REOPENED: Sisters In Death

Summary

Cold Case Files – REOPENED: Sisters In Death

Podcast: Cold Case Files (A&E / PodcastOne)
Host/Narrator: Marisa Pinson
Air Date: March 26, 2026

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Overview

This episode of Cold Case Files explores the chilling 1984 double homicide of sisters Wylene and Lily Kennedy in Houston, Texas. The story is told through the voices of family members, police investigators, and advocates, revealing the traumatic ripple effects of the unsolved case. Over thirty years later, advances in DNA technology—and relentless family advocacy—lead to a breakthrough and long-awaited, if bittersweet, justice.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Discovery of the Crime (01:41–05:10)

• Jack Kennedy, the sisters’ father, discovers their bodies after they miss a doctor's appointment. Wylene is found near the entryway; Lily, at her feet.
• Family's immediate reaction:

  "My uncle was shaking uncontrollably and crying uncontrollably. I don't know how he even stood up. Seeing that scene..." (05:10, Family Member)

2. Crime Scene Investigation (05:31–09:08)

• Victim profile: Wylene, outgoing stained glass artist and vintage clothing store owner; Lily, her more reserved, "girl-next-door" sister.
• Crime details:
  • Wylene suffered visible, severe injuries and apparent torture.
  • Lily was killed quickly with a single gunshot wound.
  • No forced entry—suggesting the sisters knew their killer.
  • Bloody footprints with a distinctive wavy design found in and near the house.
  • Despite ransacked appearance, valuables like $500 in cash and jewelry were left behind—implying the killer was looking for something else (possibly drugs).

3. Early Leads and Dead Ends (09:59–13:07)

• Eyewitness:
  • Neighbor sees an unknown man leaving with a cushion, which matches one missing from the house and is later found bloodied nearby.
  • Composite drawing created based on witness input, but family members find it unspecific.
• Medical examiner:
  • Wylene is sexually assaulted; seminal fluid collected.
  • DNA testing in 1984 limited—only blood type possible.
• Initial suspects:
  • Focus on both sisters' exes (Lily's ex-husband, Wylene's ex-boyfriend with drug connections). Both are cleared—Wylene's ex passes a polygraph; Lily's ex is physically incapable due to recent surgery.

4. Stalled Investigation and Family Trauma (17:15–22:11)

• Investigative leads fail to pan out:
  • Search for drug connections, revenge motives, and traceable suspects result in dead ends.
  • A promising tip about shoe treads leads to arrest of an unrelated man; disappointment follows as evidence doesn’t match.
• Lasting trauma for the family:

  "At such a young age in fifth grade, all I could think about, if that happened to my aunts, anybody could break into the house and kill me." (20:30, Jackie Elliott)

  • Jackie Elliott, the victims’ niece, describes living with fear after the murders.
  • The family is torn apart by grief; parents' marriage deteriorates, and mother Rose spirals emotionally.
• Victim advocacy:
  • Rose dedicates her life to keeping the case alive in public memory.

5. Family Advocacy Reignites the Case (23:05–24:16)

• Jackie inherits a box of case materials from her grandmother’s deathbed, pledging to never give up.

  "Most people inherit a jewelry box. I inherited a metal box... On her deathbed, my grandmother told me never to forget and try to make sure I continue the effort of getting this story out there." (23:05, Jackie Elliott)

6. Forensic Breakthrough – DNA & Fresh Leads (24:16–26:48)

• 2014: Cold case detective discovers viable biological evidence from the autopsy. DNA profile is developed.
• No match found in CODIS (national DNA database)—another setback.

7. Jailhouse Informant and Connection to the Suspect (26:48–29:46)

• A jailed man in Indiana contacts attorney Roy Dominguez, offering information for leniency.
  • Names Edmund Deegan as the killer.
  • Details: After the murders, Deegan asked the informant for help destroying evidence—including weapons and personal belongings of the Kennedys.
• The name is familiar to the victims’ family as a former business associate of Wylene.

