 30-year-old double murder investigation in Shenandoah County.

According to the FBI Richmond Field Office, Walter “Leo” Jackson, a convicted serial rapist from Cleveland, Ohio and an avid hiker, sexually assaulted and brutally murdered Laura “Lollie” Winans and Julianne “Julie” Williams on May 24, 1996.

The bodies of Winans and Williams were found at a campsite near Skyland Resort in Shenandoah National Park on June 1, 1996, after an extensive search by National Park Service rangers.

In 2021, a new FBI investigative team conducted a methodical review of the case and a private lab tested DNA taken from several pieces of evidence. The results were entered into the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), leading authorities to Jackson.

Investigators were able to compare the latest DNA sample to those from Jackson’s previous crimes, which included kidnapping, rapes and assaults.

Special agent Stanley Meador, who led the investigation back in 2021, said investigators went a step further comparing Jackson’s DNA swab directly to evidence from both victims, confirming they had the right man.

“Those match results confirm a certainty that is rarely seen, one in 2.6 trillion,” Meador said.

Jackson is believed to have been driving a 1984 Chestnut Brown AMC Eagle 30 at the time of the murders. Jackson later drove a 1979 model Ford Econoline 250 van, he was also known to use temporary tags, alter license plates and change vehicles frequently.

Jackson died in a Cuyahoga County, Ohio prison in March of 2018.

Activists over the years have pushed for the attack to be investigated as a hate crime because it is believed that the two women were a couple. However, investigators said there was no evidence that Jackson killed them because of their sexual orientation.

According to FBI investigators, another man, Darrell Rice, was indicted by a federal grand jury for the crimes in 2022. However, Christopher Kavanaugh, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, said that the case was “not built on forensic evidence” and found no credible forensic evidence linking Rice to the murder. His charges were later dropped in October 2023, according to Kavanaugh.

Kavanaugh said they are confident they have identified the right man and will continue taking steps to learn more about Jackson’s activities through the years by working with the Cleveland Police Department and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.

Kavanaugh said he hopes the victim’s families can finally close this chapter of their lives.

”I can tell you they were grateful for the people who worked on this case, for the resources and for helping to provide closure,” Kavanaugh said.

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