A Mother's Love Lost

It was December 30th, 1988, just two days before the New Year. Jack Dale Walker had convinced a coworker to drive him out to the trailer where his girlfriend lived. Hansel Norton, the co-worker, had known Jack for barely three full weeks. Hansel was trying to be a good friend to this new friend. So, Jack, was young, only 22 years old and appeared to be love sick for the girl who was the mother of his baby.

On the ride out to the trailer, Jack pulled out a knife. He was not threatening to Hansel, it was still quiet menacing to the young man. Hansel later identified the knife as a murder weapon used to kill the girlfriend. Hansel tried to get Jack to talk to him. Jack only talked about how he had just worked. There wasn’t really much the young man was making sense about for the ride out there. Mental health in the 1980’s was a bit of stretch.

Ok, so in the 1980’s to get some mental health help, it was pretty much just having someone committed, when it came to getting help in Oklahoma. Seeking out an agency for the kind of help that might have identified some of this behavior didn’t really come along until the 90’s in Oklahoma. Mental Health was more like a state hospital, which was what he needed anyway.

They arrived at the trailer, the home of his girlfriend, Shelley Ellison. Shelley was a strong, independent 17-year-old woman. Yes, I said woman, folks. She was already growing up. Shelley and Jack had a three-month-old baby together. Shelley had been dating Jack for some time, trying to make him a member of the family by inviting him to the family get-togethers and holiday events.

Shelley had also been going to school to become a dental lab technician, while she was finishing her high school diploma. She was thinking about how she was going to take care of that baby on her own. It was obvious that Jack just wasn’t going to be father material to her son.

Juanita Epperson, Shelley’s grandmother, and proud great grandmother of the baby, was the person who answered the door. Jack told Juanita he was looking for Shelley. So, Shelley and Jack went into the back bedroom to talk. Jack told Shelley he wanted to take the baby, but with the baby sick Shelley said no.

Donnie Epperson, his wife Linda were both there. Ron, his twin brother’s 3 children were also at the trailer. The children were at the other end of the trailer. Donnie was asleep in his room that he shared with his wife. And Shelley shared the trailer with them as well. She and the baby lived there with her grandmother, Juanita.

Jack attacked Shelley, when she refused. Shelley called Donnie for help. Donnie had been asleep. He ran down the hallway to the back bedroom. Jack turned on Donnie and stabbed him. He then continued to stab Shelley as well. During the attack, somehow, our girl Shelley manages to bravely make a 911 call.

Donnie was alert and conscious when police arrived. He was bleeding out in the living room next to his niece. Donnie didn’t make it, he died shortly after the police arrived. Donnie had succumbed to the eleven stab wounds. It was a good thing the police arrived when they did. The fight had moved from the bedroom to the main part of the trailer. There were 3 other children in the home that were watching as their uncle, Donnie was murdered by Jack.

Juanita had tried to help Donnie and Shelley by hitting Jack with a pipe wrench, Jack only pushed her down, breaking her arm, then he stabbed her. Juanita was alive, she survived and made it all the way to his execution. She was pretty brave to run in with the pipe wrench, considering this was a 65-year-old woman at the time of the murder. Kudos to her for also being a survivor for those grandkids.

Linda, Donnie’s wife, ran down the hall to try and help, she was held back by the knife and ran so did Donnie’s Nephew. Both were chased from the home. Jack’s attack on Shelley continued, he used an ice pick from the kitchen and the long knife he’d brought. He’d cut her throat, and stabbed her some 32 times. Now, folks, if that’s not excessive, then I’m not sure how to explain it any better to you.

When the police arrived, they found a bloody scene. Jack had cut his wrists and was lying out on the front porch. He’d, by court documents, also tried to push a paring knife through his throat. The infant and the 3 children were unharmed, thankfully in part to the call made by the dying, Shelley. Jack claimed later he wouldn’t have hurt his son, but that was after he’d slain the boy’s mother and uncle.

During the clemency hearing the 911 tape and the confession tapes were played for the pardons and parole board. In the background of the 911 tape, it was reported that children could be heard screaming and a baby crying. There were other voices of people yelling and screaming as well. They denied clemency.

Shelley Ellison’s mother, Kathy Ellison, and her husband adopted the baby and raised him. Jack actually fought for parental rights! As if he had any right to do this! Folks, he just took the boy’s mother and his uncle. He tried to kill his grandmother, and now he was going to fight, from prison for parental rights! And from death row…

Jack’s own son wrote a letter to the pardon and parole board in favor of Jack’s execution. He was very angry at the loss of a mother he never got to know. Jack Dale Walker shuffled off this mortal coil August 28th, 2001. His execution was barely covered by the press.