1987 cold case killing now linked to ex-Florida cop who was executed, sheriff says
A 1987 cold case killing involving a 14-year-old is now connected to a former Central Florida police officer who was executed Tuesday, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Jeanifer Weldon was reported missing after she failed to return home from a friend’s house in September 1987.
Her body was later discovered in October of that same year near the home of James Duckett, a former police officer who was recently executed.
Duckett was convicted of raping and drowning an 11-year-old Teresa McAbee while working as a Mascotte police officer in 1987. Her body was found in a Mascotte lake near the convenience store where she was last seen.
Duckett, 68, was pronounced dead at 1:19 p.m. Tuesday after a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke, nearly 40 years after the murder of McAbee.
The PCSO said Duckett has also been suspected in other homicides, including Weldon.
Sheriff Judd explained that Duckett had lawyered up early in the investigation, and no witnesses ever came forward. Over the years, detectives sent pieces of Weldon’s clothing to labs for testing as technology advanced, but no DNA evidence was recovered.
“We never had not one iota of evidence that anyone other than James Duckett committed this murder, never,” Judd said.
Weldon’s sister, Hope Limansah, reflected on the impact of her sister’s death.
“Those are big shoes to come into the world as the first child born after the last one was taken,” Limansah said.
Mindy Oakley, Weldon’s best friend, shared memories of their close relationship.
“We shared everything that was my shirt and shoes she had on the night she was killed,” Oakley said.
Judd said his detectives visited the prison last Friday to offer Duckett one final chance to confess to Weldon’s killing.
“He wouldn’t see us. He wouldn’t interview. He was a psychopathic, murdering, egotistical, vicious child pedophile up to the very end,” Judd said.
Judd said his office will present one final review to the state attorney before officially closing the case.