Ex-convict accused of killing woman with kitchen knife in Dallas

02:43 PM CST on Wednesday, January 9, 2008
By STEVE THOMPSON / The Dallas Morning News

Police were searching Wednesday for a recently released murder convict now accused of fatally stabbing a 23-year-old woman.

Darrell Billingslea, 37, is accused of murdering Jessica Rae Lewalling, Dallas police said. Ms Lewalling had previously dated Mr. Billingslea, said her current boyfriend, who was the initial target of the attack.

"I don�t know if it was jealous rage or what," said Demetrius Cooksey, 32. "That was her boyfriend a long time ago, but she didn�t mess with him no more. She had me now."

Police said Ms. Lewalling had been corresponding with Mr. Billingslea since his release from Texas Department of Corrections in June. Mr. Billingslea had been convicted of murdering a 16-year-old Oak Cliff pizzeria employee in 1990. He also pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated assault against a police officer during the murder trial.

Northeast Dallas Mr. Billingslea had been staying with friends, but was asked to leave, Mr. Cooksey said.

"He didn�t have no where to go, so she went and picked him up," Mr. Cooksey said. "He was supposed to be spending the night over there with us, and waking up in the morning and catching a bus."

Mr. Cooksey said he had never met Mr. Billingslea before and does not know what provoked the 10:20 p.m. attack Tuesday, which happened in Ms. Lewalling�s apartment in the 8200 block of Fair Oaks Crossing near Royal Lane and Skillman Street.

"He was in the house no more than 20 minutes before he just jumped up and attacked us," he said.

Mr. Cooksey was taking out the trash when the incident began.

"He just launched off the couch and stuck me in the back with whatever he had," Mr. Cooksey said. The weapon was some sort of shank or screwdriver, he said. He suffered minor puncture wounds.

"I turned around and said, �Man, what�s wrong? You ain�t gotta go through all this,�" he said.

He pushed the man away as Ms. Lewalling ran toward a bedroom. Mr. Cooksey then ran outside to get help. Someone outside called 911.

"He came out about a minute later," Mr. Cooksey said. "Put on his jacket and walked off. He was gone."

When Mr. Cooksey went back inside the house, he found his girlfriend on the floor with a kitchen knife by her side, he said.

"I rolled her over and was telling her to keep breathing, keep breathing," he said.

She died at the scene.

Ms. Lewalling worked at a Dave & Buster�s restaurant and game room, Mr. Cooksey said.

"She was a sweet girl," he said. "I don�t know how somebody can just come and steal her life like that."