On May 4, 1986, 20-year-old Gena Lee Turner, a young woman from Hawkins, Texas, was tragically murdered. Turner, along with 19-year-old Bryan Boone and 18-year-old Suzanne Harrison, had gone on a day trip to Lake Hawkins, north of Tyler, Texas. Their outing took a horrific turn when they encountered Jerry Walter McFadden, a serial rapist and murderer who called himself "The Animal".
McFadden kidnapped Turner, Boone, and Harrison, subjecting them to brutal violence.
He raped and strangled Harrison, dumping her body in a park about 25 miles from Lake Hawkins. Turner and Boone were found three days later, both having been shot execution-style with a .38-caliber pistol. The ammunition found in McFadden's possession matched the bullets used in their killings.
Following the murders, McFadden was quickly identified as a suspect. Witnesses had seen him near the crime scene, and he was found with ammunition matching that used in the killings. McFadden was arrested on May 6, 1986, after a police report from a couple he had attacked by the lake on the day of the murders. However, before his trial, McFadden managed to escape from jail, leading to the largest manhunt in Texas history. He took a female prison officer hostage and remained on the run for three days before being recaptured.
In August 1986, McFadden was sentenced to life imprisonment for his escape. In July 1987, he was sentenced to death for the murders of Turner, Boone, and Harrison. The Texas Appeals Court affirmed the conviction and sentence in November 1993. McFadden was executed by lethal injection on October 14, 1999.
The case of Gena Lee Turner is a tragic reminder of the devastating impact of violent crime. Turner's death, along with those of Boone and Harrison, led to significant legal proceedings and a massive manhunt, ultimately resulting in the execution of Jerry Walter McFadden.