8. Confrontation and DNA Match (29:04–30:27)

• Houston police confront Deegan; he categorically denies involvement but agrees to provide a DNA sample.
• DNA is a 1 in 1.4 billion match. The 30-year search for the killer is over.
• Jackie reflects:

  "If you compare a picture of Deegan at that time of his life to the composite drawing, you will see how similar both look to each other." (30:10, Jackie Elliott)

9. Plea Deal, Sentencing, and Injustice (31:22–33:17)

• Legal limitations:
  • DNA only links Deegan directly to Wylene’s murder (the sexual assault); no physical evidence for Lily’s murder.
  • Prosecutors secure a plea bargain: Deegan pleads guilty to Wylene’s murder, receives a 15-year sentence, while Lily's murder and rape charges are not pursued.
• Perspectives on the deal:

  "For Edmund Deegan, that was the deal of a lifetime." (31:56, Andy Kahn) "Was I happy with that? No. A human's life to steal one and deprive one is worth more than that. And it wouldn't hurt to know precisely what happened that morning." (32:00, Detective)

10. Release and Lasting Impact (32:37–34:29)

• Deegan’s early release:
  • Due to a 1977 Texas law on mandatory release for inmates with good behavior, Deegan is freed after serving less than 7 years.
  • Jackie expresses despair and lingering fear:

    "I've been told he's not allowed to be in Harris county here in Houston for the next 10 years. You're asking for a criminal to follow rules when they've broken so many already... The only way I'm ever gonna feel safe in this world is going to be either me dying or him dying." (33:56, Jackie Elliott)

• Advocate Andy Kahn criticizes the law’s effect on victims’ families.

11. Family Remembrance (34:29–35:08)

• Final reflections:

  "Even though they're not physically here with me to help me through this, they're still around me. They're like my angels." (34:49, Jackie Elliott)

• Family continues to honor Wylene and Lily’s memory.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "This crime was extremely horrific. It just doesn't even seem like another human being would be capable of this. My family was ripped apart... My grandmother told me never to forget, to keep fighting for the family and getting justice for my two aunts, Wylene and Lily."
  (01:41, Jackie Elliott)

• "Whoever had taken her life had spent some significant time harming Wylene. She was abused, if not tortured, prior to her death."
  (05:31, Detective/Investigator)

• "At such a young age in fifth grade, all I could think about, if that happened to my aunts, anybody could break into the house and kill me."
  (20:30, Jackie Elliott)

• "Jackie spent her life looking for ways that the case would get known and that the murderer could be found."
  (23:41, Family Member)

• On Deegan’s release:
  "This quirky law that Texas enacted in 1977 to alleviate prison overcrowding... basically stated any inmate... who committed a crime in Texas between 1977 in 1987 was eligible for automatic release. I guess they never thought that the after effects will haunt this state forever."
  (33:17, Andy Kahn)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |---|---| | 01:41 | Family discovers Wylene and Lily’s bodies | | 05:31 | Investigators describe the nature of the crime | | 06:32 | Family shares memories of Wylene and Lily | | 09:59 | Eyewitness sees suspect leaving crime scene | | 11:14 | Composite sketch and early leads | | 15:09 | Family's suspicions focus on Wylene's ex-boyfriend | | 17:15 | Both exes are cleared; case begins to stall | | 20:30 | Jackie Elliott describes her trauma | | 22:11 | Victim advocate on impact of cold cases | | 23:05 | Jackie inherits grandmother’s “metal box” | | 24:16 | New hope: DNA sample still viable in 2014 | | 26:48 | Jailhouse informant names Edmund Deegan | | 29:04 | Police interview Deegan, obtain DNA sample | | 30:27 | DNA match is confirmed | | 31:22 | Plea deal; justice and limitations | | 32:37 | Deegan’s release and family’s continued anguish | | 34:49 | Jackie's lasting tribute to Wylene and Lily |

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Tone and Language

The episode maintains a somber, reflective tone, punctuated by the haunted hopefulness of family members and professionals. Language is candid, compassionate, and respectful of the victims and those left behind. Family voices are especially poignant, and investigator commentary remains factual and empathetic.

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Conclusion

Sisters In Death is a powerful account of a double homicide that reverberated through one family for decades. Despite early investigative failures, the unwavering pursuit of justice by the victims’ family—particularly Jackie Elliott—eventually led to the identification and prosecution of the killer through DNA technology. Yet the ending is far from triumphant, with legal loopholes allowing the killer to walk free in under a decade—leaving behind unresolved grief and questions about the American justice system's handling of cold cases. The episode is both a testament to the resilience of survivors and a sobering indictment of the limits of the justice system.

