The Walker County Jane Doe,Orange socks and Henry Lee Lucas

Hey, how's it going?

This week I have an unsolved Jane Doe case for you. This is a case from the eighties with both an unidentified victim and killer. 

****I have to warn you that there is postmortem images contained within this post as well as one crime scene photo, so reader discretion is advised.****

In the Oakwood cemetery in Hunstsville, Walker Country, Texas, the body of an unidentified woman rests in a casket provided by Huntsville Funerals. 

Her grave is marked with a headstone given by Morris Memorials that reads “unknown white female”. 

(image from findagrave)

She was murdered in 1980 and her naked, bruised and battered body was discovered by a passing truck driver making their way down interstate highway 45.

Little is known about the girl other than her physical appearance and measurements. 

(Image source: Icaremissingpersons)

She was Caucasian, of average height (around 5”5) a brunette with a winged hair style, brown eyes (scar above her right eyebrow) and pierced ears.  She was possibly from a middleclass background (judging by the condition of her body and teeth) and was around 14- 16 years old. Her Doe network page lists her weight as between 105 – 120lbs. 

She was found  “on the shoulder of I-45 north, a half mile south of FM 1696 exit, 2 miles north of Huntsville” (or 30.770025,-95.640115 if you want to look up the specific spot)

(Image from Google maps)

(Image source apparently shows the specific spot.This was posted at Websluthes.)

On the morning of November first she was found on her front, face down on the ground and naked.  It would later be determined that she had been violently beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled with a pair of stockings.  A pair of red sandals were next to her body.  She had met a violent and painful end, and the killer was never identified. Examination of the body shows that she was killed around 3am.

(An actual photo for ID purposes from the Doenetwork website.)

It is thought that she was dumped along the highway, as pieces of (assumed to be her) stockings and underwear were forced into her vagina and rectum. The Wikipedia article notes that this was probably to plug the bleeding that had occurred (as the result of the insertion of a large blunt object during the assault) while the killer drove the body to dispose of it.

Her attacker left behind a bite mark on her shoulder- this was later compared to the dentals of infamous serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. He was active around the time that Walker county Doe was discovered and although he liked to take responsibility for murders he did not commit, his dentals did not match those of the bite on the unknown girl. Looking at most of the reports about the Walker county Doe, though, you get the impression that the general consensus is she was murdered by a serial killer or at least someone who had a penchant for murder and had done it before.

(Henry Lee Lucas. Image from Wikipedia)

Following the discovery of the body, local authorities asked around the area in hopes that someone had seen the girl. Many people claimed to interact with her on Halloween night, all giving a similar description of her outfit and relaying conversations they had.

They all described her as wearing a dirty, long sleeved, yellow shirt with jeans and a white knitted jumper with oversized pockets. She was said to be carrying her red sandals (which, judging by the red shoes found at the crime scene indicates it was most likely the same girl)

None of these articles of clothing were found at the scene other than her shoes and her necklace which was still around her neck.

(The Hitch n' Post more recently. Image from TBC)

According to manager of a truck stop (“Hitch n’ Post), another civilian (local business owner Bobby Roach) who witnessed her step out of a blue two tone Chevrolet Caprice(at 6:30pm), and a truck stop waitress, the girl was heading towards Ellis Prison, and asked each of them for directions.  Although the waitress was concerned as the girl looked young, she drew her a map to the prison so the girl could visit a friend she claimed to have there. Police asked around the prison, but none of the inmates said they knew her.

(From the whowaswalkercountydoe page)

She is possibly originally from Rockport or Aransas Pass, Texas, as this is what she apparently told the waitress, but no-one there could identify the girl. Police asked around schools in the local area too, but that didn’t turn up anything either.

Comparisons have been made between the murder of the Walker county doe and the unsolved murder of the Georgetown Doe- more commonly known as “orange socks”.

The orange socks murder happened just two years prior to the Walker county case on the 30^th October.  It also happened in Texas, the cause of death was also strangulation, the victim was found completely nude except for a pair of orange socks on her feet and of course Henry Lee Lucas confessed to doing it.  So it’s quite easy to see why people often talk about a link in the two cases as there are a few similarities including the location and modus operandi. Also, both the girls were hitchhiking, although Orange socks is assumed to be from Oklahoma on account of a matchbox bearing the name of the state being found at the scene.  

(Crime scene image from wikipedia)

According to an article on this page one of the investigating officers (Dale Myers, I believe) who was at the crime scene said that when he talked to Lucas in regards to the bite marks and his dentals not matching up, Lucas claimed to have had reconstructive teeth surgery..

“We had the bite mark on her left shoulder, and when I went to interview him, he told me he had dental reconstruction done. I was devastated. We had photos of him before, and his teeth looked like they would have matched the bite mark, but we just couldn't make that match. I still believe Henry Lee Lucas killed this girl.”

As a final point of interest I found this on the "who was walker county doe" Facebook page.

What are your thoughts?

Until next time, friends.