After 15 years, suspect in custody for Georgetown murder
DNA matches biological evidence from the crime scene, district attorney says

By Katie Humphrey

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Friday, November 4, 2005

GEORGETOWN -- Nearly 15 years after 85-year-old Thelma Lackey's son found her raped and killed in the kitchen of her Georgetown home, law enforcement officials have identified a suspect.

Vincent Gordon, 31, is being held at the Williamson County Jail in connection with Lackey's death after investigators matched his DNA to biological evidence found at the scene of the crime, District Attorney John Bradley said.

Gordon, who was 16 when Lackey was killed, has not yet been charged because officials first must petition the Williamson County Juvenile Court to certify him to be tried as an adult. Bradley said he will ask the grand jury to indict Gordon on a charge of capital murder if he is certified to be tried as an adult.

County Attorney Jana Duty, who handles juvenile cases, said her office is drafting the petition and expects a decision on Gordon's status to be made by a judge in the next few weeks.

Lackey's son, former Georgetown City Council Member Marvin Lackey, found her dead Nov. 24, 1990, in her home in the 1500 block of Maple Street. A report from the Travis County medical examiner's office said the cause of death was strangulation by hand in association with rape.

"The evidence seemed to indicate that she had been killed in the course of a burglary," said Georgetown Police Chief David Morgan. "This remained an active case, and despite its intensive investigative work over the last almost 15 years, we were unable to identify a suspect."

In 1990, DNA was just beginning to be used in forensic investigations, Bradley said. Investigators periodically checked DNA collected at the crime scene with the statewide database of DNA collected from convicted felons.

Gordon has numerous felony and misdemeanor convictions, including felony convictions for burglaries in Williamson and Travis counties. He is in the DNA database, but only since May, when he began serving a 12-year sentence for the Travis County conviction.

He previously served a sentence for the Williamson County conviction, but that was before Texas began collecting DNA from felons.

Two months ago, investigators again checked the Lackey crime scene evidence against the database and got a hit, Bradley said.

Gordon was in Bradshaw State Jail in Rusk County for the Travis conviction when he was released to Williamson County on a bench warrant Oct. 18, said Mike Viesca, Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman.

"We were lucky because he was already in custody," Bradley said. "We did not have to feel the pressure of making an arrest as soon as we identified him."

If tried as an adult and convicted, Gordon could face a maximum of life in prison. Death sentences are not an option for someone who was younger than 18 when the crime occurs, even if that person is tried as an adult. Bradley said he would seek a life sentence.

Lackey's family, which includes Williamson County Commissioner Lisa Birkman, issued a statement Thursday but did not return phone calls seeking comment.

"We would like to thank the various law enforcement agencies for their work on this case, especially the Texas Rangers of the Department of Public Safety," the statement said. "We are encouraged that a suspect has been identified."