Transcript

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[Narrator]

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[Narrator]

This episode contains descriptions of violence and sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

When my grandmother passed away, I inherited a metal box. It contains original newspaper articles, Wylene and Lily's death certificates. It was her collection of any kind of investigative material. This crime was extremely horrific. It just doesn't even seem like another human being would be capable of this. My family was ripped apart on her deathbed. My grandmother told me never to forget, to keep fighting for the family and getting justice for my two aunts, Wylene and Lily.

[Narrator]

There are 120,000 unsolved murders in America. Each one is a cold case. Only 1% are ever solved. This is one of those rare stories. It's the morning of March 5, 1984 in the neighborhood known as the Heights in Houston, Texas. The historic neighborhood is known for its artistic culture and vibrant scene. Creatives flock to the area to do what they love. Among people who have similar outlooks on life. It's exactly where The Kennedy sisters, 23 year old Lily and 33 year old Wylene, want to be. Wylene is a stained glass artist who adores the arts and music. She loves living in an area where she can walk to a club and listen to live music. And she loves having her sister Lily stay with her. Wylene and Lily's father, Jack Kennedy, also lives nearby in the Heights. On this particular morning, he's waiting to drive his daughters to a doctor's appointment, but they're late. Jack decides to walk over to the house around the corner. And when he arrives, he immediately notices that something isn't right. The front door is open. Jack runs inside and finds Wylene lying on the ground in the entryway. Lily is lying at her feet. Neither of his daughters are breathing. So Jack calls 911 and begs for medical assistance. There is nothing that can be done. Wylene and Lily are dead. Houston police officers quickly arrive at the scene and begin taking notes on the injuries seen on the victims bodies. Lily appears to have sustained a single gunshot wound to the head. There isn't much blood on the carpet beneath her, and there are no wounds on her hands or feet to indicate that she had a chance to defend herself. It's safe for the officers to assume she had been killed first. Wylene had suffered more obvious and severe injuries. She had been gagged and her underwear had been pulled down. Blood is pooled beneath her body and there are knife wounds on her throat. There's also a wound on her arm that looks like a gunshot. Wylene and Lily's cousin Deborah watches helplessly as Jack reacts to finding his daughters.

[Family Member (Possibly Jackie Elliott or another relative)]

My uncle was shaking uncontrollably and crying uncontrollably. I don't know how he even stood up. Seeing that scene,

[Narrator]

Sergeant Bob Deloney and the other officers can tell that the killer had focused their rage on Wylene.

[Detective/Investigator]

Whoever had taken her life had spent some significant time harming Wylene. She was abused, if not tortured, prior to her death.

[Family Member (Possibly Jackie Elliott or another relative)]

I feel like Walling was the target and that Lily was just used as another way to torture Wallene by killing her first.

[Narrator]

While the detectives continue searching for a motive, the victim's niece Jackie and the rest of their family try to confront the senseless loss.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

I used to spend the night at that house. My mom was crying because she knew I could have been. Wylene and Lily are my aunts. Wylene loved dancing and was very social. She had a vintage clothing store in the Heights area.

[Family Member (Possibly Jackie Elliott or another relative)]

The vintage clothing store was Wylene's passion. That was her goal, to find the most unique pieces of clothing she could.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

I loved going to visit my aunt Wylene. And spending the weekend with her because we would go to unusual places, clothing shopping. So some of the clothes I would wear to school, no one else had. Wylene was always very energetic, outgoing. She accepted absolutely everybody. She was a great person to look up to.

[Family Member (Possibly Jackie Elliott or another relative)]

Lily was a little more subdued, more calm, and very, I almost should say, within herself.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

Lily was more like your girl next door. Soft spoken, but very goofy. She's the type that would go and play pool with the boys at the bar. My first footsteps were from my grandmother to Lily. She was a big sister to me. Then all of a sudden, my aunts aren't there. They're just taken away from me.

[Family Member (Possibly Jackie Elliott or another relative)]

It was unbelievable. It was probably the most horrific day of my whole life.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

It was like a horror movie for Wylene, being tortured the last hour of her life.

[Narrator]

Crime scene investigators go over every inch of the house and they start to build a picture of what happened on the morning of this double murder. There is no sign of forced entry, so it seems as though the sisters knew the person well enough to let them inside. And from there, things escalated. Bloody footprints are found throughout the house. The footprints have a distinctive wavy design, like an athletic shoe. Another footprint with the same pattern is found around the corner and down the street from the murder scene, giving investigators a hint as to where the killer came from or ran to. It doesn't look to be a typical robbery gone wrong, as a couch cushion had been taken from Wylene's couch. And the investigators wonder if the killer had been looking for something specific.

