Man accused in triple murder from 32 years ago in League City

HOUSTON – An arrest has been made in a triple murder case from 32 years ago in League City.

Jesse "Dean" Kersh, now 58, was arrested by police Tuesday morning at a restaurant in the 23000 block of Aldine Westfield Road in Spring.

The murders took place more than 3 decades ago on November 3, 1983 at the Corvette Concepts Shop, where Kersh used to work.

Detectives said Kersh went on a bloody rampage stabbing and shooting the owner and two workers over and over again. Beth Wilburn was co-owner of the business at the time. Thomas McGraw was an employee of the business and James Craig Oatis was a contracted electrician performing work on the premises.

The victims were discovered by a co-owner of the business, Robert Currie, on the morning of Nov. 3, 1983.

Wilburn had been stabbed more than 100 times. Oatis had been shot 10 times and left hanging upside down on a ladder he had been working on.

Now, after all these years, Oatis' sister Cathy Rash said there is still great anger in her heart, but finally a sense of relief.

"I feel a lot of relief, but there is still the why part. I know there is relief on the part of the other two families as well," Rash said.

League City police said they never gave up on the murder investigation, with a whole slew of detectives working over the years to solve it.

Kersh is facing three charges of murder. He's being held on a total bond of $150,000.0.


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Emmy-winning investigative reporter, insanely competitive tennis player, skier, weightlifter, crazy rock & roll drummer (John Bonham is my hero). Husband to Veronica and loving cat father to Bella and Meemo.

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