The person at the center of this case
Laura "Lollie" Winans and Julianne "Julie" Williams
Cold Case · Open
30 years waiting · since 1996
WALTER "LEO" JACKSON SR.
Justice for Laura "Lollie" Winans and Julianne "Julie" Williams — the trail went cold in 1996, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
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suspect
Lead #1Jackson was an avid hiker and residential painter with access to remote areas; could his occupation and hiking knowledge have facilitated encounters with other victims in national parks or wilderness areas?
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vehicle
Lead #2Jackson frequently changed vehicles and used temporary tags and altered license plates; were similar vehicles or suspicious tag patterns reported in connection with other unsolved disappearances during his free periods?
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timeline
Lead #3Jackson's incarceration periods are documented; which unsolved crimes in Virginia, Ohio, and surrounding states occurred during his known periods of freedom (1989-1994, 1994-2000, 2007-2012)?
Walter "Leo" Jackson Sr., a serial predator with a lengthy history of kidnapping, rape, and assault, was identified through DNA in 2018 as the killer of hikers Laura "Lollie" Winans and Julianne "Julie" Williams, murdered on May 24, 1996, in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. Jackson died in an Ohio prison in March 2018 while serving time for kidnapping-related charges, but the FBI believes he may be responsible for additional unsolved crimes committed during his periods of freedom. The case remains open as investigators work to identify other possible victims and connect Jackson to cold cases that occurred when he was not incarcerated.
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More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
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clue
Lead #4As a residential painter with regular access to homes and properties, did Jackson's work provide opportunities to identify and target additional victims?
Have information about any of these leads?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
The FBI's Richmond Field Office is seeking assistance to identify additional possible victims of Walter "Leo" Jackson, Sr., who died while serving a prison sentence in Ohio, in March 2018, for charges related to kidnapping. Jackson was recently identified through DNA as the person responsible for the murders of Laura “Lollie” Winans and Julianne “Julie” Williams on May 24, 1996, in the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.
The FBI will continue to work with law enforcement partners to determine if Jackson is responsible for other unsolved crimes. Jackson, who went by the name “Leo”, had a lengthy criminal history, including kidnapping, rapes, and assaults.
Jackson, a residential painter by trade, was also an avid hiker. At the time of Lollie and Julie’s murders, he may have been driving a 1984 Chestnut Brown AMC Eagle 30.
Jackson later drove a 1979 Ford Econoline 250 van. Jackson was known to use temporary tags, alter license plates, and frequently change vehicles.
The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections provided the following timeline of when Jackson was incarcerated. Jackson would be excluded as a possible suspect for any unsolved crimes that occurred during this time period.
January 1984 through February 1989 (Charged in Geauga County, Ohio) May 1994 through September 1994 (Charged in Cuyahoga County, Ohio) August 2000 through May 2007 (Charged in Cuyahoga County, Ohio) May 2012 until his death in March 2018 (Charged in Cuyahoga County, Ohio)
Timeline of Events
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1996-05-24
Murders of Winans and Williams
Laura "Lollie" Winans and Julianne "Julie" Williams were murdered in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia.
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2018-03
Jackson's Death and DNA Identification
Walter "Leo" Jackson Sr. died in an Ohio prison while serving a sentence for kidnapping-related charges. He was subsequently identified through DNA as the perpetrator of the 1996 murders.
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:May 24, 1996
Last Updated:June 7, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:May 24, 1996
Last Updated:June 7, 2026