' fill='%231ec7e2'/%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Advanced Search
Tammy Welch
Status: SOLVED
City: Jacksonville
State: Florida
County: Duval County
Date of death: August 27, 1984
Age: 10
Gender: Female
Race: Caucasian/White
Cause of death: Ligature Strangulation
Anniversary month: August
LEA: Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Jacksonville, Florida
Case Description
***UPDATE***
On April 18, 2021, James Leon Jackson died in prison while serving a life sentence for the rape and murder of 10-year-old Tammy Welch.
On November 30, 2018, James Leon Jackson was convicted of First Degree Murder and Sexual Battery upon a person less than 12 years of age. The State sought the death penalty in the case, and on December 20, 2018, the penalty phase of the trial concluded with a jury recommendation of Life in Prison without the possibility of parole. The jury voted 11 for life and 1 for death.
In January 2013, a partial DNA profile identified James Leon Jackson as a suspect. Jackson occasionally stayed with family members who lived in the apartment next to Tammy's family. He was arrested on February 5, 2013, but faced federal drug charges and sentencing before his trial for Tammy's murder.
On August 27, 1984, the body of 10-year-old Tammy Welch was discovered in the courtyard outside her family's apartment building. She had been assaulted, strangled, and dumped. Tammy's family was moving from the apartment to US Navy base housing when she was snatched and killed. Her father was on deployment at the time.
Submit A Case
If you have lost a loved one to an unsolved homicide, that took place at least one year ago, please submit your case to our staff. We provide free, ongoing advocacy for you, and your loved one.
