The Cold Case Club: The Journalist and the Self-Proclaimed Serial Killer
February 16, 2022
LIVE EVENT
The crimeHQ Cold Case Club: The Murder of Debbie Williamson
This session of the Cold Case Club welcomed Phillip Hamilton, who was a a crime reporter in Lubbock, Texas in the 1980s. He joined us with Investigators George Jared and Jen Bucholtz and host Olivia LaVoice to continue our breakdown of the unsolved Debbie Williamson murder case.
Bucholtz began with a brief overview of infamous killer Henry Lee Lucas in case any crimeHQ members watching weren't familiar with him. Mostly known for his confessions these days, Lucas confessed to about 600 slayings, all across the U.S. in the 1980s. However, these were mostly false confessions, despite many police departments having closed cases based on his "admissions." In many cases, they were reopened once it was proven that Lucas could not have been the perpetrator. One of those cases was that of Debbie Williamson. Bucholtz recommends watching the Netflix series "The Confession Killer" about Lucas, as Debbie's case is featured in a couple of the episodes.
Weirdly, according to Bucholtz, authorities had fingerprint evidence showing that Lucas could not have killed Debbie before 1984, which is when he confessed to it. Additionally, Lucas wasn't the one who came forward with the confession. It was actually Lubbock, Texas, law enforcement who went to Lucas and brought him in for questioning.
About the Cold Case Club
Join the crimeHQ Cold Case Club as a citizen detective for the newly invigorated investigation into Debbie Williamson’s death. Your hosts and guides throughout the event will be CrimeCon Austin fan favorites, Jennifer Bucholtz and George Jared. Jen is a Former U.S. Army Counterintelligence Agent-turned-private investigator. George is an acclaimed crime author and investigative reporter. After cracking a difficult cold case together (the murder of Rebekah Gould), the pair has teamed up again to take on the murder of 18-year-old Debbie Williamson with our help.
Beginning on Tuesday, January 25th and weekly thereafter for 10 weeks, you will take a deep dive into the case files, hear from Debbie’s husband and family, learn from experts in death investigations, forensics, weapons and profiling, and be tasked to assist Bucholtz and Jared in their investigation, all with the hopes of finally catching a killer, or killers.
The next crimeHQ Book Club selection is Raised by a Serial Killer: Discovering the Truth About My Father by April Balascio . Live Q&A with Author April Balascio on April 1 at 7p ET!
Get ready for an exclusive sneak peek at Dr. Honor Doro Townshend’s all-new online Criminology lecture series, available as a free taster only to crimeHQ members! Join us for the first of three exciting sessions, where the renowned British Criminologist will unveil part one of her upcoming "Introduction to Criminology" package. In this session, you’ll dive into the world of Criminology and discover how it unravels the mysteries of True Crime. Curious about what Criminology really is? Wondering why theory matters or what Criminologists actually do? Dr. Honor will cover it all—and more! Plus, you'll get a first look at the next sessions “Drugs and Crime” and “Serial Murder and Other Violent Crime”, and you will have a chance to ask your burning questions and share your thoughts on what captivates you about the world of Criminology. Be the first to experience this fascinating content, which is set to debut in 2025. Criminology 101: An Exclusive Introduction with Dr. Honor Doro Townshend | Thursday, October 3rd at 8p ET Criminology 102: Unravelling Drugs and Crime | Thursday, November 14th at 8p ET Criminology 103: Decoding Serial Murder and Violent Crime | Thursday, December 5th at 8p ET Join crimeHQ now and get your first 3 days completely free to explore everything on the platform with NO restrictions. JOIN NOW →
The next crimeHQ Book Club selection is Never Saw Me Coming by Tanya Smith. Live Q&A with Author Tanya Smith on December 9th at 7p ET!
