DNA: ID – Velma Nesset Part 1 of 2

Date: May 26, 2025
Host: AbJack Entertainment

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the 1982 murder of Velma Nesset, a beloved Odessa, Texas cleaning lady, exploring how her case unfolded, stalled, and was later reinvigorated by advances in DNA testing. The show dissects the original investigation, the complex story of suspect Johnny Ray Foote, and the pivotal role of forensic evidence—setting the stage for how genetic genealogy may offer answers decades later. As always, the podcast blends narrative crime storytelling with an eye for investigative detail, aiming to answer not only the "who," but also the "why" behind this cold case.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Disappearance and Crime Scene Discovery

• Velma Nesset's Routine and Disappearance
  • Velma was highly reliable, arriving early for her 5am cleaning shifts at the Permian Mall.
  • On April 19, 1982, she failed to show up for work, prompting concern from her manager and daughter.
  • (04:00) "[Velma] was never late for work. She showed up for her 5am shift every day she was scheduled without fail. If she couldn't come in, she always rang the office to inform them."
• Discovery of Velma's Body
  • Officer Gilbert and Detective Sergeant Morris traced her normal route, discovering her body in a drainage culvert beneath the mall's northwest entrance around 1pm.

Profile of the Victim

• Who Was Velma Nesset?
  • Quiet, kind, and grandmotherly, Velma was a devout Christian, close with her daughter Joyce, and described by coworkers as universally beloved.
  • Velma had relocated to Texas to stay close to Joyce after her daughter's marriage, taking modest jobs to make ends meet.

Crime Scene and Forensic Evidence

• Condition and Location of the Body
  • (10:36) "When they lifted her onto the gurney, a small knife that had been tangled up in her clothing clattered to the ground. It was a folding fishing knife with a yellow handle."
  • A second knife, a serrated steak knife, fell out during the first autopsy examination.
  • Clothing was partly removed then redressed, suggesting possible sexual assault, but no evidence was found for rape by the standards of the day.
  • (12:35) "There was so little blood at the scene because Velma had bled internally."
• Key Medical Findings
  • Cause of death: A stab wound to the neck, severing the left external jugular vein.
  • A blow to the back of her head suggested she may have been stunned and dragged.
  • No sperm was found on swabs; vaginal, anal, and oral swabs were taken and tested using a microscope, methods far less sensitive than today's.

Early Suspects & Police Investigation

• Focus on Co-workers and Nearby Residents
  • Several mall employees and neighbors were questioned, notably Johnny Ray Foote, M. Hensley, and David C., each under suspicion for various circumstantial reasons (knife collection, suspicious statements, finding a knife at the scene).
  • Sally Smith, a close friend of Velma's, witnessed a man walking away from the scene around the time of the murder (34:40):
    • "He looked back at her. He was walking north on Tanglewood by the east curb line, moving briskly away from the spot where Velma would later be found. Police came to believe that Sally likely saw Velma's murderer leaving the scene."
• Investigation Techniques
  • Police relied on interviews, polygraphs, and physical evidence—often marred by confusion or gaps in documentation, especially regarding polygraph results and timelines.

The Case Against Johnny Ray Foote

• Johnny Ray Foote: Background and Confession
  • A maintenance worker at the mall, Johnny was intellectually disabled ("IQ only a point or two above" mental retardation, p. 47:35) and described as naive and highly impressionable.
  • He became the prime suspect, largely based on a confession obtained after extensive police pressure and repeated polygraphs, despite protestations of his innocence and lack of physical evidence.
  • (43:28): "I got to work at 5am and I turned on the water. I made my run on the roof. And after this I met Velma walking to work. When I met Velma, I met her on the concrete in the ditch and then forced her underneath the bridge where I raped her. And then I killed her with a knife… I would like to say I don't know why I did it. I think I might be crazy."
• Problems with the Confession
  • Confession contained inconsistencies and details accessible from open discussion among police and mall staff, raising doubts about its veracity.
  • Johnny’s defense successfully argued his confession was coerced due to his limited mental capacity and frequent, intense questioning.
• Alibi and Evidence
  • Multiple reliable witnesses (co-workers, carpoolers) placed Johnny elsewhere during the time window the murder must have happened.
  • No forensic evidence connected Johnny to the crime.

