In the summer of 1978, Jeanette Margene Davis Judge, a 24-year-old White/Caucasian woman, was embarking on a new chapter of her life. Just four days into her marriage with James Judge, the newlyweds were honeymooning near the scenic town of Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Their idyllic escape, however, took a tragic and violent turn on August 9th. The couple was abducted by a fugitive who had broken out of an Arizona prison a mere ten days earlier.
The man responsible for this heinous act was
Randy Greenawalt, a convicted murderer. Greenawalt had not acted alone in his escape; he was aided by fellow inmate Gary Tison and Tison's three sons. This group, known as the Tison gang, had already left a trail of violence, including the murder of a family of four in Arizona, before making their way to Colorado. The honeymooning Judges tragically crossed paths with this dangerous crew, and both were killed.
Although authorities were certain that Greenawalt and the Tison gang were behind the murders of the Judges, the case was never officially brought to trial. The gang's crime spree came to an end on August 11, 1978, in Arizona, when they were found driving the Judges' stolen van. A confrontation with law enforcement resulted in the death of one of Tison’s sons. Gary Tison managed to escape into the desert, but he would not survive, ultimately dying from exposure.
