Inside The Life of Debra Jeter and Her Current Whereabouts

Debra Jeter is a 61 year-old American prisoner famously known for harming her two children and eventually killing one of them in 2009.

Debra was born on November 20, 1962, and is currently serving her life sentence in a prison in Gatesville. While she has been locked away for more than a decade, the story of her gruesome act remains fresh in people’s minds. Find out all about Debra below.

How Old Is Debra Jeter and Where Was She Born?

Debra Jeter is 61 years old. She was born on November 20, 1962, in Randolph Co., Georgia, in the United States of America. Debra’s parents were Billy Jeter and Palona Jeter, but we could not verify any other details about her childhood or any siblings she has.

Who was Debra Jeter’s Husband?

Debra Jeter’s husband was Lee Jeter. We could not confirm when they met or got married, but Lee filed for divorce from Debra in May 2009. While Lee has not revealed the issues surrounding their divorce, their neighbors reported that the Jeter home was an unhappy place. The couple allegedly had frequent noisy fights, and the neighbors even had to call the police on a particular occasion.

Debra Jeter and her husband, Lee Jeter, had two daughters together. Their first daughter Kiersten was born in 1996, while her sister Kiersten arrived in 1997. We could not get any details of how the couple raised their daughters before the tragic events unfolded.

Debra Attempted Suicide in 2009 After Her Divorce

After her husband filed for a divorce, Debra attempted suicide on May 31, 2009, as she was depressed over her failed marriage. This event worried Lee and led him to file a temporary restraining order against her.

Shortly after, Debra was sent to DePaul Centre for psychiatric care. While Debra was at the hospital, a hearing for Lee’s restraining order request was held and granted. The order was, however, lifted three weeks later, and Jeter was granted unsupervised visitation with the girls.

What did Debra Jeter Do to Her Daughters?

Debra Jeter attacked her two daughters with a knife and eventually killed one of them. This came after the restraining order was lifted, and Debra got to spend time with her daughters unsupervised. She had planned to go pick up the girls from their father, and the unsuspecting girls were elated to know that their mother was coming to visit them as they had not been with her for some weeks.

Debra had revealed that she had a surprise for the girls, which excited them even more and made Kelsey express her excitement on her Myspace page, where she wrote: “I get to see my mom tomorrow. Yay!”

On June 5, 2009, Debra took her daughters Kelsey (12) and Kiersten (13) out on a treat, but instead, she drove with them to an abandoned farmhouse in Hillsboro, Hill County, Texas, USA. Inside the farmhouse, she lunged at Kiersten with a knife. Kiersten reportedly screamed at her sister Kelsey to run away, but Debra eventually closed in on her and slit Kelsey’s throat.

Debra Jeter Dialed 911 Herself

While Kelsey writhed in pain, Kiersten begged their mother, who was a licensed nurse, to help her sister, but Debra ignored her and walked aimlessly around the farmhouse. Unable to hold on longer, Kelsey succumbed to the bleeding from the slitting wounds. Seeing that her daughter had died, