Debra Jeter is an American woman who will forever be remembered as a mother who attacked her two daughters, Kiersten and Kelsey Jeter, in June 2009. It was an attack that resulted in the death of Kelsey, the younger of the two daughters, and left Kiersten fighting for her dear life at the time.
Following the attack, Debra, a trained nurse, called 911 to disclose her crime and admit to the murder of one of her daughters, while also informing the operator that the other was barely hanging on.
Despite her medical qualifications, she, however, failed to administer any medical care to the child who had survived. This absurd and shocking event happened more than a decade ago, but the disastrous effects will not easily be discarded from our memories. Here is everything you need to know about the woman responsible and the finer details of her crime.
Summary of Debra Jeter’s Bio
- Full name: Debra Janelle Jeter
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: November 20, 1962
- Place of birth: Randolph County, Georgia, United States
- Debra Jeter’s Age: 61 years old
- Ethnicity: Caucasian
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Divorced
- Debra Jeter’s Ex-Husband: Lester “Lee” Jeter
- Debra Jeter’s Children: 2, Kiersten Jeter, Kelsey Jeter (deceased)
- Debra Jeter’s Parents: Billy (father, deceased) Palona (mother, deceased)
- Eye color: Black
- Hair color: Black
- Profession: Nurse
- Famous for: Killing one of her daughters
Debra Jeter Was Born In Randolph County, Georgia
Debra Jeter’s full name is Debra Janelle Jeter. She was born on November 20, 1962, in Randolph County, Georgia, United States. She is currently 61 years old, and her birth sign is Scorpio.
Not much is known about Debra’s early life or birth family background except for the fact that she was born to a Georgia-based couple named Billy and Palona, both of whom are now late, according to verified sources.
We also have no way of knowing if she is the only child of her parents, as news about her life has mainly focused on the events that led to her being in the spotlight in the first place. Details of her formal educational background have also yet to be unveiled but we can confirm the fact that she is a trained nurse.
Debra Jeter’s Marriage To Lee Jeter Ended In Divorce
Prior to the largely distasteful debacle that claimed the life of one of her children, Debra Jeter was a happily married woman, albeit one with severe mental health challenges that even led to her being committed to a mental health facility in 2004 for abusing one of her daughters.
Again, the few details available on her failed marriage include the fact that she was married to a man named Lester “Lee” Jeter, of whom very little is known. We also don’t know when they got married but several sources have confirmed that things between the former couple turned sour to the point where Lee filed for divorce in May 2009.
Debra Tried To Commit Suicide In Front Of Her Children
On a side note, quite integral to this story, Debra and Lee had two children, daughters Kiersten and Kelsey, during their time as a married couple. While it has yet to be proven, it is hard not to make a case for the fact that the relationship between Debra and her now ex-husband deteriorated because of how she occasionally treated the kids.
Unable to deal with the impending reality of a life without her husband and kids, the Randolph County-born mother of two reacted by resorting to drastic measures to register her displeasure concerning the impending divorce. The one that stood out though, was her attempted suicide, in front of the kids in May 2009, the same month her then-husband filed for divorce.
Debra’s Ex-Husband Got A Restraining Order Against Her
If Debra thought her shenanigans would garner the sympathy of her husband and make him change his mind about the divorce, she must have been disappointed when it only further alienated him to the point where he was genuinely concerned for the welfare of the kids, and the potential threat her continued presence around them posed.
He reacted by getting a court-approved restraining order against her, an order which also granted him temporary custody of the children.
Many people have wondered how things would have turned out if the restraining order had remained in place, but we will never know because the judge in charge of the divorce proceedings lifted the restraining order, thereby giving Debra access to the children without supervision.
The Murder Of One Of Her Daughters Was Pre-Planned By Debra
The sequence of events that followed the lifting of the restraining order is probably stuff that can only be conjured in horror movies. We can only say that the entire plot of the bizarre events that led to the murder of one of her daughters was carefully hatched in the mentally challenged mind of Debra Jeter.
The first stage of the plan was a prearranged visit with her daughters which took place on June 5, 2009. Then 13-year-old Kiersten and 12-year-old Kelsey were elated at the prospect of seeing their mother after following the 15 days that the restraining order had lasted, but they were also blissfully ignorant of what awaited them.
When they arrived, she told them that she had a surprise for them and proceeded to take them to an abandoned house in the rural Texas area, far from the comfort and security of their home, and unleashed the chilling mayhem we know about today on them.
Debra Jeter Sliced The Throat Of Her Daughter, Kelsey
When they were all ensconced in the abandoned house together, Debra put the final stage of her plans in motion. She brandished a knife that alerted the girls to the fact that they were in trouble. She started by stabbing her oldest daughter, Kiersten, in the back.
