October 20, 2025 | By: Jacob Justice

This story is part of a collaborative project between Project: Cold Case and the University of North Florida’s Applied Journalism class.

Julia Golden loved stories—reading them, writing them, and capturing them in photographs. At home in McGehee, Arkansas, she spent her days with her 3-year-old daughter, Vanessa, reading books and snapping pictures of the little girl she adored.

“She loved to read with me,” Vanessa said. “Even at three, three and a half, I was already reading. And she loved taking pictures—especially of me. She thought I was the cutest baby ever.”

But their story was cut short.

On the morning of September 24, 1989, Julia was found murdered in the living room of her apartment. Vanessa, just three years old, discovered her mother’s body and ran next door to the apartment manager, Sharon Bordeaux, who was also a close friend of Julia’s. Julia had been stabbed more than 100 times. There were no signs of forced entry or struggle, leading investigators to believe the killer may have been someone she knew.

Despite two arrests, multiple trials, and even more suspects. Julia’s murder remains unresolved.

Julia was well known in McGehee. She taught special education at Dermott High School, working with 33 students—many of whom needed extra support. “She taught a few subjects, including math,” Vanessa said. “From what I know, she just believed there was no excuse for anyone not to reach their full potential. She had a heart for people who needed a little more help.”

Outside of work, Julia was expressive, passionate, and deeply involved in her community. She kept journals, volunteered at her church, and was active in her sorority. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway and was known for her energy, her voice, and her unwavering presence.

After Julia’s death, Vanessa’s world changed overnight. Raised by her grandmother, she lived under constant protection and fear. “The freedom I felt with my mother was gone,” Vanessa said. “My grandmother was so afraid something might happen to me, too.”

Even in a small town like McGehee, the fear was overwhelming. Her grandmother no longer trusted the community. By the time Vanessa was five, they had moved to Texas, hoping to find peace and safety.

Vanessa’s childhood was shaped by caution. She wasn’t allowed outside alone, not even to get the mail. “My grandmother was very old,” Vanessa said. “So, I had to help her with a lot—writing checks, reading documents. I was very advanced for my age.”

Despite the restrictions, Vanessa speaks of her grandmother with deep love and gratitude. “She loved me like her own daughter,” she said. “Everything she did was to protect me.”

Now a mother herself, Vanessa carries Julia’s spirit into every corner of her life. Her children know the strength of the woman they never met—because that strength lives in the way Vanessa leads, loves, and believes.

“There’s nothing in the world I don’t think I can do—and my kids feel the same way,” she said. “I know I inherited so much of her strength.”

Julia Golden’s legacy is more than resilience. It’s the boldness of a woman who saw potential in every child, who gave her heart to her community, and who left behind a daughter determined to speak her name with purpose.

“She was taken far too soon,” Vanessa said. “But I carry her in my voice, in my children, and in the way I choose to live. Her story didn’t end that day—it lives on through me.”
Sent from my iPhone

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Anyone with information concerning Julia Golden’s unsolved homicide is asked to call the McGehee Police Department at (870) 222-3636 or the Desha County Sheriff’s Office at (870) 877-2580. To remain anonymous and possibly be eligible for a reward, call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

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