Unsolved 'Orange Socks' Murder Case Continues to Baffle Detectives 46 Years On

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AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) In Williamson County, Texas, the oldest unresolved case involves a woman discovered deceased on Halloween in 1979.

Her remains were located in a ditch beside Interstate 35 near Georgetown, not far from Austin. Clad only in a pair of orange socks, the lack of identifying details led investigators to refer to her as “Orange Socks” for more than 40 years.

The young woman who became known as “Orange Socks” during her murder investigation. (Courtesy: Williamson County Sheriff’s Office)

Several years after the case began, notorious serial killer Henry Lee Lucas admitted to murdering “Orange Socks,” among hundreds of other supposed victims nationwide, only to later retract his confession.

In a significant development announced by Williamson County authorities in 2019, four decades after her body was found, the woman was identified as 23-year-old Debra Louise Jackson, also known by the name Debra Louise Larned, from Abilene. Her name was finally engraved on her grave marker.

(Courtesy: Williamson County Sheriff’s Office)

Still, the question of who strangled Jackson and left her on the side of the road lingers. This week on “Unsolved: Central Texas,” Avery Travis sits down with Williamson County Sheriff’s Office Det. Mark McKinney to dig into the case that’s haunted investigators for 46 years.

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