Deborah Sue Williamson

Deborah “Debbie” Sue Williamson was an 18-year-old newlywed just beginning her adult life in Lubbock, Texas. Known to her loved ones as a vibrant and cherished young woman, she had been married to her husband, Doug Williamson, for less than three months. The young couple was building a future together, and Debbie was remembered fondly by her sister, Liz Flatt, and other family members who were left devastated by her sudden and violent death.

On the evening of Sunday, August 24, 1975, Debbie’s parents dropped her off at the home she shared with her husband. She and Doug spoke on the phone around 9:00 p.m., and she was preparing to leave to meet him at the Pizza Inn where he worked as a manager. As she stepped into the carport of her home, she was ambushed and brutally attacked. Her assailant stabbed her 17 times with what investigators believe was a double-edged, bayonet-style knife. One of the wounds punctured her heart.

After the fatal assault in the carport, where a significant amount of blood was found, her killer dragged her body approximately 25 feet to the back step of the house. Her shirt was pulled up and her pants were pulled down, but the autopsy found no evidence of sexual assault. Her purse and its contents were stolen from the scene and have never been found. Her husband, Doug, grew worried when she never arrived at his workplace. He called friends and family trying to locate her before leaving work after closing. He made the horrific discovery of his wife's body at approximately 1:10 a.m. on Monday, August 25, 1975, and immediately called for help.

The investigation was launched by the Lubbock Police Department, which confirmed Doug Williamson was at work throughout the entire night and cleared him as a suspect after he passed a polygraph test. The case baffled detectives for years. In the 1980s, the investigation was sidetracked when notorious serial killer Henry Lee Lucas confessed to Debbie’s murder. His confession, however, was one of hundreds he made to unsolved homicides across the country, and it was later proven to be completely false, leaving Debbie’s case unsolved and her family without answers. The false confession was later highlighted in the Netflix docuseries "The Confession Killer."

Over the decades, Debbie's family has never given up their fight for justice. Her case has been the subject of renewed interest from independent investigative groups, including the Cold Case Foundation and the "Break the Case" team, which consists of investigative journalist George Jared and former Army counterintelligence officer Jennifer Bucholtz. Their work has been detailed in podcasts and news reports, scrutinizing old case files and re-interviewing original witnesses and persons of interest in an effort to uncover new leads for law enforcement.

As of August 2025, the murder of Deborah Sue Williamson remains an open and active investigation with the Lubbock Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit. Investigators and family members believe the crime was personal and that Debbie likely knew her killer. The Williamson family, along with friends and supporters, has offered a $15,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for her death. The Lubbock Police Department continues to ask for the public’s help and encourages anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward by calling 806-741-1000.