Detectives used new DNA evidence to arrest Willie Lee Jones for Virginia White’s 1981 murder in Dallas.
DALLAS — A new piece of DNA evidence is shining new light on a 44-year-old cold case murder.
On Dec. 15, 1981, 81-year-old Virginia White was found dead inside her home, and the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office determined she was sexually assaulted and murdered by strangulation, according to the Dallas Police Department. DPD said a vaginal swab was collected during the autopsy.
After determining White’s death was a murder, an investigation was launched, but when they returned to the scene of the crime, White’s family members had already gone through the house to search for money, which affected the crime scene, a DPD affidavit said.
In May 2024, DPD detectives Andrea Isom and David Grubbs began investigating cold case murders using a DNA nexus, according to an arrest affidavit. The affidavit said Detective Isom determined the vaginal swab hadn’t been tested because of the lack of DNA technology at the time, and submitted the sample to the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences.
The affidavit stated that a single male profile was obtained from the sample and entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).
In November 2024, the DNA profile collected from the sample got a hit in CODIS, the affidavit said. According to the document, that DNA matched a known offender — 83-year-old Willie Lee Jones. According to the affidavit, Jones would have been 40 at the time of White’s murder.
White’s grandson, who was present when her body was found, was shown a photo of Jones dated to 1982, but he said he did not recognize the man, according to the police document.
On Jan 16, 2025, Jones was arrested for a parole violation related to a sexual assault, DPD said. Detectives questioned Jones about his involvement in White’s murder, but he denied having any involvement, according to the affidavit.
Per the document, Detective Isom told Jones that his DNA was found during White’s autopsy, but still, he denied any involvement, stating he would not have sexual intercourse with a woman of that age. The affidavit stated that Detective Isom obtained a warrant to collect a cheek swab from Jones, and on Jan. 24, 2025, the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Science came back with a report confirming Jones matched the offender’s DNA profile with the probabilities of one in 10 trillion.
Jones now faces the charge of capital murder by terror threat and a parole violation, according to Dallas County Jail records. His bond has not yet been set.
