Victim: Alicia Showalter Reynolds and the Route 29 Stalker, 2 March 1996

[jaejae]

Where is the proof of these DNA hits? Where are you getting this information?

Thanks for the interest. I know it is a bit of a chicken and end situation. I am not part of any official investigation so do not hold DNA evidence. I am an amateur sleuth really and when I identified Jackson as a Serial Killer I was not even really that just someone with an obsession and too much time on their hands. I know more about the cases than many amateur sleuths for reasons I will not go into but the bottom line is I just know he is a Serial Killer who travelled from coast to coast in the US so travelling from one part of Virginia to another was no big deal. Thanks

 

[jaejae]

Good work with that Welch composite sketch because I thought it looked a little bit like my suspect Jackson but of course it was not. Interesting to read posts and theories in the case but of course I only have one suspect. Here is a link to the Spingola Files from April 2010 when people in Virginia thought Jackson might be linked to more crimes there including the Route 29 Stalker case. I have also seen comments below articles where people thought he resembled the Route 29 Stalker Sketch:

» 2010 » April

I just want to post part of the Spingola Files and I do not Steve will mind as he has put a lot of effort into solving crimes In Virginia. It gives some more information about Jackson and how he was a suspect in the Route 29 Stalker case at the time of his arrest:

Shooting Suspect Invokes His Penile Rights
A search warrant filed in a Virginia court confirms that purported Blue Ridge shooting suspect, Ralph Leon Jackson, made statements against his penal interests about his penile interests.

During a search warrant executed at Jackson’s Howardsville Turnpike home, investigators discovered two plastic containers with the words “male enhancement” written on them. A detective later spoke to Jackson, who said that the substances made him “foggy.”

In an earlier column, I discussed the significance of the Blue Ridge Parkway incident:

» A Break in the Case?

Reading between the lines, however, the substances marked “male enhancement” are not, in all likelihood, physician prescribed, which means they could be anything Jackson believed would enhance “male” behavior, such as ecstasy or other mood altering medications.

Reports claim that Jackson suffers from advanced prostate cancer and is under going chemotherapy. In many instances, prostrate cancer spreads to the bones, creating a particularly excruciating condition. Severe pain sometimes leads the afflicted to self-medicate with non-prescribed drugs. As such, it will be interesting to hear the toxicology results.

Moreover, media reports indicate that police have filed the paperwork needed to retrieve Jackson’s DNA. Typically, unless a preliminary test is fast tracked, two to nine months are needed to compare samples with CODUS, a national DNA databank maintained by the FBI.

On another note, readers of this site are keenly aware of my interest in these Virginia cases. A possibility exists that one suspect — whether it is the Colonial Parkway murders, the Route 29 stalker case, the Shenandoah National Park slayings, or the Morgan Harrington homicide — may have had a hand in these other incidents.

Over the course of the last month, I have communicated with family members of the Colonial Parkway victims. In the near future, the Spingola Files will travel to Virginia to highlight these troubling cases. By raising the profile of these unsolved offenses, it is possible that persons with knowledge of these crimes will come forward and shed some light on the identifies of these nefarious killers.

—————————————————————————–

Steven Spingola is a former Milwaukee Police Department homicide detective and the author of The Killer in Our Midst: the Case of Milwaukee’s North Side Strangler.

Copyright, Steven Spingola, Wales, WI, 2010


May 2, 2010 | Categories: Homicide | Tags: Colonial Parkway murders, Morgan Harrington, Ralph Leon Jackson, Route 29 stalker | 1 Comment »

» 2010 » May

 

[VAGenealogist]

Reports claim that Jackson suffers from advanced prostate cancer and is under going chemotherapy. In many instances, prostrate cancer spreads to the bones, creating a particularly excruciating condition. Severe pain sometimes leads the afflicted to self-medicate with non-prescribed drugs. As such, it will be interesting to hear the toxicology results.

Moreover, media reports indicate that police have filed the paperwork needed to retrieve Jackson’s DNA. Typically, unless a preliminary test is fast tracked, two to nine months are needed to compare samples with CODUS, a national DNA databank maintained by the FBI.

On another note, readers of this site are keenly aware of my interest in these Virginia cases. A possibility exists that one suspect — whether it is the Colonial Parkway murders, the Route 29 stalker case, the Shenandoah National Park slayings, or the Morgan Harrington homicide — may have had a hand in these other incidents.

May 2, 2010 | Categories: Homicide | Tags: Colonial Parkway murders, Morgan Harrington, Ralph Leon Jackson, Route 29 stalker | 1 Comment »

» 2010 » May

I cut down the quote to the parts I wanted to comment on. I do know who Steve Spingola is - he appears with Kelly Seigler on the show Cold Justice, think he's a great detective. As he points out, RLJ may very well have been under the influence of street drugs when he did this, and even if not, having advanced cancer and undergoing chemotherapy can alter a person's mental state. People who knew RLJ said said they were completely shocked that he did this and he had no history of violence.

'Family man': Parkway shooting suspect's family, boss express shock

Second, since this article was written in 2010, I have no doubt RLJ's DNA has long ago been entered in CODUS. I would think if he matched Colonial Parkway or Alicia Reynolds, the FBI would be telling the entire world for the publicity of how they solved these cases.

Third, 2 of the 4 cases he lists have been proven not to be the same subject. Since he wrote this article, the Shenandoah Park murders yielded DNA from not one but two unknown male subjects, and we all know Harrington was Jessie Matthew.

 

[VAGenealogist]

jaejae, please understand I am not attacking you or your opinions. I live in the Route 29 corridor - I had moved to another state during the time of the Route 29 stalker, but I moved back in 2001 and have lived through all the cases since then. Being constantly vigilant and paranoid for the safety of myself and my daughter wondering where the next disappearance would happen. At some point this year I will be moving smack into the middle of the Route 29 stalker cases. I have personally spoken to the lead investigator on the Alicia Reynolds case and I have no doubt that if there was DNA or fingerprints connecting any of the usual suspects to her case, he would not be hiding the truth.

 

[jaejae]

jaejae, please understand I am not attacking you or your opinions. I live in the Route 29 corridor - I had moved to another state during the time of the Route 29 stalker, but I moved back in 2001 and have lived through all the cases since then. Being constantly vigilant and paranoid for the safety of myself and my daughter wondering where the next disappearance would happen. At some point this year I will be moving smack into the middle of the Route 29 stalker cases. I have personally spoken to the lead investigator on the Alicia Reynolds case and I have no doubt that if there was DNA or fingerprints connecting any of the usual suspects to her case, he would not be hiding the truth.

Thanks for your post I never thought you were attacking me and find your posts interesting. I am sorry if I come over a bit passionate about my suspect. Sorry to hear about your frightening experience in the Route 29 Stalker area. I am a foreigner and live miles away but sorry I have to say it again that I am pretty certain that Ralph Jackson was the Route 29 Stalker but people have a right to other suspects and they might be right and I am sorry is I come over as a little enthusiastic. Sorry I have to say this again I do not believe Virginia State Police are in charge of Ralph Jackson's cases it is the FBI alone and if he has so far not been identified in his cases it is the responsibility of the FBI and not Virginia State Police's fault or responsibility. Thanks for the interest and I enjoy reading your posts. Keep up good work along with others here and the Route 29 Stalker might be identified.

 

[jaejae]

I cut down the quote to the parts I wanted to comment on. I do know who Steve Spingola is - he appears with Kelly Seigler on the show Cold Justice, think he's a great detective. As he points out, RLJ may very well have been under the influence of street drugs when he did this, and even if not, having advanced cancer and undergoing chemotherapy can alter a person's mental state. People who knew RLJ said said they were completely shocked that he did this and he had no history of violence.

'Family man': Parkway shooting suspect's family, boss express shock

Second, since this article was written in 2010, I have no doubt RLJ's DNA has long ago been entered in CODUS. I would think if he matched Colonial Parkway or Alicia Reynolds, the FBI would be telling the entire world for the publicity of how they solved these cases.

Third, 2 of the 4 cases he lists have been proven not to be the same subject. Since he wrote this article, the Shenandoah Park murders yielded DNA from not one but two unknown male subjects, and we all know Harrington was Jessie Matthew.

Good post. I will just make a couple of points about Jackson. I believe that family man thing was a ruse and he soon snapped at a judge. I believe his wife and family had little to do with him in reality and had no idea who he really was. You might be right but I believe Jackson is responsible for many more crimes apart from the Route 29 Stalker crime and the FBI as an institution do not want to admit he exists because of the scale of his crimes. They might want to solve the Unabomber case but not this one. Thanks for your thoughts and interesting posts and keep going with other suspects and Jackson is mine. What I would say to me it is dangerous how long the FBI have left it to identify Jackson because people might rightly say 2010 was years ago but I would say he started committing crimes at around eighteen years old so got away with them for a long time.

 

[jaejae]

I just want to post part of the Spingola Files and I do not Steve will mind as he has put a lot of effort into solving crimes In Virginia. It gives some more information about Jackson and how he was a suspect in the Route 29 Stalker case at the time of his arrest:

Shooting Suspect Invokes His Penile Rights
A search warrant filed in a Virginia court confirms that purported Blue Ridge shooting suspect, Ralph Leon Jackson, made statements against his penal interests about his penile interests.

