On February 18, 1995, 19-year-old American soldier Tracie Joy McBride was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by 44-year-old American soldier Louis Jones Jr. in Texas. Jones abducted McBride from Goodfellow Air Force Base and raped her at his house before bludgeoning her to death under a highway bridge in Coke County. He had, on another occasion, sexually assaulted his ex-wife Sandra Lane and was arrested on March 1, and the ensuing police investigation found that he was also responsible for raping and murdering McBride. Jones was tried and convicted in the U.S. federal court system for kidnapping resulting in death; his crime was a federal case since it had begun on a military base. The rape was the prime aspect to the murder, making it a capital offense. Following his initial denials, Jones eventually confessed that he had raped McBride in addition to murdering her, and was sentenced to death. He later tried to contest his sentencing on the grounds that he had been suffering from Gulf War syndrome, but his appeals were rejected. Prosecutors argued that Jones had displayed violent tendencies even before the Gulf War, citing four incidents in which Jones had beaten up army colleagues.
On March 18, 2003, the 53-year-old Jones was executed by lethal injection.
Mark Miller of Newsweek characterized Jones' case as unusual due to his Gulf War syndrome defense strategy.Miller, Mark. "Should Louis Jones Die?" Newsweek. March 12, 2003. Retrieved on July 17, 2016. "Prisoners seeking clemency from the White House are hardly unusual. But the Jones case is."
Crime On February 18, 1995, 44-year old Louis Jones drove onto Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas, and kidnapped Private Tracie Joy McBride,"Court upholds death penalty in Jones' murder conviction". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Wednesday, June 23, 1999. Retrieved on July 17, 2016. a 19-year old from Centerville, Minnesota.Serrano, Richard A. "Gulf War Veteran Executed for 1995 Murder". Los Angeles Times. March 19, 2003. Retrieved on July 17, 2016. Jones was looking for his ex-wife, whom he had abducted and raped two days prior, but instead decided to kidnap McBride. McBride was at a laundry facility and on the telephone with a friend when she was abducted."Former Army Ranger Found Guilty Of Soldier's Murder". Chicago Tribune. October 23, 1995. Retrieved on July 19, 2016. Two privates tried to rescue McBride, but Jones rendered one, Private Michael Peacock, unconscious by hitting him."Louis Jones". Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on July 18, 2016.
Jones took McBride to his house, raped her, and held her in a closet. He forced McBride to use hydrogen peroxide on herself, washed McBride's clothes,"Life Interrupted" (2007), Dr. G: Medical Examiner, about 30:05–30:20. Uploaded onto YouTube by FilmRise True Crime. and forced McBride to walk on towels; these efforts were part of an attempt to conceal the crime by hiding any fibers and other possible evidence. He then drove McBride to a remote area and beat her to death with a tire iron. McBride died under a bridge off U.S. Route 277 in Coke County, Texas, about north of San Angelo. McBride had been hit in the head at least nine times. Dr. Jan Garavaglia, who was an associate medical examiner in Bexar County at the time of the murder, examined McBride's body. Garavaglia stated that the trauma to her head was "worse than most high-impact car wrecks"."Life Interrupted" (2007), Dr. G: Medical Examiner, about 15:25–15:30 of 44:34. Jones likely forced McBride to walk to the point where she was killed; only mud was found on her boots, and no scuff marks were present."Life Interrupted" (2007), Dr. G: Medical Examiner, about 13:55–14:26. McBride's body was found clothed in her U.S. Army battle uniform, itself in excellent condition;"Life Interrupted" (2007), Dr. G: Medical Examiner, about 11:50–12:10 of 44:34. the clothing had no forensic evidence of rape."Life Interrupted" (2007), Dr. G: Medical Examiner, about 13:25–13:35. The undergarments were not present.
Jones was arrested on March 1 by the San Angelo Police Department for sexually assaulting his ex-wife, Staff Sergeant Sandra Lane, after she filed a complaint with the Air Force's Office of Special Investigations (OSI). OSI agents made an inquiry to Jones on whether he was involved in McBride's abduction,"United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. Louis Jones, Defendant-appellant, 132 F.3d 232 (5th Cir. 1998)". Justia. January 5, 1998. Retrieved on March 1, 2019. and Jones confessed to killing her; he then led authorities to McBride's body."Echoes of an earlier execution Eight months before Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. killed Dru Sjodin, Louis Jones Jr. was put to death for killing Minnesotan Tracie McBride". Minneapolis Star Tribune. September 24, 2006. Section Twin Cities + Region p. B1. Available at PressReader, Available at the archives of the Star-Tribune. Initially, Jones said he did not rape McBride."Life Interrupted" (2007), Dr. G: Medical Examiner, about 19:10–19:25. McBride's body was autopsied by Garavaglia at the Bexar County Forensic Science Center in San Antonio, Texas."Life Interrupted" (2007), Dr. G: Medical Examiner, about 6:45–6:55 of 44:34. Due to the unusually cool weather and the placement of the body under a bridge, the body was well preserved."Life Interrupted" (2007), Dr. G: Medical Examiner, about 21:30–22:05 of 44:34. Despite Jones' efforts to conceal the rape, Garavaglia was able to determine that Jones had raped McBride, and this fact allowed federal prosecutors to ask for the death penalty. Jones later confessed to a psychiatrist to raping McBride."Life Interrupted" (2007), Dr. G: Medical Examiner, about 32:45–33:15.
Background Louis Jones Jr.
