Gerald "Jerry" Walter McFadden (March 21, 1948 – October 14, 1999), known as The Animal, was an American serial killer and sex offender who was convicted of the May 1986 murders of two women and one man in Smith County, Texas. He fled from jail shortly after his arrest, leading to the biggest manhunt in Texas history, with it coming to an end in July. He was later sentenced to death and executed in 1999.[6] Years after his execution, he was found to have perpetrated an earlier 1979 murder in Oregon through DNA evidence, and authorities have since speculated he could have committed other killings.[4]
Jerry Walter McFadden | |
|---|---|
 Mugshot | |
| Born | Gerald Walter McFadden March 21, 1948[3][4] Haskell County, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | October 14, 1999 (aged 51) Huntsville Unit, Huntsville, Texas, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Execution by lethal injection |
| Other names | "The Animal"[2] |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Children | 2[5] |
| Conviction(s) | Capital murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | 4 confirmed and known[1] |
Span of crimes | 1973–1986 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Oregon, Texas |
Biography
editGerald Walter McFadden was born on March 21, 1948, in Haskell County, Texas.
Criminal life
editOn May 4, 1986, McFadden kidnapped 20-year-old Gena Turner, 19-year-old Bryan Boone, and 18-year-old Suzanne Harrison as they took a trip to Lake Hawkins north of Tyler, Texas. McFadden raped and strangled Harrison and dumped her body in a park about 25 miles (40 km) from Lake Hawkins. She was found the next day. He was arrested on May 6, after a police report from a couple he had attacked by the lake on the day of the murder. Three days later, the bodies of Boone and Turner were discovered, with gunshot wounds being the cause of death.
McFadden had been convicted of rape three times between 1972 and 1978, but never had to serve his full sentence. He was released on parole in July 1985.[2] There were several witnesses who had seen McFadden close to the scene of the crime on the day of the killings. Ammunition found in his possession was identified as the same ammunition used in the killings of Boone and Turner. DNA evidence was collected from the bodies at this time.
On July 9, 1986, he overcame Kenneth Mayfield, a jailer, and escaped from the jail in Upshur County with Rosalie Williams, another guard, as a hostage.[7] He was arrested two days later after the biggest fugitive hunt in Texas state history. In August 1986, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the escape.
In July 1987, McFadden was sentenced to death for the murder of 18-year-old Suzanne Harrison, 20-year-old Gena Turner and 19-year-old Bryan Boone.[5][7] The Texas Appeals Court affirmed the conviction and sentence in November 1993.[8] In October 1999, he was executed in the Huntsville Unit by lethal injection.[7]
In January 2019, McFadden was linked by DNA via GEDmatch to the July 24, 1979 murder of Anna Marie Hlavka; Anna was found dead by her sister inside her apartment. Police said Hlavka had been sexually assaulted and strangled with the electric cord from her clock radio.[3]
Timeline of crimes
edit- Sentenced to 15 years in prison in 1973 for two counts of rape. Paroled in December 1978.[4]
- Committed the July 24, 1979, murder of Anna Marie Hlavka in Portland, Oregon. McFadden was not identified as the killer until January 2019 using genetic genealogy.[3][4]
- Convicted in 1979 of aggravated sexual assault for kidnapping and raping an 18-year-old woman at knifepoint.[4] Paroled in July 1985, having served less than five years of a 15-year sentence.[5]
- Arrested in May 1986 for the rape and murder of 18-year-old high school cheerleader Suzanne Harrison and the murder of 20-year-old Gena Turner and 19-year old Bryan Boone who were shot.
See also
editFurther reading
edit- "1979 cold case solved: DNA evidence links executed killer to Portland woman's murder". KPTV. Meredith Corporation. 31 January 2019. Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
- "Woman's 1979 murder solved using DNA evidence, Portland police say". KGW. Tegna Inc. 31 January 2019. Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
References
edit- ^ Redden, Jim (5 February 2019). "City Hall Update: DNA ties executed killer to 1979 murder of Portland woman". Portland Tribune. Pamplin Media Group. OCLC 46708462. Archived from the original on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
Portland police solved a 40-year-old murder case by matching DNA found at the crime scene with data in a public genealogy site. On Jan. 31, police announced that Jerry Walter McFadden of Texas had killed Anna Marie Hlavka in Portland on Jan. 24, 1979. McFadden was executed in Texas in October 1999 for the murders of three other women.
- ^ a b Locke, Michelle (12 July 1986). "URGENT Convict Known As 'Animal' Captured Without A Shot Fired". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
BIG SANDY, Texas (AP) - Law officers using dogs, helicopters and horses captured the barefoot, tattooed rapist known as "Animal" without firing a shot Friday night, two days after he took a sheriff's deputy hostage and broke out of jail. Collin County sheriff's deputies found Jerry Walter McFadden, dirty and covered with scratches, hiding out in the bathroom of a vacant house not far from where his hostage got away from him on Wednesday.
- ^ a b c Hatmaker, Taylor (31 January 2019). "A popular genealogy website just helped solve a serial killer cold case in Oregon". TechCrunch. Verizon Media. Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
The forensic genealogist was able to map three of the four familial lines of the killer and identified the killer as Jerry Walter McFadden, born March 21, 1948. McFadden was a convicted murderer and was executed by the State of Texas in October 1999. Due to McFadden's execution date, his DNA profile was never entered into the FBI CODIS database for comparison.
- ^ a b c d e "Cold Case Homicide Detail Solves 40-year-old Case". portlandoregon.gov. Portland Police Bureau. 31 January 2019. Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
Detectives in the Cold Case Homicide Detail have identified the person responsible for the murder of 20-year-old Anna Marie Hlavka, who was found deceased on July 24, 1979, in her apartment, located at 1811 NW Couch Street.
- ^ a b c Hilburn-Simmons, Jacque (28 April 2016). "A Town In Terror: How Jerry McFadden's 1986 crime spree stole the lives of Hawkins' best, brightest". Tyler Morning Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 June 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
- ^ "Death Row Information". Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
- ^ a b c Williams, Phillip (29 March 2015). "Jerry (Animal) McFadden's escape to be featured on Investigation Discovery Channel". The Gilmer Mirror. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
- ^ "Execution Report: Jerry McFadden". txexecutions.org. Texas Execution Information Center. 25 November 2002. p. 2. Archived from the original on 27 December 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
A jury convicted Jerry McFadden in July 1987 of the capital murder of Suzanne Harrison and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in November 1993. All of his subsequent appeals in state and federal court were denied.
