Who abducted and killed Jean? In the fall of 1982, a 35-year-old Caucasian woman named Jean Simmons Abla, who had moved to San Jon, New Mexico, to be closer to her family, vanished. The last time anyone saw her was on October 6, 1982, at a local bar. The following day, her car was discovered with her keys and wallet still inside, the vehicle in good working order, which immediately raised alarms.
Her family, knowing her deep love for them and her dog, never believed she would have simply walked away from her life.
For months, there was no sign of Jean. Then, on May 3, 1983, a group of teenagers hunting for rabbits north of San Jon made a grim discovery. In a burrow pit left over from the construction of Interstate 40, they found a human skull that showed signs of trauma. The authorities were called, and a search of the area uncovered more skeletal remains and a bloody dress. Through dental records and DNA, the remains were later identified as those of Jean Simmons Abla. The cause of her death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head.
The investigation into Jean's murder took a startling turn when notorious serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, known as "The Confession Killer," claimed responsibility. Lucas provided chillingly accurate details, including mentioning a C-section scar that Jean had. At one point, an anonymous caller had also reported seeing a woman who matched Jean's description being abducted at gunpoint and forced into a vehicle, a tip that seemed to bolster Lucas's confession. For a time, it seemed as though the case was solved.
However, doubts about Lucas's confession began to surface. He was known for falsely confessing to hundreds of murders, often derailing investigations with his lies. Jean's daughter, Samantha Thompson, never believed Lucas was responsible for her mother's death. As Lucas's unreliability became more widely known, and he eventually recanted his confession, the certainty of his involvement evaporated. Some investigators, however, remained convinced of his guilt, pointing to the specific details he knew. The case officially remains unsolved, leaving a lingering question of who was truly responsible for the death of Jean Simmons Abla. Her daughter continues to advocate for the case to be actively investigated, holding out hope for justice.