Get ready for an exclusive sneak peek at Dr. Honor Doro Townshend’s all-new online Criminology lecture series, available as a free taster only to crimeHQ members! Join us for the first of three exciting sessions, where the renowned British Criminologist will unveil part one of her upcoming "Introduction to Criminology" package. In this session, you’ll dive into the world of Criminology and discover how it unravels the mysteries of True Crime. Curious about what Criminology really is? Wondering why theory matters or what Criminologists actually do? Dr. Honor will cover it all—and more! Plus, you'll get a first look at the next sessions “Drugs and Crime” and “Serial Murder and Other Violent Crime”, and you will have a chance to ask your burning questions and share your thoughts on what captivates you about the world of Criminology. Be the first to experience this fascinating content, which is set to debut in 2025. Criminology 101: An Exclusive Introduction with Dr. Honor Doro Townshend | Thursday, October 3rd at 8p ET Criminology 102: Unravelling Drugs and Crime | Thursday, November 14th at 8p ET Criminology 103: Decoding Serial Murder and Violent Crime | Thursday, December 5th at 8p ET Join crimeHQ now and get your first 3 days completely free to explore everything on the platform with NO restrictions. JOIN NOW →
It’s a case we’ve followed since CrimeCon began in Indiana in 2017—the same year that Abby and Libby were killed. Over the years their family has become our family. We’ve watched as they’ve processed grief, fought for answers, and showed us all what courage really looks like. Join the crimeHQ team and our friend Susan Hendricks, who has been in the courtroom every day, for a live event to talk about the twists and turns of the case, how the family is holding up, and what it’s like when the national media all descends on a small town like Delphi, Indiana. October 30, 2024 at 8:00pET on crimeHQ
The next crimeHQ Book Club selection is The Book of Murder by Matt Murphy. Live Q&A with Author Matt Murphy on October 22nd!
Get ready for an exclusive sneak peek at Dr. Honor Doro Townshend’s all-new online Criminology lecture series, available as a free taster only to crimeHQ members! Join us for the first of three exciting sessions, where the renowned British Criminologist will unveil part one of her upcoming "Introduction to Criminology" package. In this session, you’ll dive into the world of Criminology and discover how it unravels the mysteries of True Crime. Curious about what Criminology really is? Wondering why theory matters or what Criminologists actually do? Dr. Honor will cover it all—and more! Plus, you'll get a first look at the next sessions “Drugs and Crime” and “Serial Murder and Other Violent Crime”, and you will have a chance to ask your burning questions and share your thoughts on what captivates you about the world of Criminology. Be the first to experience this fascinating content, which is set to debut in 2025. Criminology 101: An Exclusive Introduction with Dr. Honor Doro Townshend | Thursday, October 3rd at 8p ET Criminology 102: Unravelling Drugs and Crime | Thursday, November 14th at 8p ET Criminology 103: Decoding Serial Murder and Violent Crime | Thursday, December 5th at 8p ET Join crimeHQ now and get your first 3 days completely free to explore everything on the platform with NO restrictions. JOIN NOW →
Join Eastidahonews.com News Director Nate Eaton for a special live crimeHQ event where he will be joined by Laura and Tom, two jurors who served on the jury of Lori Vallows trial. In this intimate session, they will speak candidly about serving on a high profile jury and the trauma they experienced while dealing with the daily horrific details they heard and saw in the courtroom for two months. You’re not going to want to miss this exclusive crimeHQ members-only session! Live on Wednesday, July 17 at 7p ET Can't make it live? Watch this recorded session on-demand the next day. Join crimeHQ now and get your first 3 days completely free to explore everything on the platform with NO restrictions. JOIN NOW →
It was 1994 in DeLand, Florida when 15-year-old Laralee Spear was getting off the school bus just like any other day, but she would never make it home. Laralee was abducted and murdered at an abandoned and burned-out house just a ¼ mile from her home on Deerfoot Road, and the person, or persons, responsible have yet to be apprehended. For the last 30 years, investigators with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office have been working tirelessly to solve her case. Even recently announcing a $100,000 reward for anyone that might have information that leads to an arrest and conviction of Laralee’s killer. In this special crimeHQ session, join Sheryl “Mac” McCollum and lead detective on the case Cordell Lemay, as they take members into the life of Laralee Spear, her death, where the case sits now and what we can do as a community to help. Live on Thursday, July 11 at 7p ET Can't make it live? Watch this recorded session on-demand the next day. Join crimeHQ now and get your first 3 days completely free to explore everything on the platform with NO restrictions. JOIN NOW →
The next crimeHQ Book Club selection is Long Haul by Frank Figliuzzi. Live Q&A with Author Frank Figliuzzi on Tuesday, August 13 at 7pm ET.
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