Jones, born on March 4, 1950, was a native of Shelby County, Tennessee, and grew up in Chicago.Collins, Dan. "Gulf War Vet Asks Bush For Clemency". Associated Press at CBS News. March 17, 2003. Retrieved on July 18, 2016. According to testimony presented at his criminal trial, Jones experienced sexual and physical abuse.
He served in the Army for 22 years. Richard A. Serrano of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "It was in the Army where he excelled." Jones, a member of the U.S. Army Rangers, participated in the Invasion of Grenada and the Gulf War of 1991. He was the leader of a platoon in Grenada, and he received a Commendation Medal due to his actions during a ground attack in Iraq. He became a master sergeant and on his retirement in 1993 was honorably discharged from the Rangers.Collins, Dan. "Gulf War Vet Executed". CBS. February 19, 2003. Retrieved on July 17, 2016. At the time of the crime, he worked on base as a bus driver."Ex-Army Ranger's trial starts". Houston Chronicle. October 16, 1995. Section A News, p. 13. Available on NewsBank, Record# HSC10161302363. Accessible from the Houston Public Library website with a library card.
Jones was married three times,Serrano, Richard A. "A War Hero, a Condemned Killer". Los Angeles Times. January 14, 2003. p. 2. Retrieved on July 17, 2016. and he had a daughter, Barbara, whom he raised on his own."Life Interrupted" (2007), Dr. G: Medical Examiner, about 15:55–16:05 of 44:34. One of his wives, Sandra Lane, was an Army staff sergeant. He became estranged from her, and she noted changes in his behavior after he returned from Iraq. Jones had no previous criminal record.Serrano, Richard A. "A War Hero, a Condemned Killer". Los Angeles Times. January 14, 2003. p. 1. Retrieved on July 17, 2016. Before the killing, he worked low-paying jobs and received low grades in university courses. Lane filed an official complaint with the OSI on March 1, 1995, stating that, on February 16 of that year, Jones had kidnapped her, made her take money out of her bank account, and committed sexual assault against her while at his residence.
Tracie McBride Tracie Joy McBride (May 27, 1975 – February 19, 1995Image of her grave from Find a Grave. Retrieved on August 6, 2016.), a graduate of Centennial High School in Circle Pines, Minnesota,Backus, Nick. "Nonprofit hosts 'Tracie's Night'". Quad Community Press. Tuesday February 12, 2013. Retrieved on July 18, 2016. was at the base for a two-week advanced intelligence training. McBride aspired to become a music teacher. McBride joined the United States Army after her high school graduation,"Life Interrupted" (2007), Dr. G: Medical Examiner, about 3:16–3:19 of 44:34. intending to fund her university education; she hoped to have her degree completed prior to the end of her tour of duty."Life Interrupted" (2007), Dr. G: Medical Examiner, about 3:24–3:30 of 44:34. At the end of her life, McBride was in a romantic relationship with a member of the U.S. Marines."Life Interrupted" (2007), Dr. G: Medical Examiner, about 12:45–12:55 of 44:34. She was assigned to Goodfellow in early February 1995 after completion of training,"Life Interrupted" (2007), Dr. G: Medical Examiner, about 4:00–4:06 of 44:34. at the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio of Monterey in Monterey, California. McBride was kidnapped 10 days after her arrival."Life Interrupted" (2007), Dr. G: Medical Examiner, about 4:20–4:25 of 44:34.
Trial, appeals, and execution
Trial Jones, indicted in March 1995,"Former Ranger indicted". Associated Press at the Houston Chronicle. March 9, 1995. Section A News, p. 29. Available on NewsBank, Record# HSC03091261018, Accessible from the Houston Public Library website with a library card. was tried in federal court in Lubbock, Texas, since he had kidnapped McBride from a military base. His specific charge was "kidnapping within special maritime/territorial jurisdiction resulting in death"."Capital Punishment". Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on July 19, 2016. U.S. Attorney Tanya K. Pierce was the prosecutor. McBride's family supported the prosecutor's decision to seek the death penalty for Jones."A death wish for Tracie's killer A Minnesota family wants the kind of justice they couldn't get at home". Minneapolis Star-Tribune. January 27, 2003. Retrieved on July 18, 2016. The trial was moved from San Angelo to Lubbock due to the news coverage in the former city.
The trial began on October16, 1995. Nine members of the twelve-person jury were female and 3 were male. Jones stated that he committed the crime due to trauma he received during his military duties, indicative of Gulf War syndrome. Evidence showing brain damage to Jones was presented. Jones was convicted on October23, after two days of testimony and 65 minutes of deliberation from the jury. After finding that Jones had intentionally killed McBride, the jury proceeded to sentencing.
The sentencing phase involved the jury deliberating for 6.5 hours. The prosecution alleged four statutory aggravating circumstances and three non-statutory aggravating circumstances. The jury unanimously found two statutory aggravating circumstances: Jones killed McBride during the commission of a kidnapping and the murder involved torture or serious physical abuse to McBride, referring to the rape. The finding of statutory aggravating circumstances officially made the McBride's murder a capital offense. The jury rejected two other alleged statutory aggravating circumstances: Jones had knowingly put lives other than that of McBride at risk and the murder was premeditated. As for non-statutory aggravating circumstances, the jury unanimously found that McBride's family had suffered from her death and that McBride was vulnerable due to her young age and other characteristics, but rejected the argument that Jones would present a future danger.
The defense presented 11 mitigating circumstances, which a varying number of jurors agreed upon:
Jones did not have a significant prior criminal record (6) Jones's capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of his actions were significantly impaired, regardless of whether the capacity was so impaired as to constitute a defense to the charge (2)