[Detective/Investigator]

There's been a couple of rumors. Wylene is said to have told an associate that she had hidden some cocaine from her boyfriend in a cushion on the couch. But there was no evidence whatsoever of any kind of dope, anything of that nature.

[Family Member (Possibly Jackie Elliott or another relative)]

She was very neat, tidy person, but the house was ransacked and things were

[Detective/Investigator]

missing that would indicate somebody looking for something. But there was $500 cash and there was jewelry left in the house. But the amount of energy expended on Wylene led me to believe that somebody that wanted something from her or she had really, really made somebody.

[Narrator]

The double murder shocks the neighborhood, but the tortuous behavior of the killer puts pressure on the investigators to find the person responsible. Fast, they begin canvassing the Heights, looking for anyone who had seen or heard anything unusual the night of the murders. One neighbor recalls Lily knocking at her door at around 11pm she said that she had sprained her ankle and she asked for an ace bandage, but everything seemed to be fine. Another neighbor Says that she heard loud noises and shouting and what she thought were very loud thumping sounds at around 6, 6:30 that morning. The noises could well have been gunshots, since Wylene and Lily had both sustained gunshot wounds. A third neighbor helps the police narrow down the timeline and provides what could be a description of the killer.

[Detective/Investigator]

At 6:30 or so, he had gone out to get in his truck to get ready to go to work. He sees a guy come around the corner, and he's carrying a multicolored blanket and some clothing inside. And he's stumbling around and dropping stuff. What are you doing here? Why? Do I look like a burglar? Yes, you do. Well, I'm really embarrassed. My girlfriend and I just had a big argument and she threw me out. And this is the stuff I've got, and I'm just heading on out. That was the extent of that exchange. The person that was seen by the witness was rather clumsy, and he dropped a cushion from a loveseat. I had documented a cushion missing from a full loveseat from the house. And lo and behold, it's discovered around the corner we found it had blood on it. It was torn open, but there was nothing in it.

[Narrator]

The fact that the man had been carrying a cushion confirms that he had been inside Wylene's house, Which meant that the investigators had a witness, one who could help them prepare a composite sketch. Composite sketches are based on the description of a suspect by a witness, and they can potentially open dozens of leads.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

The first time I saw the composite drawing, it could be anybody. It just looked like a man to me. It was nobody I recognized.

[Narrator]

Unfortunately, no one seems to recognize the suspect from the sketch. And the police continue to canvass the neighborhood while the medical examiner performs the autopsies on the victims. Lily had been shot in the back of the head. The bullet had been lodged in her skull, but the catastrophic damage it caused led to her death. Wylene had been cut on her neck with a knife at least four times. She had died from blood loss as a result. Sexual assault examinations are conducted by the examiner on both victims. No seminal fluid is found on Lilly's swab, but there is semen present on Wylene's swab. In 1984, the testing that can be performed on seminal fluid is limited to narrowing down the person's blood type. DNA testing is still a developing technology. The investigators yield no further clues from the autopsy reports. So they turn to Lily and Wylene's father, Jack, to see if he knows anyone who has a grudge against his daughters.

[Detective/Investigator]

Jack had some reservations immediately about Wylene's former boyfriend, and Jack didn't shy away from having some thoughts not positive about Lily's ex husband.

[Family Member (Possibly Jackie Elliott or another relative)]

Unfortunately, Wallene and Lily both, I guess you would say, weren't good at picking men.

[Narrator]

Jack also tells the detectives that Lily's ex husband has recently made some threats and Wylene's ex boyfriend is involved with drugs. The investigators have two viable suspects, the victim's exes, and there is every likelihood that the killer is one of them.

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[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

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[Family Member (Possibly Jackie Elliott or another relative)]

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[Narrator]

Wylene and her boyfriend are not together at the time of the murders, but they had been in contact. Wylene and Lily's relatives have their suspicions about who had a motive to kill them.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

After the murders happened, it became clear that Wylene's boyfriend had Been involved in. In drug dealing. My family was convinced it was him. As a child, I knew Wylene's boyfriend as an uncle. He to me was a part of my family. I have a lot of great memories spending time with him. He was outgoing, made a lot of people laugh. So it was very hurtful for me to think that he had harmed my aunt.

