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Debra Louise Jackson (September 23, 1956 – October 30 or 31, 1979) informally known as "Orange Socks" when unidentified, was an American murder victim who went unidentified for nearly 40 years before being identified via a DNA match with her surviving sister in 2019. Her murder is believed to have taken place on October 30 or 31, 1979, in
Georgetown, Texas Georgetown is a city in Texas and the county seat of Williamson County, Texas, United States. The population was 67,176 at the 2020 census. It is 30 miles (48 km) north of Austin. Founded in 1875 from four existing colleges, the oldest of ...
. Her body was found naked, except for the pair of orange socks from which the nickname was derived. She had been strangled, and was believed to have died only hours before the discovery. Henry Lee Lucas confessed to and was convicted of her murder. Though doubts have been raised about his complicity in this crime, Lucas's conviction was not overturned. His
death sentence Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that ...
was commuted by then-
Texas governor The governor of Texas heads the state government of Texas. The governor is the leader of the executive and legislative branch of the state government and is the commander in chief of the Texas Military. The current governor is Greg Abbott, who ...
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
in 1998; Lucas died in prison in 2001. There is strong evidence that Lucas was in
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
when Jackson was murdered.


Evidence and physical description

Jackson, who had been sexually assaulted, was found in a culvert on
Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...
, having been dragged to and thrown over a guardrail. The cause of death was ruled as
strangulation Strangling is compression of the neck that may lead to unconsciousness or death by causing an increasingly hypoxic state in the brain. Fatal strangling typically occurs in cases of violence, accidents, and is one of two main ways that hangin ...
, as a large amount of bruising was visible on her neck. Other bruises were also visible, caused by her body having been dropped from the overpass, after being dragged through a patch of grass. Blood stains were also present at the scene. The victim was initially estimated to be in her twenties at the time of her death. Several other murders had taken place along the same interstate in
Travis County, Texas Travis County is located in south central Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,290,188. It is the fifth-most populous county in Texas. Its county seat is Austin, the capital of Texas. The county was established in 1840 and is n ...
, which police stated may have been connected to the then-unidentified victim. Jackson's legs were unshaven, with a large number of
insect bite Insect bites and stings occur when an insect is agitated and seeks to defend itself through its natural defense mechanisms, or when an insect seeks to feed off the bitten person. Some insects inject formic acid, which can cause an immediate skin ...
s. She had long toenails, her fingernails were painted and a hairline scar was observed beneath the chin. The victim's earlobes were noted to be "unique" and her toes were noted to be longer than average. Despite her injuries, she had not broken a bone during her life. She had reportedly suffered from
salpingitis Salpingitis is an infection causing inflammation in the Fallopian tubes (also called ''salpinges''). It is often included in the umbrella term of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), along with endometritis, oophoritis, myometritis, parametritis ...
due to contracting
gonorrhea Gonorrhea, colloquially known as the clap, is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium ''Neisseria gonorrhoeae''. Infection may involve the genitals, mouth, or rectum. Infected men may experience pain or burning with u ...
. She had ten-inch-long brown hair with a reddish tint, hazel eyes, and her age ranged from 15 to 30 years. She was approximately five feet eight inches to five feet ten inches tall, and weighed between 140 and 160 pounds. Two of her teeth were missing; the remainder were well-maintained, although they showed little sign of dental treatment. A silver ring was found on her hand, containing an abalone or
mother of pearl Nacre ( , ), also known as mother of pearl, is an organicinorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer; it is also the material of which pearls are composed. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent. Nacre is f ...
stone. Her ears were pierced. A towel was found at the scene along with her body, which she may have been using as a makeshift
sanitary napkin Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation systems ...
. One of two matchbooks found at the scene belonged to a hotel from
Henryetta, Oklahoma Henryetta is a city in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 5,927 at the 2010 census, down 9.6 percent from the figure of 6,096 recorded in 2000. History Hugh Henry established a ranch on Creek Nation land in 1885. He soo ...
, which supported the theory she was a hitchhiker or drifter.


