Wilbur Lee Jennings

Serial Killer

Wilbur Lee Jennings: The Ditchbank Murderer

Background and Early Life

Wilbur Lee Jennings was an American serial killer and repeat sexual offender whose crimes took place primarily in Fresno County, California. Born on February 28, 1940, in Shreveport, Louisiana, Jennings moved to California with his family while he was still young and eventually settled in the Fresno County community of Selma. During the 1980s, he became known as the "Ditchbank Murderer" because several women linked to him were found in irrigation canals, ponds, or roadside ditches in rural areas. Jennings was convicted of murdering four women between 1983 and 1984. Decades later, DNA evidence connected him to two additional killings committed in 1981 and 1983. He was formally charged in connection with those cold cases but died before either prosecution could be completed. His known criminal history also included rapes, attempted sexual assaults, robberies, kidnappings, arson, and attacks on women extending back more than two decades before the murders for which he received a death sentence.

A History of Sexual Violence

Jennings displayed violent and sexually predatory behavior long before the first murder publicly associated with him. At his murder trial's penalty phase, women described attacks dating to the early 1960s. One woman testified that Jennings carried her to a toolshed and raped her. She said that he later forced her into a car, drove her to a barn, beat her, and raped her again. Another victim, an eighth-grade student, testified that Jennings offered to drive her to school in 1962 but instead took her to a vineyard, where he beat and raped her. Jennings later pleaded guilty to rape in that case. In 1966, Jennings encountered Dale Drake and Mary Richardson near the Kings River. Armed with a rifle, he demanded money, prevented the couple from leaving, and struck Drake in the head with the rifle. Drake suffered serious head injuries and a broken wrist, while her damaged bathing suit indicated an attempted sexual assault. Jennings later pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon and attempted rape. Other violent episodes occurred during the 1970s. In 1977, he attacked Chun Smith inside her automobile, choking and knocking her unconscious. When she regained consciousness, the car was moving, and she either jumped or was pushed from it at approximately 40 miles per hour. During another confrontation that year, Jennings held a butcher knife to Betty Burrell's neck after she attempted to end their relationship. He later entered a neighboring home with a shotgun and threatened to kill Burrell. ...

Confirmed Victims: (6)

Clarice Reinke Age: (76), Date of Death: June 23, 1983

Wilbur Lee Jennings - Wikipedia