[Narrator]

The police interview Wylene's example boyfriend. They are hopeful that they can close the case quickly. But her ex is cooperative. He doesn't ask for a lawyer and is open about his involvement with drugs. He's even willing to go in a lineup so the neighbors who saw a man in the area can see if he matches the description. The witness doesn't recognize him. And to fully clear his name, Wylene's ex takes a polygraph test. He passes with flying colors. With one ex in the clear, the police turned their attention to Lily's ex husband. The 10 year old gap between the sisters meant that they hadn't been especially close until they had both graduated from high school. As adults, they developed a close bond. And when Lily needed support, she turned to her older sister, Wylene. Lily had been staying with Wylene to escape a turbulent marriage. Her divorce had gone through just days before she was killed.

[Detective/Investigator]

Information came from the family members that he had made threats to harm her. Certainly the overwhelming number of victims know their assailants in the first place. But now we've got an ex husband. We interviewed him in Pasadena, which is a suburb city. We found that he was big and strong and strapping and not anything resembling the drawing. Also, he was on crutches. We found that he had had surgery and had to have discs removed.

[Narrator]

Doctors at the hospital confirm that there was no way Lily's ex would have been physically capable of committing the double murder. And with that, the only viable lead in the case disappears. It's disheartening to the detectives who have spent 10 days trying to track down the sadistic killer. And they turned to Wylene's friends and associates to get an idea of the lifestyle she had been living.

[Family Member (Possibly Jackie Elliott or another relative)]

She was just a young, beautiful woman wanting to have fun in many ways and experimenting in many ways.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

Being in the partying atmosphere, you are exposed to being around all sorts of people.

[Detective/Investigator]

Some of the people in the vintage clothing business were really, really into some cocaine dealing. Not to imply that she was a part of that, but had some associates. That gave us pause. We spent some time pursuing leads that Wylene's ex boyfriend had been involved with stealing Some drugs from some people. We spent a lot of time searching for people that might have been seeking revenge on him through the girls. There was a lot of dead ends.

[Narrator]

After two weeks, the case has stalled. But then a tipster calls Crime Stoppers and claims that he has seen shoe treads similar to those reported in Wylene's house. The police head to an alley by a small apartment around the corner from the crime scene where the anonymous caller reported seeing the distinctive wavy shoe tread. Sergeant Deloney has a good feeling about the lead when he spots the footprints in front of the door to the apartment.

[Detective/Investigator]

The occupant did not speak English. I speak Spanish, so I was able to converse with him. He granted us entrance to his house and immediately we found 24 marijuana cigarettes. And we found LSD in her freezer and found a big pistol that he had wrapped up. It turned out he was on lawfully in this country. We took him into custody and we immediately submitted the shoes to the crime lab. This offered hope and promise. But his shoes did not match the pattern from the house. The gun was tested. It was obvious that it had not fired the bullets. Our joy was short lived. He was not our guy. We were back to square one. We were striking out. Is definitely disappointing.

[Narrator]

The investigators aren't ready to give up. Sergeant Deloney still can't forget seeing Jack Kennedy after he had found his daughters murdered in such a horrifying way. But it's been three months and Wylene and Lily's loved ones are mired in a state of grief and despair.

[Family Member (Possibly Jackie Elliott or another relative)]

The thoughts never leave your mind. How can this person get by with murdering two young women? And then there's no word, no evidence. Nobody says anything. The murderer is never going to be found.

[Narrator]

The trauma has a lasting impact on Jackie, the victim's niece, who was just 11 years old at the time.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

At such a young age in fifth grade, all I could think about, if that happened to my aunts, anybody could break into the house and kill me. I had difficulty sleeping, walking around the house, locking doors, locking windows. Every adult around me was completely falling apart. I felt like I had to, even though I was so young, I just. I had to be strong. My grandfather, as a father, finding his daughters like that, he had ptsd. He had nightmares.

[Narrator]

Wylene and Lily's parents had separated after many years of marriage, and their already strained relationship worsened as their mother, Rose, felt that their father should have known more because he lived so close to Wylene and Lily. Jack Kennedy blamed himself for not being there to Protect his daughters. And the tragedy has a ripple effect throughout the entire family.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

My mom went down a very bad path. She didn't know how to live. After this,

[Narrator]

the leads dwindle. Months pass, and nothing new comes up. After two years, the case of the murdered Kennedy sisters goes cold. Crimestoppers victims advocate Andy Kahn knows how stalled investigations impact those left behind.