Memorable Quote

• "[Johnny's] mental state rendered him unable to handle stress and making a false confession to end police harassment was consistent with his psychological condition." — Dr. Olson, psychologist (49:12)

• "There was zero evidence linking Johnny to Velma's murder other than his somewhat vague and erroneous confession. It took the jury three hours to decide there was reasonable doubt. Johnny was acquitted on May 19, 1984." (52:18)

Aftermath: Stalemate and Dormancy

• Case Dormancy and Defense Critique
  • Following Johnny’s acquittal, police lost investigative momentum—a common phenomenon in cases hinging on a single suspect who is later eliminated.
  • Criticisms included tunnel vision, failure to follow up on other leads, and ignoring viable alternate suspects or witness reports.

New Developments & Forensic Breakthroughs

• 2006–2011: DNA Testing and Renewed Investigation
  • In 2006, both Johnny Foote and former suspect M. Hensley resurfaced, each curious about the investigation’s status, prompting the Texas Rangers to revisit the case.
  • Modern STR DNA testing generated a male profile from a semen stain on Velma’s coat—an astonishing find given the evidence’s age and storage.
  • (56:29): "A stain on the lower right portion of the outside of Velma's coat proved to be semen. And shockingly...the seminal fluid stain still yielded a viable single source male STR DNA profile suitable for entry into CODIS."
  • Neither Johnny Foote nor M. Hensley matched the DNA profile, and both were ruled out as suspects.
  • The DNA did not match any profiles in CODIS, but it set the stage for possible investigative genetic genealogy in the future.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Velma’s Character

  • “She was grandmotherly, a nice little old lady, someone they all doted on like an elderly relative. Person after person reported to the investigators. She always kept the mall office and employee rooms clean, the coffee on and so on. She was meticulous and liked things just so, but approached people with a smile and was generous.” (06:00)

• On the Crime Scene

  • “There was quite a bit of blood around her neck and chest area...Velma was stripped nude on her bottom half with her muddy light blue tennis shoes still on and then redressed with the pants inside out.” (14:01)

• On the Justice System’s Failures

  • “As it seems is the case in many homicide investigations in which the investigators get tunnel vision on one suspect, when that suspect ... was eliminated, it took the wind out of the Odessa Authority’s sails. The case went dormant for more than two decades.” (52:32)

• On the Potential Power of DNA and Genealogy

  • “A stain on the lower right portion of the outside of Velma’s coat proved to be semen. And shockingly, even though the coat had been stored in the Odessa Police evidence room since 1982, the seminal fluid stain still yielded a viable single source male STR DNA profile suitable for entry into CODIS. This was done in July 2009, but no hits were generated.” (56:29)

Important Timestamps & Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |---------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:00 | Background on Velma Nesset, discovery of her disappearance, and the timeline leading to the recovery of her body. | | 12:35 | Description and analysis of Velma's autopsy and the puzzling forensic details. | | 27:55 | Introduction of early suspects and their interactions with law enforcement. | | 34:40 | Sally Smith's eyewitness account of a possible suspect leaving the area. | | 43:28 | Reading of Johnny Ray Foote’s confession and the context surrounding it. | | 49:12 | Testimony regarding Johnny’s psychological vulnerabilities and the potential for a false confession. | | 52:18 | Summary of trial outcome—Johnny’s acquittal and the subsequent dormancy of the case. | | 56:29 | DNA breakthrough: discussion of how modern testing yielded a full male profile, eliminating prior suspects. |

Tone and Language

The episode maintains a deeply empathetic and investigative tone, blending matter-of-fact reporting with narrative flourishes that humanize both the victim and the main figures in the case. The language is sensitive to both Velma’s legacy and the complexities of false confessions, mental disability, and police tunnel vision. The host maintains a clear, explanatory approach, focusing on both storytelling and forensic/justice system critique.

Conclusion & Next Steps

The episode ends on a note of hope and unresolved anticipation:

• The renewed DNA evidence offers the first substantive lead in decades, with both primary suspects ruled out scientifically.
• This sets the stage for using investigative genetic genealogy to finally answer who killed Velma Nesset—and, just as importantly, why.
• Part 2 is teased as being available immediately, promising to follow these new leads and explore subsequent developments.