JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man could get a death sentence after he was convicted of raping and murdering a 10-year-old girl.
The Florida Times-Union reported that a jury late Friday found James Leon Jackson guilty of killing Tammy Welch in 1984.
The conviction came a day after the 66-year-old Jackson testified that he did not know Welch and did not harm her.
Despite that denial Jackson had “Tammy Welch 1984” tattooed on his back. Prosecutors said the tattoo amounted to a confession while Jackson called it a jailhouse prank.
Prosecutors said that the autopsy revealed Tammy had been strangled and was the victim of a sexual assault.
Her body was discovered outside the apartment where she had been living. She was outside while the family was preparing to move to a military base.
