Suzanne Camille Jacobs, a 31-year-old woman, was tragically murdered on May 4, 1979, in her home in Normal Heights, San Diego, California. She was found slain alongside her 3-year-old son, Colin Jacobs. The perpetrator of this heinous crime was identified as David Allen Lucas, a serial killer who terrorized San Diego County between 1979 and 1984. Lucas was known for his brutal method of killing—slashing the throats of his victims.
On the morning of May 4, 1979, Suzanne’s husband,
Michael Jacobs, left for work at approximately 6:00 AM. A neighbor, Margaret Harris, later reported seeing a dark maroon-colored sports car with a black top pull up to the Jacobs' residence between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. Around 11:00 AM, Harris attempted to call Suzanne to invite her for a bicycle ride, but her call went unanswered. Investigators later determined that Lucas had entered the home and carried out the murders during this time frame.
David Allen Lucas was eventually apprehended in December 1984 after a prolonged investigation. His trial became one of the most extensive in San Diego’s history. He was convicted on June 21, 1989, for the murders of Suzanne Jacobs and her son Colin, as well as the 1984 murder of University of San Diego student Anne Catherine Swanke. Additionally, Lucas was found guilty of the June 1984 kidnapping and attempted murder of Jodie Santiago Robertson, a Seattle resident who was abducted while walking home from a La Mesa nightclub. All of Lucas’s victims had their throats slashed, a gruesome signature of his crimes.
Lucas was sentenced to death for his crimes and remains on death row at San Quentin State Prison in California. His case, often referred to as "The Throat-Slash Murders," remains one of the most notorious serial killings in San Diego history. The brutal nature of his crimes and the tragic loss of Suzanne Jacobs and her young son continue to be remembered as a dark chapter in the city’s history.
