Donna Sue Jester, a 37-year-old woman from Lancaster, Texas, was tragically murdered on September 27, 1986. She lived with her adoptive mother, 64-year-old Dalpha Jester, and a lodger, Laura Lee Owens. The three women were brutally attacked and killed in their home by David Martin Long, a man whom Donna had invited to stay in exchange for household repairs.
Long had been hitchhiking when Donna encountered him on September 19, 1986.
She generously offered him shelter, unaware of the danger he posed. On the night of the murders, Long used a hatchet to kill Donna first, then turned on Dalpha Jester, who was bedridden and relied on Donna for daily care. Laura Owens was murdered when she returned home from work. The crime scene was gruesome, with blood splattered throughout the house. The hatchet was later found washed and wrapped in a towel in the bathroom sink.
Authorities discovered Donna’s diary, which detailed her meeting with Long and provided a crucial lead in the investigation. Long was arrested for drunken driving in Buffalo on the same day the murders occurred, where he allegedly confessed to killing the three women. However, since the bodies had not yet been discovered, police did not believe his confession and released him. Once the murders were uncovered, law enforcement launched a manhunt for Long, eventually apprehending him on October 24, 1986.
Long was convicted of capital murder in 1987 and sentenced to death. During his trial, he admitted to the killings and even requested the death penalty, stating that he feared he would kill again. He was executed by lethal injection on December 8, 1999. While in custody, Long also confessed to two additional murders: the fatal beating of a gas station attendant in California in 1978 and an arson attack in Texas in 1983 that killed his former boss. However, he was only formally charged for the triple homicide in Lancaster.
The case of Donna Sue Jester and the two other victims remains a chilling example of how an act of kindness can tragically lead to unforeseen consequences. Her generosity in offering shelter to a stranger ultimately led to her untimely death, along with those of her mother and lodger.
