What happened to Lesia Jackson? Investigators solve 1979 Texas cold case 43 years later

On September 7, 1979, a 12-year-old Texan girl named Lesia Jackson was kidnapped and killed by an unknown assailant. Police have searched for the attacker for four decades but came up short. In a surprising turn of events, 43 years on, Lesia Jackson's killer has been found.

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said they used a new advanced DNA investigation to identify Jackson's murderer - Gerald Casey. He was executed in 1989 for an unrelated murder case.

Authorities determined this to be the oldest cold case they have solved. The new forensic technology used is called "M-Vac."

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Who was Lesia Jackson?

Lesia was a 12-year-old Conroe, Texas resident and a Washington Junior High student. On September 7, 1979, she went swimming at Lake Wildwood with her older brothers. While returning home, she was left behind. This was the last time Jackson was seen alive.

Her body was recovered a week later. An oilfield worker found it in a heavily wooded area. She was assaulted and murdered, authorities said.

Jackson's murder was one of the most well-known unsolved murders in Montgomery County, until now.

The investigation into her death lasted several years but failed to pinpoint the culprit. New technology helped Montgomery Police identify the killer. An unknown DNA sample was separated and extracted from Lesia's samples and uploaded to the DNA Index System managed by the FBI.

It matched Gerald Dewight Casey, who lived in the Houston suburb of Conroe at the time of the murder.

The Sheriff's Office said:

"A search for Casey revealed he was deceased, executed by lethal injection on April 18, 2002 for a Capital Murder committed in Montgomery County in 1989."

They continued:

"Additionally, on July 8, 2022, a blood sample from Casey obtained in 1989 was an exact DNA match for the evidence found by M-Vac and confirmed Casey as Lesia’s murderer."

The police department reiterated its commitment to solving crimes, regardless of how long it takes. The department said:

“The tenacity and diligence in solving this case by a dedicated team is a reminder to our public and to those who commit crimes in our communities that we will never cease our efforts to solve the hardest of cases and bring closure to traumatized families.”

Lesia Jackson's family forgave the killer a few years ago, considering it to be the only way to move on from the horrid memories.