[Andy Kahn (Crime Stoppers Victims Advocate)]

I can tell you from someone who's worked with homicide survivors now for just about 30 years, to have a case like that go cold, it's got a gnaw at you.

[Family Member (Possibly Jackie Elliott or another relative)]

It scares you because you think the same thing is going to happen to you or to your child. Like my only daughter. Could somebody come back and do that to her? It's so hard to think that a murderer got away.

[Narrator]

Wylene and Lily's mother, Rose, makes it her life's work to ensure her daughter's stories are not forgotten. On each of the anniversaries of the murders, Rose visits the grave sites and contacts media outlets to keep the tragedy in the minds of the public. It's 2007, and after decades without a decent lead, Jackie Elliott carries on her grandmother's fight for justice for Wylene and Lily.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

When my grandmother passed away, most people inherit a jewelry box. I inherited a metal box. It contains original newspaper articles. It has a newspaper clipping of the composite drawing. It was her collection of any kind of investigative material. On her deathbed, my grandmother told me never to forget and try to make sure I continue the effort of getting this story out there.

[Family Member (Possibly Jackie Elliott or another relative)]

Jackie spent her life looking for ways that the case would get known and that the murderer could be found.

[Narrator]

Seven more years pass, and it's now 2014. Three decades since Jackie's aunts were murdered.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

On the 30th year anniversary, I decided to pick up the phone and call at Houston police department. I was nervous. They connected me to the cold case detective. I was able to find out some great news.

[Narrator]

The Houston police cold case detective assigned to the case found that there was still a viable sample of fluids that had been collected by the medical examiner at the time of the autopsy. The sample is sent off to the lab and a DNA profile is developed. There is finally some substantial evidence that can definitively connect someone to the crime. But they just have to find a suspect to compare it to.

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[Narrator]

After decades of fruitless searching, a DNA profile provides a much needed ray of hope. But that hope is quickly dashed when no matches are found on the national DNA database CODIS. It's now September 10, 2014, and a single phone call to Indiana attorney Roy Dominguez changes everything.

[Roy Dominguez (Indiana Attorney)]

I got a phone call early morning, maybe 12:30, one o' clock in the morning from someone who was in jail in our community in Lake County, Indiana. This person, whom I had met before, had important matters to discuss about a cold case in Houston, Texas.

[Narrator]

A defendant who has been convicted and sentenced to spend a long time behind bars wants to barter some of his information for his freedom.

[Roy Dominguez (Indiana Attorney)]

He mentioned the Kennedy sisters, but he right away mentioned who had committed these murders. The name of the murderer was Edmund Deegan. That morning I called Houston Police Department.

[Narrator]

The cold case investigator travels to meet with the jailhouse informant. He tells the investigator that Edmund Deegan came to him back in 1984 in Houston and asked for his help.

[Roy Dominguez (Indiana Attorney)]

So my client and Edmund Deegan were associates. Deegan came over and with the duffel bag with stuff in there, Deegan told my client that he had just killed two people and that he needed to get rid of this evidence. I asked my client for a sledgehammer because he also had a gun and a knife, but she broke into pieces. He had her purse and some personal belongings that belonged to the Kennedy sisters. They went in the back and they started a fire, and he threw the items in there.

[Narrator]

The investigator begins to cross reference the information that's provided and learns that Degan was working in the same circles as Wylene in the vintage clothing business.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

My uncle, the brother of Wylene and Lily, immediately recognized the name Edmund Deegan, being one of Wylene's business associates, and had met Edmund Degan. So it was a little startling that it was someone that Wylene actually knew.

[Narrator]

The Houston police tracked down Deegan and questioned him on December 9, 2014. Deegan denies having any sexual relationship with Wylene or being present on the night of the double homicide, but he agrees to come back to the station two days later and speak with detectives again.

[Edmund Deegan (Suspect)]

Appreciate you coming down. No problem. And I'll be honest with you. Somebody's naming you. Well, it's not me. 30 years later, right? And they've got it. Okay. It's not me, officer on the up, But I did not kill anybody. Honestly, what I believe is that you did go over there and you did get involved in this whole thing. I promise you, I did not kill anyone. I don't care what anybody says. I was not involved in that murder of that girl. Right. It's not true, Officer. I mean, I'm serious. You willing to give me a swab, Like a buckle swab? Sure, I guess so. I mean, I don't have any choice. Well, it's better if you just go along with it. Yeah, I'm going along with it. Instead of arguing with me? Yeah. Yeah.

