I only saw this case once on UM but I remember this case was very interesting to me. Terry Lucas I believe got murdered in a jail cell or maybe they called it a suicide but suspected murder. Also one of the officers at the jail was shot at when she arrived home. There was a conspiracy theory about some kind of cover up. I never saw it again but it was very interesting to me from what I can remember. Maybe you guys can shed some light by telling me what your opinions are on what happened. Why do you think Terry Lucas was murdered? Why do you think that officer was shot at? What do you think the big secret was? If any?

https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Terry_Lucas

So do you guys think Terry Lucas was really murdered or died from diabetes complications? Do

So do you guys think Terry Lucas was really murdered or died from diabetes complications? Do

I don't know how you murder someone and then magically cover it up to make it look like diabetes.

So do you guys think Terry Lucas was really murdered or died from diabetes complications? Do

I'm no expert but considering Terry Lucas was found brutally beaten, suffocated, with blades of grass in her hair, I don't think those are the normal symptoms of somebody dying from diabetes.

But Frontera Prison hopes you believe that's completely normal.

I'm no expert but considering Terry Lucas was found brutally beaten, suffocated, with blades of grass in her hair, I don't think those are the normal symptoms of somebody dying from diabetes.

But Frontera Prison hopes you believe that's completely normal.

As I've gotten older I realize that most of the was it suicide or murder cases on UM that were ruled murder but disputed by family members as being either a suicide or accidental deaths were most likely murder but the family members couldn't accept it, I guess this would be an exception to the rule as there appears to be foul play. Hopefully we will get some more opinions on here jails that are abusive of inmates and opinions on why no one was ever brought to justice in this case. You would think someone could have been able to stop them. I doubt they would get away with that today.

I agree that something is fishy with Terri Lucas's death. I don't know how one would explain the blades of grass in her hair and broken bones.

It would have been VERY easy for Frontera to say that Terri had been involved in an altercation with another inmate and she died as a result. Hell, given the injuries on her body, THAT makes sense. The fact that Frontera didn't go that route makes me lean towards an officer cover-up... I don't know why they'd say, "Oh, it was complications due to diabetes" when there would be such an easy explanation by saying that an inmate did it.

I agree that something is fishy with Terri Lucas's death. I don't know how one would explain the blades of grass in her hair and broken bones.

It would have been VERY easy for Frontera to say that Terri had been involved in an altercation with another inmate and she died as a result. Hell, given the injuries on her body, THAT makes sense. The fact that Frontera didn't go that route makes me lean towards an officer cover-up... I don't know why they'd say, "Oh, it was complications due to diabetes" when there would be such an easy explanation by saying that an inmate did it.

Probably because they'd have to open an investigation into the assault and/or charge the inmate who "assaulted her" which would just open up another can of worms.

Not really a mystery she died by injuries she sustained in the jail most likely from the guards it happens alot when they are arrested or in the jail

Prior to Terry Lucas' death in 1987, she told the prison guard Betty Thompson that she had info. on why the prison guard Jesslyn Rich disappeared in 1984 & that it involved some kind of cover-up at the prison. Then, TL died soon after - under mysterious circumstances.

It does seem evident that TL was killed by someone at the prison to shut her up, but it's still not clear who did this or why it happened exactly. I also question why she had blades of grass/twigs in her hair; was she killed outside somewhere, and then her body brought back to the prison?!

Since Jesslyn Rich did appear to be killed by someone who targeted her at the country/western bar the last night she was seen (see the other thread about this, that I recently bumped) - then it seems like her death had nothing to do with anything that was happening at the prison - or did it?!

It's entirely possible that Betty Thompson was lying about what she witnessed in the infirmary that day. IIRC, the FBI looked into her claims about the "murder" but dismissed them because she worked in the infirmary for one day and would have had no way of knowing how long Terry Lucas had been dead. I also find it incredibly difficult to believe that a dead body rotting in a prison cell wouldn't have given off a very strong odor. This was one of my favorite segments growing up, but I definitely don't like how the entirety of it is presented from the viewpoint of Betty Thompson.

As Megtheegg mentioned in the other thread about this, the whole issue with Betty Thompson is probably a hybrid of reality & embellishment. I think the Jesslyn Rich issue was used by Thompson to bring more attention to concerns of hers regarding corruption, illicit goings on etc that she felt weren't being listened to. She wasn't lying outright, she was just saying what she needed to and how she needed to.

I do though, think she knew that her claims about Terri Lucas' murder were laughable, but she didn't care, as long as it served her purposes.

It's entirely possible that Betty Thompson was lying about what she witnessed in the infirmary that day. IIRC, the FBI looked into her claims about the "murder" but dismissed them because she worked in the infirmary for one day and would have had no way of knowing how long Terry Lucas had been dead. I also find it incredibly difficult to believe that a dead body rotting in a prison cell wouldn't have given off a very strong odor. This was one of my favorite segments growing up, but I definitely don't like how the entirety of it is presented from the viewpoint of Betty Thompson.

It also doesn't seem very likely that she was taken outside to get grass in her hair and then brought back to the cell to be smothered with the pillow under her arm.