A Hill County woman who killed one daughter and seriously wounded another in a violent knife attack last June will spend the rest of her life in prison with no chance for parole.
Debra Janelle Jeter of Hillsboro accepted a plea deal this week. On Wednesday, her chilling 911 call was released, documenting the moments immediately following the murder.
OPERATOR: Hill County 911. What's your emergency?
JETER: I just killed my children.
OPERATOR: Excuse me?
JETER: I just killed my children.
Police found Jeter and the body of her 12-year-old daughter Kelsey in an abandoned house off Highway 77. Kiersten, then 13, was bleeding and barely holding on following the attack by her mom.
JETER: One of 'em is dead. She's dead dead. But the other one... she wants to be saved and I... she needs to be saved.
Jeter appeared to panic, asking the 911 operator to send an ambulance.
JETER: One of 'em is still alive. Hurry!
All the while in that abandoned house, the critically injured daughter was begging for help, and Jeter was heard providing reassurance on the 911 recording.
JETER: Hold on kid; they're coming. Tell them not to shoot me. I don't have a gun.
OPERATOR: OK. She doesn't want to get shot, 'cause she doesn't have a gun.
The murder weapon was a knife. Jeter surrendered to police after killing her younger daughter and appearing to understand what had just happened.
JETER: Oh my God. She's dead. Oh my God.
Debra Jeter was supposed to be spending time with her teenage daughters. Now she will spend life in prison after doing the unthinkable during a first-time custody visit while in the midst of a divorce.
E-mail ddenmon@wfaa.com
