Dewayne Lee Harris

Serial Killer

DeWayne Lee Harris: The Seattle Serial Killer Known as the "Jungle Killer"

Background

DeWayne Lee Harris was an American serial killer convicted of murdering three women in Seattle, Washington, during 1997 and 1998. Harris became associated with several nicknames, including the "Seattle Jungle Killer," "Chilly Willy," and the "Seattle Shoelace Slasher." The last nickname referred to a distinctive feature found at his crime scenes: the victims were discovered with shoelaces used to bind them. Harris operated around some of Seattle's poorest and most isolated areas. Two of his victims were left in a wooded and undeveloped section of the city commonly called "The Jungle." The area was located beneath and around Interstate 5 and Interstate 90 and was frequented by homeless people. The secluded terrain made it possible for bodies to remain hidden for long periods. The three women Harris was convicted of killing were Denise Marie Harris, Antoinette Jones, and Olivia Smith. Contemporary reporting established the dates on which their bodies were discovered, but it did not establish an exact date of death for every victim. For that reason, discovery dates should not automatically be treated as death dates. In the case of Antoinette Jones, forensic evidence indicated that she had probably been dead for approximately three months before her remains were found.

The Murder of Denise Marie Harris

Denise Marie Harris, who was not related to DeWayne Harris despite sharing his surname, was 42 years old. According to accounts of the case, DeWayne Harris encountered Denise in the First Avenue area of downtown Seattle. Harris later admitted responsibility for her killing. Denise was strangled with a belt. After her death, her hands and ankles were tied with shoelaces. Her body was then abandoned in the area known as The Jungle beneath Seattle's interstate highways. The use of shoelaces to bind the victim later became an important similarity connecting this killing with another murder. Denise's body was discovered on September 12, 1997. The available contemporary record clearly verifies this as the date her body was found, rather than establishing September 12 as her precise date of death. Her killing was the earliest of the three murders for which Harris was eventually convicted. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Denise Marie Harris Age: (42), Date of Death: 1997-09-12

DeWayne Lee Harris - Wikipedia