U.S. Navy Sailor Charged with Capital Murder in Texas Following Court-Martial for Sexual Assault
Julian Jefferson, a 20-year-old U.S. Navy sailor, has been charged with the capital murder of Denise Lissette Ramos, 22, in Fairfield, Texas, after recently being court-martialed for sexually assaulting a fellow service member in California.
Jefferson is accused of killing Ramos in her home in Fairfield, a small town roughly an hour east of Waco. Her body was discovered on March 28, after she failed to show up for work. On May 20, Jefferson was charged with her murder.
Prior to these charges, Jefferson had pleaded guilty to sexual assault charges stemming from a January 14, 2023, incident at a naval base in California. According to documents obtained by KWTX, Jefferson was found guilty of burglary with intent to commit certain offenses and two counts of rape by using unlawful force.
The assault occurred after the victim texted Jefferson to lower his voice as she was trying to sleep. Later, she heard loud knocks on her door, but saw no one when she looked out. Eventually, she caught Jefferson in the hallway, who then forced his way into her room. After a struggle, during which the victim fought back and screamed, Jefferson assaulted her for nearly two hours. He attempted to remove DNA evidence by assaulting her in the shower before leaving her room.
Jefferson was sentenced to five years in prison for burglary and 20 years each for the rape counts, with sentences running concurrently. He remains in the brig at Miramar while awaiting extradition to Texas for the murder charge.
Details on Ramos's murder remain scarce, but her father, Luis Ramos, revealed that Jefferson had come to Fairfield while on leave and had some prior incidents in the area. The Ramos family is devastated by their loss but finds some solace in knowing Jefferson will be imprisoned.
“It’s left a huge scar on our family life, not only for myself and my wife, but for my younger children,” Luis Ramos told KWTX. “But we do feel a sense of some justice, some relief knowing that he won’t be able to hurt anybody else out there, that he’s going to be exactly where he belongs and that’s locked up for the rest of his life.”
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