In May 1996, 24-year-old Julianne Williams and 26-year-old Laura Winans set off on a weeklong camping trip in Shenandoah National Park. The two experienced hikers were eager to immerse themselves in the beauty of the Virginia wilderness. The adventure was a celebration of sorts. Julie and Lollie, as they were known to friends, had recently moved in together in Vermont, a major step in their relationship. The young women had not yet come out to their families back home in the Midwest, and were still adjusting to life as an openly gay couple. 

On May 31, 1996, Julie’s father reported the couple missing as they’d been due home three days earlier. The two women’s bodies were discovered the next day. They’d been brutally assaulted and murdered. A widespread investigation to find their killer ensued, but would ultimately lead to the wrong man. Julie and Lollie’s families would have to wait decades for answers, and the close of their case would be deeply disappointing for some. 

Subscribe to Jami’s YouTube channel @JamiOnAir: https://www.youtube.com/@jamionair

Sponsors:

Shopify: Visit shopify.com/murderish (all lowercase) to sign up for a $1/month trial period.

Gabb: Visit gabb.com/murderish for the best deals, no contract required.

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Program: Visit ASPCApetinsurance.com/murderish to explore coverage.

Dirty Money Moves: Women in White Collar Crime - Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirty-money-moves-women-in-white-collar-crime/id1619521092.

Lipstick & Lies - Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lipstick-lies/id1704189120

Research and writing by: K. Brant.

Want to advertise on this show? We’ve partnered with Cloud10 Media to handle our advertising requests. If you’re interested in advertising on MURDERISH, please send an email to Sahiba Krieger [email protected] and copy [email protected]. 

Visit Murderish.com to learn more about the podcast and Creator/Host, Jami, and to view a list of sources for this episode. 

Listening to this podcast doesn’t make you a murderer, it just means you’re murder..ish.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices