A convicted serial killer confessed to the 2009 stabbing death of his former neighbor, but he won't be charged for that murder or three other stabbings in the area.
Jammie Lane of Leesburg was killed in his home eight years ago. Elias Abuelazam became a suspect in his former neighbor's death a year later when he was charged with a series of stabbings in the Flint, Michigan, area that left five people dead and 13 wounded. He currently serving a life sentence.
Abuelazam reached out to Leesburg detective a few weeks ago.
"And agreed to conditionally speak to them about Mr. Lane's death," Loudoun County Commonwealth's Attorney Jim Plowman said.
He was granted immunity for his confession.
Abuelazam is also responsible for three other stabbings that happened in the city, Leesburg police said. In the first and second incidents, a 15-year-old boy and a 67-year-old man were stabbed. In the third attack, a 19-year-old man was struck with a blunt object. All survived.
At the time, police believed the victims may have been targeted because of their race. But authorities now say Abuelazam suffered from "delusions."
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Lane was well-known in the community and was described to be a "genuinely nice and caring person who would stop and help anyone," Leesburg police said in 2010.
Lane's family says they are OK with Plowman's decision.
"I don't believe in taking a life for a life," said Lane's widow, Della Allen.
She learned of the confession two weeks ago in a phone call from Leesburg Police Detective Doug Shaw.
“We know it won’t bring my dad back, but we know that finally he can rest in peace knowing that we know who did this, who took him from us,” said Lane's daughter, Katherine Thompson.
"It feels so good to have closure," Allen said at a news conference Tuesday, WTOP's Neal Augenstein tweeted.
