A Georgia man has been charged in the triple murder of his pregnant girlfriend, their unborn child, and her parents more than 18 years after they were found inside their burning home. Jason Michael Walker, 47, was charged with several crimes, including murder and arson, for the March 2002 deaths of Tommy Joe Wideman, 51, his wife Deborah, 48, and their 20- year-old pregnant daughter Melissa, who was almost nine months pregnant with Walker's child, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Wednesday. Walker was also charged with feticide for killing his girlfriend's unborn baby.
Prosecutors say on March 22, 2002, the Turner County Fire Department and Sheriff's Office responded to a call of a house fire at the Widemans made by a passing truck driver. Inside, investigators found the three individuals, who were later determined to have been fatally shot prior to the blaze. While the case went cold soon after, prosecutors say a new witness contacted law enforcement, claiming a white male had left the scene “during the time frame in which the murders occurred.” This new information was presented to Tifton Judicial Circuit District Attorney Paul Bowden—and later to a grand jury which returned an indictment to charge Walker, the GBI said.
