Attorney General's News Release

September 30, 1996

Federal court denies petition of Clayton condo maintenance man given death sentence for 1988 murder

Jefferson City, Mo. — The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on Friday (Sept. 27) denied the habeas corpus petition of Jessie Lee Wise, sentenced to die for the bludgeoning murder of a Clayton woman who lived in the condominiums where he worked. At the time of the murder, Wise was out of prison on a 1984 parole after serving 12 years of a life sentence for a first-degree murder in St. Louis City.

Wise told police that on Aug. 27, 1988, he killed Geraldine Rose McDonald in her condo by hitting her in the back of the head with a pipe wrench at least three times after she refused to pay him $30 in advance to wash and wax her BMW. Her body was discovered by her husband and two daughters on Aug. 29.

Wise drove away in the car and took cash and jewelry from her condo over the next two days to buy cocaine. Police found McDonald's car keys and credit cards in Wise's apartment and recovered one of her rings from Wise's wife and other jewelry from a pawn shop where Wise had taken it. Wise confessed to the crime after being questioned by police three days after the murder.

In 1991 a St. Louis County jury convicted Wise of first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, stealing and first-degree robbery, and he was sentenced to death. The office of Attorney General Jay Nixon had opposed Wise's habeas petition.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

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