TexasCHLforum.com

d20 yo woman in Portland was raped and murdered in 1979 but assailant was not found until just recently.

Detectives using DNA from the crime uses "forensic" genealogy to track down a Texas criminal who had previously been convicted of four rapes and a murder, and was certainly guilty but not tried for another rape and two more murders.

Texas executed him in 1999, unfortunately not soon enough for the girl from Portland, and I suspect others as well.

Jerry Walter "Animal" McFadden, with previous lesser convictions, was convicted of two counts of rape in 1973 and sentenced to 15 years (I believe 15 years on each count, to run concurrently, but might be wrong about that). Unfortunately Texas was on a kick to reduce prison population and paroled him after only five years.

Eight months after release he was in Portland and raped and killed the 20 year old without being caught.

In 1979 he was back in Texas and convicted of aggravated sexual abuse for raping an 18 yo secretary at knife point. Sentenced to 10 years, I think, but again (!) paroled in 1985.

In May 1986 he kidnapped a trio of young people. one man and two women, ages 18-20, near Lake Hawkins TX. He raped one of the girls, strangled her to death, and dumped her body. He took the other two some miles away and shot both of them to death and dumped their bodies. Some reports say he raped the second girl as well.

He was taken into custody for the murders in early July, but managed to overpower/knockout a male jailer and take a female jailer/dispatcher hostage and escape. A huge manhunt ensued which eventually gave the female jailer a chance to escape relatively unharmed and led to the capture of McFadden. The whole ordeal shook up the town quite a bit.

He was tried and convicted of the murder of the first of the trio, and sentenced to death. His appeals failed and he was executed in 1999. His DNA was not entered into any database.

The detectives in Portland tracked him down using a genealogical DNA database, and although he was executed, they would still like to talk to anyone who remembers him from his time in Portland. I'm sure they are wondering if he is responsible for more rapes/murders in the Portland area. I wonder the same thing about in Texas.

https://www.cbs19.tv/article/news/polic ... 612ada4341

1979 was 40 years ago.

DNA has definitely made it harder for criminals to get away with stuff. It is sad that the criminal you speak of kept getting out early. Seems keeping that piece of garbage in jeil for his sentences would have saved a life or two.

bubba84 wrote: Thu Jan 30, 2020 6:49 pm 1979 was 40 years ago.

D’oh!

I well remember McFadden around here in Angelina County. I think I remember one of his rape/murders was here. That is by my poor memory 30 yrs ago. I do well remember everyone in this area was glad to see him take his last ride.