Dallas police have made a significant breakthrough in a murder case that remained unsolved for over four decades.
On January 16, officers arrested 83-year-old Willie Jones on a parole violation. While in custody, a DNA sample was taken, linking Jones to the 1981 killing of Virginia White.
The arrest has brought a long-awaited development to a case that haunted White’s family and baffled investigators for years.
White, 81, was found murdered in her home on December 15, 1981, in the 4100 block of Furey Street.
Her daughter, Evelyn Weathersby, discovered the tragic scene after becoming worried when White failed to answer her phone. When she arrived at the house, she found the front door ajar and the screen door unlatched. Initially, nothing seemed amiss inside the home, leading police to believe White had died of natural causes. However, a medical examiner later determined that White had been strangled and sexually assaulted, ruling her death a homicide.
The initial investigation faced challenges as the crime scene had been inadvertently disturbed by White’s family. Relatives, searching for missing money and personal items, had moved bedding and searched drawers, complicating evidence collection.
A missing wallet and $250 were reported, but no significant leads emerged. Investigators could not identify a suspect at the time, and the case eventually went cold.
In May 2024, Dallas Homicide Detectives Andrea Isom and David Grubbs revisited the case as part of a broader effort to solve cold cases using modern technology. Advances in DNA testing enabled the reexamination of evidence that had been preserved but remained untested for decades.
The arrest of Jones brings a bittersweet sense of closure to White’s family, who have waited decades for justice. The family endured years of uncertainty and heartbreak as the case remained unsolved. Speaking about the development, White’s daughter expressed relief that advancements in technology and persistent efforts by law enforcement have finally shed light on what happened to her mother.