The ghosts of Shenandoah National Park are stirring again. Twenty-eight years after Laura “Lollie” Winans and Julianne “Julie” Williams vanished into the Virginia wilderness, the FBI finally has a name for their killer: Walter “Leo” Jackson Sr. But Jackson is dead, having served time in an Ohio prison until March 2018. That doesn’t close the case, it cracks it wider open. The Bureau is now combing through decades of unsolved disappearances and cold cases, wondering just how many other women fell prey to this predator.
Jackson, a man who moved like a shadow, a residential painter by trade and a hiker by obsession, wasn’t a phantom. He left a trail, a greasy residue of bad deeds. Kidnapping, rape, assault – the charges piled up over the years, punctuated by stretches behind bars in Ohio between 1984 and 2018. But the gaps in his incarceration are the ones that haunt investigators now. What was he doing during those free periods? Who else suffered at his hands? Witnesses remember him driving a faded chestnut brown AMC Eagle in ‘96, later switching to a ‘79 Ford Econoline van, always with suspect tags, always changing vehicles to stay one step ahead. A chameleon blending into the scenery.
The FBI isn’t offering a reward for Jackson’s capture – because he’s already beyond capture. They are asking for something far more difficult: memories. They want anyone who knew “Leo” Jackson, anyone who might have crossed paths with him in the mid-90s or earlier, to come forward. They need details, no matter how small, that could link him to other unsolved crimes. The Bureau is meticulously building a timeline of his movements, cross-referencing it with cold cases across multiple states. The man’s physical description remains frustratingly sparse in available records, but investigators believe even a seemingly insignificant recollection could be the key to unlocking more horrors.
This isn’t just about two women found murdered in a national park. It’s about the possibility of a serial predator operating for decades, leaving a trail of broken lives in his wake. The FBI is determined to map the full extent of his depravity, to bring closure to families who may not even know their loved ones were victims.
If you have any information regarding Walter “Leo” Jackson Sr. and his activities, no matter how insignificant it may seem, please contact the FBI’s Richmond Field Office at (804) 261-1044 or submit your tip online at tips.fbi.gov. The past has a way of resurfacing, and the silence of witnesses only empowers the ghosts.
🔠Key Facts
| Full Name | Walter “Leo” Jackson Sr. |
| Charges | Federal Charges |
| Aliases | None known |
| Date of Birth | Unknown |
| Race / Sex | Unknown / Unknown |
| Nationality | Unknown |
| Height | Unknown |
| Weight | Unknown |
| Eyes / Hair | Unknown / Unknown |
| Scars & Marks | None reported |
| Location | Virginia |
📋 Source: FBI Most Wanted — Walter “Leo” Jackson Sr.
If you have information about this fugitive, contact your local FBI field office or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov.
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