Despite her predicament, the older Jeter daughter was wise to the fact that their mother intended to kill both her and her sister, and screamed for her sister to run for her life. Even with her injuries, Kiersten did her best to stop Debra from attacking Kelsey but was ultimately unsuccessful.
Debra caught up with Kelsey and proceeded to slice her throat with the knife. Autopsy later showed that the cut on the throat was the killing blow. Kiersten, on the other hand, managed to cling to dear life while desperately pleading with her mother to get help.
The Call For “Help”
As if a switch had been turned on, Debra Jeter went ahead to call for help, and during the call, she blatantly admitted to the fact that she had just killed one of her two daughters while also telling the operator that the other one was critically injured. Her reaction to the whole thing was interpreted as ‘cold’ by the operator and the health care professionals who arrived on the scene first.
No one understands why but her actions after committing the crime were entirely opposite to what she had planned to achieve at the abandoned house, perhaps because there was a survivor. It’s important to note that during the call, Debra had informed the operator to tell the police not to shoot because she was unarmed.
When they eventually arrived, they found her with her hands raised while the murder weapon was on the top of a vehicle that was parked close by. They arrested her immediately, and because of her history of mental health issues, as well as a result of the heinous crime she had just committed, she was placed on suicide watch at the Hill Country Law Enforcement Center.
Debra Jeter Faced Murder And Attempted Capital Murder ChargesÂ
Unsurprisingly, Debra Jeter was charged with murder and attempted capital murder, and the prosecution unapologetically set out to hold her solely accountable for the death of her daughter, Kelsey, and the attempted murder of her other daughter, Kiersten.
Her bail was set at a whopping $1.5 million by the court as a way of pointing out how severe her crimes were and the resultant effect of those on her family and the community at large.
During the trial, several aspects of the crime came to light, including the motive behind Debra’s decision to prematurely end the lives of her children. Most of the facts were gleaned from her ex-husband’s testimony to the authorities.
The first aspect had to deal with the heartbreak she was experiencing at the prospect of the end of her marriage. With divorce comes the prospect of a child custody battle, and it was a battle that was staring Debra right in the face. She also knew it was a battle she would have ultimately lost because of her unpleasant priors and mental health challenges.
Her decision to kill her daughters had more to do with protecting her daughters and maintaining control of the entire situation than it did with anything else. She felt that by attacking and killing her daughters, she would be sparing them any unpleasantness associated with divorce and having to watch their parents fight over them.
In the end, she achieved the exact opposite of what she was hoping for and made life harder for everyone she was trying to protect, especially Kiersten, who fought death for a long time, and Kelsey who was not given the opportunity to do the same.
She Is Currently Serving A Life Sentence
Toward the end of the court proceedings, Debra was offered a plea deal that had several specifications, including the punishment of a life sentence without the possibility of parole, a stipulation designed to ensure that she would not pose a threat to society.
That part of the deal also meant she would avoid the death penalty which the prosecutors would have sought based on the crimes she committed. In May 2010, she accepted the deal and is currently fulfilling the terms of the deal at Gatesville Prison Facility.
She Apologized To Her Surviving Family Members
Just before she was whisked away to her current home in Gatesville, Debra came face to face with the people she had hurt the most, her ex-husband, Lee, and their now-only-surviving daughter, Kiersten.
With the entire case resolved, she offered up a remorseful apology that acknowledged the pain she knew they must be feeling at the time. It remains to be seen how much impact her apology made on the grieving father and daughter but one would assume that it was the first step in the direction of healing for the family.
Debra Jeter’s Oldest Daughter May Still Be Alive
Since her mother became a guest of the federal government at the Gatesville Prison facility run by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Kiersten Jeter has gone underground. Not much is known about her life and current location at present, but her emotional and mental makeup suggests she may still be very much alive.
After all, she demonstrated a level of strength, courage, and bravery in the face of the unimaginable tragedy she experienced at the very tender age of thirteen. Also, in her statement to the media and authorities, Kiersten was persistent in her determination to keep fighting, simply telling anyone who cared to know that she had no intention of giving up. She is on Instagram but seems to be very big on privacy but again, who would blame her?
As for Lee Jeter, the father who lost his youngest daughter, and almost lost his oldest daughter in the same horrific event, he appears to have found a new lease on life. Several sources indicate that he has chosen to move on with his life by finding love and remarrying.
He is presently married to Emily Jeter and they wedded on July 24, 2015, but unfortunately, we do not know if they have any children together. And we can only hope that she is not as crazy as his former wife, who by the way continues to serve her time.
No piece of information has been released to describe what her life there has been like, but we hope she is getting the help she needs even though we know there’s no legal chance of her getting out of prison.