During a search warrant executed at Jackson’s Howardsville Turnpike home, investigators discovered two plastic containers with the words “male enhancement” written on them. A detective later spoke to Jackson, who said that the substances made him “foggy.”

In an earlier column, I discussed the significance of the Blue Ridge Parkway incident:

» A Break in the Case?

Reading between the lines, however, the substances marked “male enhancement” are not, in all likelihood, physician prescribed, which means they could be anything Jackson believed would enhance “male” behavior, such as ecstasy or other mood altering medications.

Reports claim that Jackson suffers from advanced prostate cancer and is under going chemotherapy. In many instances, prostrate cancer spreads to the bones, creating a particularly excruciating condition. Severe pain sometimes leads the afflicted to self-medicate with non-prescribed drugs. As such, it will be interesting to hear the toxicology results.

Moreover, media reports indicate that police have filed the paperwork needed to retrieve Jackson’s DNA. Typically, unless a preliminary test is fast tracked, two to nine months are needed to compare samples with CODUS, a national DNA databank maintained by the FBI.

On another note, readers of this site are keenly aware of my interest in these Virginia cases. A possibility exists that one suspect — whether it is the Colonial Parkway murders, the Route 29 stalker case, the Shenandoah National Park slayings, or the Morgan Harrington homicide — may have had a hand in these other incidents.

Over the course of the last month, I have communicated with family members of the Colonial Parkway victims. In the near future, the Spingola Files will travel to Virginia to highlight these troubling cases. By raising the profile of these unsolved offenses, it is possible that persons with knowledge of these crimes will come forward and shed some light on the identifies of these nefarious killers.

—————————————————————————–

Steven Spingola is a former Milwaukee Police Department homicide detective and the author of The Killer in Our Midst: the Case of Milwaukee’s North Side Strangler.

Copyright, Steven Spingola, Wales, WI, 2010


May 2, 2010 | Categories: Homicide | Tags: Colonial Parkway murders, Morgan Harrington, Ralph Leon Jackson, Route 29 stalker | 1 Comment »

» 2010 » May

I know people might think here he goes again but I just want to make a couple more points about my suspect in this case Ralph Leon Jackson. Today marks the ninth anniversary of his arrest and I believe he is a Serial Killer and in my opinion by far the most prolific in US history. Here is an article about his arrest and the comments below are very interesting one of which is:

Pepper April 8th, 2010 | 11:43pm
Bill Thomas, I am so sorry for your loss. I hope that something is done to bring closure for your family and the other families. I hope that you know soon what happened to your sister and the others. I moved to VA 3 1/2 yrs ago and I had never heard about the Parkway Murders. I saw a show about the murders on ID last summer. I have researched and read quite abit about these cases. It sounds to me like LE really screwed up starting with the first case. Ralph Leon Jackson, who was arrested for the attempted murders this past Monday looks like the sketch of the Rt 29 stalker. I hope that police look into this guy thoroughly. I wonder what kind of car he drove in the past. Being a mechanic, he would have access to lots of different vehicles.

Ralph Leon Jackson arrested in Parkway shooting

 

[jaejae]

I think this might be a new Podcast about this case:

Why So Cold? - TopPodcast.com

Missing persons cases along U.S. Route 29 in Virginia - Wikipedia

 

[Mountain Mama]

Read this today, apparently there are now four cases of "road rage" in Richmond that sound like something the 29 stalker would be capable of. Sounds like it happens so fast a person would be in shock.

Three victims targeted by same man while driving: ‘He came up to my car and started to scream’

"His car is really what kind of struck my eye,” Brittany said after seeing various CBS 6 reports and social media posts.

Brittany and her then nine-week-old newborn were returning home after visiting a friend near Winterpock, when she saw a man driving a dark-colored SUV zoom close to her rear bumper near Hancock Village on Hull Street Road.

Eventually, the driver zoomed around her, brake checked her, and at a red light, exited his vehicle, approaching her passenger side door, Brittany said."

It was also stated in the video that he flicked her off as his first gesture, then did the whole break check thing he does.

They show blurry photos of the man and a video of him! Please take a look at this sleuthers:
Mom with newborn is the fourth victim in Chesterfield road rage incidents

 

[deepdiver]

I used to live in the Route 29 area also (Spotsylvania) and travelled 29 all the time for work. Got on this forum to look further at the Lisk/Silva killer, Evonitz. I lived very close to him (did not realize it), and remember how scared the community was during this time.

 

[deepdiver]

The last second article here states the LLW Jr. said he disposed of the Lyon sisters bodies in Bedford County, VA. Rt. 29 runs along and through Bedford County , between Charlottesville and Lynchburg.