[Narrator]

Deegan continues to deny any part in the murders, but he agrees to a buckle swab on the inside of his mouth, which provides the investigators with his DNA. The swab is sent to the lab to be compared to the sample taken during Wylene's autopsy. And while they are awaiting the results, Jackie is confident that they will finally be able to put a name to the sketch made 30 years earlier.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

I believe that the composite drawing from the neighbor was Deegan. If you compare a picture of Deegan at that time of his life to the composite drawing, you will see how similar both look to each other.

[Narrator]

On December 26, the results come back and Deegan cannot be excluded. They have their guy and it is a 1 in 1.4 billion match. The finding and the chance of long awaited justice feels bittersweet.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

It's very sad that my grandmother, my grandfather and my mother did not live long enough to see the arrest. Edmund Deegan was arrested for the murders of Wylene and Lily. But the prosecutor was very clear to me that this case was going to be hard. Just because someone raped someone doesn't automatically mean they had murdered them. Unfortunately, other than the DNA, there's no other tangible evidence.

[Narrator]

Without a strong enough case against Degan to try him for both murders, the prosecutors are forced to make a deal. They could connect him to Wylene's death by the DNA evidence, but not Lily's death. So Deegan is offered a plea bargain. If he pleaded guilty to Wylene's murder, he would avoid the rape charges. Lily was not listed on the charge sheet, leaving her as an unnamed victim. Deegan accepts the deal and as a result receives a 15 year sentence for Wylene's murder.

[Andy Kahn (Crime Stoppers Victims Advocate)]

For Edmund Deegan, that was the deal of a lifetime.

[Detective/Investigator]

Was I happy with that? No. A human's life to steal one and deprive one is worth more than that. And it wouldn't hurt to know precisely what happened that morning. I believe that he went to find cocaine, according to the story that she had some hidden from her ex boyfriend and things did not proceed the way he anticipated. But he did have a weapon with him. He had two weapons with him. And when things went south, he ended up using those weapons.

[Narrator]

While the short sentence leaves Jackie and her family reeling, there is one more crushing blow of injustice ahead. In December 2021, Edmund Deegan is released from prison after serving just a few years of his sentence.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

The murderer Deegan's back on the streets. He's out. Whether I like it or anyone likes it, a Texas law let him out after serving less than seven years of a 15 year sentence. I had such a difficult time, but Andy has been a major support to me. He was the one that helped me learn and understand the law and why all these things were happening.

[Andy Kahn (Crime Stoppers Victims Advocate)]

This quirky law that Texas enacted in 1977 to alleviate prison overcrowding, it's called a mandatory release law, basically stated any inmate, it didn't matter if you murdered somebody, if you raped somebody, even if you were a serial killer who committed a crime in Texas between 1977 in 1987 was eligible for automatic release. As long as they maintained good behavior in prison. I guess they never thought that the after effects will haunt this state forever.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

Six years, really? For such a violent, disgusting act. The only place he belongs is behind bars or in a grave. I've been told he's not allowed to be in Harris county here in Houston for the next 10 years. You're asking for a criminal to follow rules when they've broken so many already. Honestly. Honestly, the only way I'm ever gonna feel safe in this world is going to be either me dying or him dying.

[Narrator]

Wylene and Lillie Kennedy have not been forgotten. And thanks to their dedicated family members, their memory will live on.

[Family Member (Possibly Jackie Elliott or another relative)]

I miss them and I want to hold them and I want them back. I want to see their smiling faces.

[Jackie Elliott (Victim's Niece)]

I love them, Wylene and Lily. Even though they're not physically here with me to help me through this, they're still around me. They're like my angels.

[Narrator]

Cold Case Files is hosted by Paula Barros. It's produced by the Law and Crime Network and written by Eileen McFarlane and Emily G. Thompson. Our composer is Blake Maples. For A and E, our senior producer is John Thrasher and our supervising producer is McKamey Lin. Our executive producers are Jesse Katz, Maite Cueva and Peter Tarshis. This podcast is based on A&E's Emmy winning TV series, Cold Case Files. For more Cold case files, visit aetv.com.

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[Family Member (Possibly Jackie Elliott or another relative)]

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[Detective/Investigator]

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