PORTLAND, Oregon — The Portland Police Department in Oregon says a notorious East Texas convicted killer is responsible for the murder of 20-year-old Anna Hlavka, who was found dead on July 24, 1979, in her apartment.
Hlavka's body was discovered by her sister who had just come home from work. It was later determined that Hlavka had been sexually assaulted and strangled with the electrical cord from her clock radio.
In May 2018, detectives researched forensic genealogy using unidentified DNA profiles from homicides scenes. This technology was brought to the forefront of cold case homicide investigations with the May 2018 arrest in northern California of the "Golden State Killer." Detectives contacted Parabon NanoLabs and the Oregon State Police Crime Lab in order to determine if the Hlavka evidence was a good candidate for this type of innovative testing. Both labs agreed it met the criteria for this type of work and the DNA evidence was submitted.
Police say DNA tests revealed her killer was Jerry Walter (Animal) McFadden, who was executed by the State of Texas in October 1999 at the age of 51.
McFadden had been sentenced to 15 years in prison for two counts of rape in 1973 and was paroled in December 1978, just eight months before Hlavka was murdered. In 1979, he was convicted of aggravated sexual abuse after kidnapping and raping an 18-year-old woman at knifepoint. He was paroled in July 1985.
The Longview News-Journal reports McFadden kidnapped Suzanne Harrison, Brian Booner and Gena Turner, all of Lake Hawkins, on May 4, 1986. Harrison's body was discovered the following day on Barnwell Mountain in Gilmer. Officials say she had been raped and strangled. The bodies of Boone and Turner was found over the next few days near Ore City, where McFadden resided. Boone had been shot in the back of the head, while Turner had been raped and murdered, according to the LNJ.
McFadden was arrested and booked into the Upshur County Jail, but escaped in July 1986, reports the LNJ. He took a jailer hostage which initiated the largest manhunt in Texas history. The jailer was able to escape unharmed and McFadden was captured two days later in Big Sandy, according to the LNJ.
McFadden was found guilty of capital murder and executed by lethal injection on October 14, 1999. His criminal exploits were the reasoning behind changing the parole qualifications in the Texas.
Police are asking anyone who might have lived in Portland during 1979 to come forward if they recognize the photo of McFadden. Detectives would like to learn more about his whereabouts while he was in the Pacific Northwest.
