Billy Richard Glaze (July 13, 1943 – December 22, 2015), also known as "Jesse Sitting Crow" was a convicted American serial killer whose guilt has come into question by the discovery of DNA evidence excluding Glaze and implicating another man.

Crimes

Glaze was suspected of the murders of at least 50 women in multiple states. He allegedly boasted to police about having killed over 20 women, but in interviews claimed he was innocent. Glaze became a suspect in the 1986–87 murders of three Native American women in the

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

area after a waitress brought him to the attention of authorities. Information from a girlfriend led investigators to look for him in New Mexico. Glaze was arrested on August 31, 1987, while

driving under the influence of alcohol Drunk driving (or drink-driving in British English) is the act of driving under the influence of alcohol. A small increase in the blood alcohol content increases the relative risk of a motor vehicle crash. In the United States, alcohol is invo ...

, for a violation of his parole from a Texas conviction for rape in 1974. The arresting officers found a bloody shirt, crowbar and nightstick in his truck. Hair samples from the crowbar were used to convict him of murder. He was convicted of three counts of first degree murder; he would be eligible for parole 52 years later. At sentencing he maintained his innocence. Glaze was housed in

James T. Vaughn Correctional Center The James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (JTVCC), formerly the Delaware Correctional Center (DCC), is a state prison for men in unincorporated New Castle County, Delaware, USA, near Smyrna. It is the Delaware Department of Correction's largest ...

in Smyrna, Delaware.

New evidence

DNA testing conducted by the Innocence Project in 2009 found that semen from one victim's rape kit didn't match Glaze, but instead matched another Minnesota man, a convicted rapist. Additional testing done in 2014 on a cigarette butt found near the body of a second victim came back as a match to the same man. In spite of testing dozens of pieces of evidence from the three crime scenes, none came back as a match to Glaze. Glaze's attorneys filed a motion for a new trial both based on the DNA testing results and questions about the reliability of eyewitnesses who testified at Glaze's original trial, one of whom has since recanted and another who has claimed to have witnessed more than 60 murders during his time in prison. In response to the filing by Glaze's attorneys, the

Minneapolis Police Department The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) is the primary law enforcement agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It is also the largest police department in Minnesota. Formed in 1867, it is the second-oldest police department in Minnesot ...

and the Hennepin County Attorney's Office are re-investigating the case.

Death

Glaze died on December 22, 2015, aged 72, shortly after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. He died in prison after spending more than 25 years incarcerated.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Glaze, Billy 1943 births 2015 deaths 1974 crimes in the United States 1986 murders in the United States 20th-century American criminals American male criminals American people convicted of murder American people convicted of rape American people who died in prison custody American serial killers Crimes against sex workers in the United States Criminals from Minnesota Deaths from lung cancer in Delaware People convicted of murder by Minnesota Prisoners who died in Delaware detention Serial killers from Minnesota Serial killers who died in prison custody

Crimes

New evidence

Death

See also

References