Tracie McBride | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Tracie Joy McBride May 27, 1975 Centerville, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | February 18, 1995 (aged 19) Coke County, Texas, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Murder by blunt trauma |
| Resting place | Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota |
| Education | Centennial High School, Minnesota |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1993–1995 |
| Rank |  Private |
Louis Jones Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 4, 1950 Shelby County, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | March 18, 2003 (aged 53) USP Terre Haute, Indiana, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Execution by lethal injection |
| Spouse |
Sandra Lane (m. 1992–1994) |
| Children | 1 |
| Conviction(s) | Kidnapping resulting in death (18 U.S.C. § 1201) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1971–1993 |
| Rank |  Master Sergeant |
| Battles / wars | Invasion of Grenada Gulf War |
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 because it had begun on a military base and because the rape was the prime aspect to the murder, which made 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 subsequently attempted to contest his sentencing on the grounds that he had been suffering from Gulf War syndrome, but his appeals were rejected. 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.[1]
- ^ 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."