Observation, LLW Jr. victims also seem to be young girls.

Speaking of the first sketch... Does anyone else think the first sketch looks at all like LLW Jr.? He abducted and killed the Lyon sisters in 1976, eventually transporting them from Maryland to Virginia. He lived in Prince William County, VA in 1996. He was convicted of assaulting two girls there in 1996. Would be interesting to know what all he was up to in the 40 years between abducting the Lyon sisters in 1975 and 2016 when he plead guilty for killing the Lyon sisters.

There is a photo of a very young (18 yr old)LLW Jr. if you scroll down a bit in this link: Lyon sisters case: Man pleads guilty to 1975 murders of 2 Maryland girls

The route 29 stalker sketches were drawn when LLW Jr. was approx. 38 yrs old. The sketch, to me shows a receding hairline starting.

This article explains a bit about the various states that he committed crimes in and a bit about his timeline.
It wasn't just the Lyon sisters he harmed: Lloyd Welch pleads guilty in two child sex assaults

 

[jaejae]

In my opinion the old Unsolved Mysteries reconstructions give you a good idea of the offender in cases because they were contemporary reconstructions as on Crimewatch:

 

[jaejae]

In my opinion the old Unsolved Mysteries reconstructions give you a good idea of the offender in cases because they were contemporary reconstructions as on Crimewatch:

Of course the Route 29 Stalker used the alias Larry Breeden and here is an interesting contemporaneous article about Larry Breeden's:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...8cd-a3a1-1ef188dcbd2e/?utm_term=.16e371c25cfc

 

[jaejae]

This is a very cold case so I will give it another bump. To me it was a very sloppy crime with the offender going about shouting he was a mechanic and in plain sight and I am surprised he was not caught at the time but these cases seem difficult to solve. My theory is he was local man. Here is a page which mentions the case:

Why So Cold? - ThePoliceReporter.com

 

[VAGenealogist]

The last second article here states the LLW Jr. said he disposed of the Lyon sisters bodies in Bedford County, VA. Rt. 29 runs along and through Bedford County , between Charlottesville and Lynchburg.

Observation, LLW Jr. victims also seem to be young girls.

Route 29 does not run through Bedford County, which is not between Lynchburg and Charlottesville. It runs from Lynchburg through Amherst Co, Nelson Co, Albemarle Co, then Charlottesville.

 

[VAGenealogist]

This is a very cold case so I will give it another bump. To me it was a very sloppy crime with the offender going about shouting he was a mechanic and in plain sight and I am surprised he was not caught at the time but these cases seem difficult to solve. My theory is he was local man. Here is a page which mentions the case:

Why So Cold? - ThePoliceReporter.com

I listened to the Route 29 Stalker podcast series they did. Learned some things I didn’t know. Route 29 Stalker — WATTS CREATIVE STUDIOS

 

[Mountain Mama]

I listened to the Route 29 Stalker podcast series they did. Learned some things I didn’t know. Route 29 Stalker — WATTS CREATIVE STUDIOS

Yes, this is a long podcast and full of never-before released info it seems to me.

 

[NOVAhistoryDetective]

It sounds like the Tammy Thorpe case was personal. Her mother said she'd been quiet for a few weeks, the FBI thinks she knew her killer.

Unsolved Murder in Fauquier County (Virginia) | What Lies Beyond

I think Charlotte Powell's case was too far away geographically.

I agree Tammy Thorpe's sounded personal, but I don't think Charlotte Powell's too far away geographically. If you drive in the early morning or late at night, it's an easy drive; albeit dark. Just through data mining, I have a hunch that the Rt. 29 Stalker stalked Rt. 15 to/from Maryland just as much. Similar stretch of road, less congested, less traffic.

 

[SCaJ]

I've been all through this thread and the others and I've not yet seen anyone do this type of comparison but forgive me if I missed it. If you take the 3 main suspects and compare them to the original sketches posted to the newspapers, you can't help but see the resemblance between Darrell David Rice and the first sketch. There's also some resemblance between RAT and the 3rd sketch.

 

[Hoopsticks]

Just finished the new book Trailed today, about the Williams/Winans murder in Shenandoah. However, the book also spends a great deal of time talking about the Route 29 Stalker. I'd recommend it to anyone here, the author goes into a good bit of detail about this case particularly. On the topic of suspects, Rice is mentioned quite a bit. The author was granted access to court filings and discovery material in the Shenandoah case, and offender DNA and fingerprints at the scene did not match Rice. However, after he committed suicide, lab tests could not exclude Evonitz.

There's some definite dissimilarities, for sure. However, there are *very* few photographs of Evonitz out there. Here's one I only recently came across. Lose the mustache, and I can see a better resemblance.