Confession by Henry Lee Lucas

In 1982,
serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
Henry Lee Lucas confessed to her murder, although there was no
physical evidence In evidence law, physical evidence (also called real evidence or material evidence) is any material object that plays some role in the matter that gave rise to the litigation, introduced as evidence in a judicial proceeding (such as a trial) to ...
that he had been involved in the killing, sexual assault or disposing of the body. In an interview, he stated that he picked her up in Oklahoma, where they had sex.Husain, Michael. "Myth Of A Serial Killer: The Henry Lee Lucas Story." ''
American Justice ''American Justice'' is an American criminal justice television program airing on the A&E Network. From 1992–2005, the show was hosted by television reporter Bill Kurtis. The show features interesting or notable cases, such as the murder ...
''. Dir. Michael Husain. Prod. Bill Kurtis. A&E. 1997. Television.
He asked her for sex again while he was driving; he claimed that at this, Debra said "not right now" and attempted to leave his car, at which point he killed her and raped her corpse. He then drove her body to Georgetown. Lucas told authorities that the victim had stated her name as being "Joanie" or "Judy". He had previously showed officers how he had supposedly dragged her body over the guardrail when taken to the location where her body was found. One report claims that at the time of Jackson's murder, Lucas was working in Florida, whereas the murder took place in Texas. Interrogators also stated that he had contradicted himself several times when confessing to the murder, and his defense also stated that he was shown images of the crime scene before his interview. In order to have traveled to Oklahoma, to Texas and back to Florida, it was estimated that he would have had to drive at an average of seventy miles an hour, without stopping, which many find unlikely. Lucas later recanted this statement after his conviction in 1984 and, by involvement of the state governor, George W. Bush, his
death sentence Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that ...
was reduced to life imprisonment, as Jackson's murder was the only case that resulted in his receiving the death penalty. Lucas had a history of dubious confessions, something that led others to doubt his truthfulness (he confessed to upwards of 3,000 murders). Lucas recanted his confessions, stating that the only murder he had committed was that of his mother, Viola.


Media appearances and further investigation

In 2001, a missing woman's photograph surfaced that resembled the decedent, but
DNA testing Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, o ...
did not match. Another media report suggested that "Orange Socks" was a woman who had disappeared in the 1970s, together with her abusive boyfriend. There was some speculation that "Orange Socks" was Martha Morrison, but she was eventually ruled out. In 2015, Morrison's remains were later identified as a
Jane Doe John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law enforcement in the United States, such names are ofte ...
found in
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
the same year she disappeared. Several other missing women were also excluded. The "Orange Socks" case was featured twice on the TV series '' America's Most Wanted''. An anonymous woman called to the program on one occasion saying she had seen "Orange Socks" hitchhiking on the day of her murder, but the lead did not generate any new information. In 2016, on the 37th anniversary of her discovery, new sketches of "Orange Socks" were released by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The organization also entered her into their database. In May 2018,
law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules Rule or ruling may refer to: Education ...
announced that they were examining the victim's ring as well as running tests to identify where the victim's socks were made. A book of matches found near the body was traced to a hotel in Oklahoma but did not identify anyone matching her description. By January 2019, it was announced that DNA from Jackson's socks contained the profiles of two or more males. It is unknown if the evidence will be enough for further examination. The DNA was recovered from fingernail scrapings as well as pubic hair samples.


Identification

In August 2019, "Orange Socks" was identified as Debra Jackson. The
DNA Doe Project DNA Doe Project (also DNA Doe Project, Inc. or DDP) is an American nonprofit volunteer organization formed to identify unidentified deceased persons (commonly known as John Doe or Jane Doe) using forensic genealogy. Volunteers identify victims ...
had identified a potential cousin of "Orange Socks" through their research. A revised sketch (by forensic artist Natalie Murry) had also caught the attention of Jackson's sister. Members of Jackson's family visually identified the decedent based on morgue photographs and physical characteristics. Jackson's sister then submitted a saliva-based DNA kit and the results confirmed the two were related. Jackson was last seen around 1977 and had never been reported missing. Further investigation found that Jackson had worked at the Ramada Inn in
Amarillo, Texas Amarillo ( ; Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall County ...
and Bur-Mont (an
assisted living An assisted living residence or assisted living facility (ALF) is a housing facility for people with disabilities or for adults who cannot or who choose not to live independently. The term is popular in the United States, but the setting is si ...
facility) in
Azle, Texas Azle ( ) is a small city west of Fort Worth in Parker and Tarrant Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,947. Azle is the home of the Azle Marching Green Pride marching band and the Fighting Azl ...
in 1978. Law enforcement also stated that they believe she worked at R.E. West and C.G. Cole Admiral PTR, Realty Investment LTD in 1979, in an unknown location. Many other details about her life also remain unclear, but it is known she attended school locally and may have used the alias surnames "Moon" and "Larned".


See also

*
List of solved missing person cases Lists of solved missing person cases include: * List of solved missing person cases: pre-2000 * List of solved missing person cases: post-2000 See also * List of kidnappings * List of murder convictions without a body * List of people who di ...
*
List of unsolved murders These lists of unsolved murders include notable cases where victims were murdered in unknown circumstances. * List of unsolved murders (before 1900) * List of unsolved murders (1900–1979) * List of unsolved murders (1980–1999) * List of u ...
* Murder of Sherri Jarvis, a formerly unidentified female found a year and one day later in Huntsville, Texas.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Debra 1979 in Texas 1979 murders in the United States 1970s crimes in Texas 1970s missing person cases Deaths by person in Texas False confessions Georgetown, Texas Incidents of violence against women Missing person cases in Texas October 1979 crimes October 1979 events in the United States Sexual assaults in the United States Unsolved murders in the United States Violence against women in the United States Female murder victims History of women in Texas