In the late summer of 1997, the city of Seattle, Washington, was unknowingly harboring a predator who preyed on the vulnerable. One of his victims was Denise Marie Harris, a 42-year-old woman. On September 12, 1997, her body was discovered by a transient man in a wooded, undeveloped area under the city's freeways known as "The Jungle," a place frequented by those living on the margins of society.
The scene was one of calculated brutality; she had been strangled to death with a belt, and her wrists and ankles were bound with shoelaces. Further violating her dignity, her attacker had removed some of her clothing and stuffed a brassiere into her mouth.
The investigation into the murder of Denise, who was of no relation to her killer, eventually led authorities to DeWayne Lee Harris. At the time, Harris was a 35-year-old with an extensive criminal record. The breakthrough in the case came in an unexpected manner. While in jail for an unrelated robbery charge in April 1998, DeWayne Harris himself contacted detectives, claiming to have information about the murders of Denise and two other women. His confession revealed a chilling pattern of violence against women who were often drug users and living a "street lifestyle," making their disappearances less likely to be noticed.
DeWayne Lee Harris, who would become known as "The Seattle Jungle Killer" and "The Seattle Shoelace Slasher," admitted to killing not only Denise Harris but also 33-year-old Antoinette Jones and 25-year-old Olivia Smith between 1997 and 1998. The murders bore his signature style of cruelty. Antoinette Jones was also strangled with a leather belt and bound with shoelaces, her skeletal remains found months later about a half-mile from where Denise's body was discovered. Olivia Smith was found stabbed multiple times with her throat slashed in a stairwell near Airport Way South.
During his trial, prosecutors painted a picture of DeWayne Lee Harris as a cunning and manipulative predator who confessed to his crimes out of a desire for recognition as a serial killer. His behavior in the courtroom was often erratic and unruly, to the point where he had to be strapped into a restraining chair. Despite a later attempt to recant parts of his confession, a jury found him guilty of three counts of first-degree murder. For the brutal deaths of Denise Marie Harris and his other victims, he was sentenced to 94 years in prison, bringing a close to his reign of terror over the Seattle area.
