Press Release
Re: Terry O’Connell Homicide
At about 9:30 PM today, July 7, 1978, the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Timothy Patterson issued from his office a warrant for the arrest of the following described subject on the charge of capital murder. Mr. Patterson was assisted in this criminal action by 1st Assistant Prosecutor Dennis Kube.
Name: Jackie Lee Lemons
Race/Sex: White Male
DOB: 6-12-47
Occupation: Hoe Operating Engineer
Last known address: 1037 Sherbrooke, St. Charles, Missouri
This action is the culmination of extensive investigation into the shooting death of Deputy Terry O’Connell of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department on April 5, 1978, at about 10:55 AM. This murder apparently was the result of a traffic stop made by the deputy on Highway #30, south of Cedar Hill, Missouri.
Members of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, headed by Huck Buerger, assisted by Major Case Squad members under the command of Major Robert York of the Arnold, Missouri P.D., have been involved in the pursuit of this matter since the original occurrence.
Certain physical evidence recently uncovered in conjunction with specific leads and clues already being actively pursued contributed to the issuance of this warrant.
The suspect named herein, in addition to being sought in connection with this murder, is presently listed in the criminal wanted files in connection with another felony charge for which he was convicted and sentenced to twenty years. In that instance, however, the subject fled prior to his being incarcerated and has been a fugitive since that time in 1975. The subject apparently was in that category of fugitive at the time Deputy O’Connell made the traffic stop.
Major Case Squad members and officers of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department continued their investigative efforts in an attempt to apprehend this subject.
Prosecuting Attorney Patterson had requested that the court apply a no bond status to this criminal charge.
Authority:
Sheriff Buerger
Major R. York
