On November 27, 1980, in Douglas County, Georgia, 69-year-old J. L. Washington and his wife, Ruby Washington, both 69, were found murdered in a wooded area after being reported missing. Both victims had suffered severe beatings, multiple stab wounds, and gunshot injuries.

Witnesses saw James Mathis in the back seat of the Washingtons’ vehicle earlier that Thanksgiving Day as it moved through their apartment complex. Mathis was arrested and charged in connection with the killings; his case produced extended legal proceedings that drew attention to the quality of legal representation in capital cases. The brutality of the attack and the complex litigation that followed left a deep mark on the Douglas County community.

Does anyone have further information on the Washingtons’ lives or on the events of that Thanksgiving Day?