Stella Ellen[1] McLean (née: Josiassen), (May 31, 1932 - c. February 1978) was a woman who disappeared from Scottsbluff, Nebraska on February 7, 1978. She was found murdered in Platte County, Wyoming on April 15, 1978 and she was identified in March 1983. Henry Lee Lucas confessed to killing her, but he later recanted.
Disappearance[]
Stella McLean, a schoolteacher and resident of Gering, Nebraska, disappeared from a restaurant in Scottsbluff on February 7, 1978. She was never seen or heard from again.
Discovery and Identification[]
On April 15, 1978, the decapitated body of a woman was discovered near Interstate 25 and about two miles north of Wheatland. She was found to have been raped, strangled, and then decapitated. Her head was never recovered. No clothing or identification was found with her.
Through unknown means, the victim was identified as Stella in March 1983.
Investigation[]
Henry Lee Lucas confessed to killing Stella after being convicted of killing Becky Powell and Kate Rich. He stated that Ottis Toole, Becky, and Frank Powell were his accomplices. However, the Lucas Report states the Powell siblings were present at their school in Florida the day Stella disappeared, which indicates they were not involved.
In September 1984, Jim Larson/Lawson, an investigator for the Scotts Bluff County Sheriff's Department in Nebraska, questioned Lucas about Stella's murder. Larson/Lawson stated, "I purposely tried to trick him several times during the interview, but to no avail. We even tried to 'feed' him another homicide from our area to see if he was confessing to anything and everything in an effort to build a name for himself, but he denied any participation in the crime." Apparently, Lucas offered compelling testimony to support his claims of killing Stella McLean.
While in custody, Lucas and Toole confessed to killing over a hundred people with the Lucas Task Force, headed by the Texas Rangers, and closing 213 murder cases. However, it was eventually determined that Lucas had falsely confessed to most of the cases, with authorities greatly enabling him by bribing him with privileges or letting him read cold case files to confess. Later, Lucas would recant all of his confessions, including this one. Eventually, he was convicted of eleven murders and suspected of more and died on March 12, 2001.
Stella McLean's murder remains unsolved. Nebraska and Wyoming authorities are investigating.
Sources[]
- Stella McLean at Find a Grave
- The Lucas Report
- Murderpedia
- Henry Lee Lucas on Wikipedia
- Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation
Notes[]
- ↑ Some sources list the victim's middle name as "Elaine."