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Debra Jackson Featured case
NCMU1213120c1
Name Debra Jackson
Sex Female
Found October 31, 1979
Location Georgetown, Texas
Missing from Abilene, Texas
Identified August 6, 2019
Span 39 years
Age 23
Cause of death Strangulation

RecentThis individual was recently confirmed to have been identified. Some details may change as more information is released publicly.

Debra Jackson (September 20, 1956 - October 30, 1979) previously known as "Orange Socks", was a female between fifteen and thirty that was found nude, except for a matching pair of orange socks, which led to her nickname. Henry Lee Lucas, who confessed to her murder, was later acquitted, as it is believed that he was untruthful. Lucas confessed to over 3,000 murders, including that of Tammy Alexander and Carol Cole.

DNA Doe Project announced August 2019 that Orange Socks had been identified, and a press conference would be held on August 7th.

Case

Orange Socks' body was found face-down in a culvert along a highway in Georgetown, Texas. She had been sexually assaulted and was strangled. Along with the pair of socks on her body, she also wore an abalone/mother of pearl stone on a ring.

File:OrangeSocksRing.jpg

Orange Socks' ring

Orange Socks is believed to have been a transient or a runaway. Strong evidence supports this, as she had keys from an Oklahoma motel, long nails, insect bites, unshaven legs and a makeshift sanitary pad. She had salpingitis, which was due to having untreated gonorrhea.

One woman called after the case was featured on television and stated she had seen a person matching the victim's description hitchhiking in Texas. No other information of the victim in life is available.

Henry Lee Lucas confessed to her murder and was sentenced to death. It was later discovered that police officers from the area had him look at crime scene photos and then confess during interviews, which they would use to gain recognition for solving cold cases. Lucas' death sentence was commuted in June 1998, but he remained in prison for other murders until he died of heart problems on March 12, 2001.

The DNA Doe Project took on the case in 2018. Samples are currently in the works to be sent to a lab for analysis.

At least two males may have been involved in the victim's murder, as DNA was discovered on the socks she wore. Law enforcement is unsure whether the profiles are strong enough for additional tests.

Gallery

Media appearances

  • Her case appeared on America's Most Wanted
  • She also appeared in Karen T. Taylor's Forensic Art and Illustration
  • Her case was mentioned in a 2017 episode of Cold Case Files, but the physical depiction of the victim was inaccurate.

Links

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