Willie Roy Jenkins was born on July 30, 1953, in Houston, Texas.

On November 24, 1975, the body of Sheryl Ann Norris was discovered in her apartment’s bathroom in San Marcos, Texas. She was only 20 years old. An autopsy revealed that she had been beaten, raped, and ultimately strangled and drowned. Sheryl was last seen the day before, going out for lunch. After her murder, investigators worked hard to solve the case, but no leads or suspects emerged, leaving it cold for over 35 years.

In 2010, DNA samples from Norris' murder were entered into CODIS, a national database for DNA matching. A match was found with Willie Roy Jenkins, who was 57 years old at the time. Jenkins had a history as a sex offender and was already detained at the Coalinga State Hospital in California for four rapes committed in the 1970s. After this match was made, Jenkins was charged with Norris' murder and held on a $1 million bond while he awaited extradition to Texas.

Once in Texas, Jenkins faced first-degree murder charges. The District Attorney announced they would seek the death penalty, marking a significant moment as it was the first time capital punishment was sought in Hays County since the law was reinstated. During the trial, the prosecution focused on Jenkins' violent past, while his defense tried to discredit the DNA evidence and presented Jenkins' claims of a troubled upbringing. Despite the defense's efforts, the jury found Jenkins guilty after only two hours of deliberation. He was sentenced to death.

After his sentencing, Jenkins’ lawyers filed an appeal, questioning the reliability of the DNA evidence and arguing procedural errors during the trial. However, the appeal was denied by the Texas Criminal Court, and the court ruled that the claims were not credible. As of September 2022, Jenkins remains on death row at the Huntsville Unit, continuing to appeal his sentence.

In addition to Jenkins' conviction for the murder of Sheryl Norris, he has been linked to three other murders from the 1970s. These include the murders of Nancy Frese and Linda Hopwood in San Antonio and Jane Ellen Kidder at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. All three women were found murdered under similar circumstances, raising suspicions that Jenkins might be linked to these cases. However, as of now, he has not been charged with any of these additional murders and is still considered a suspect in each.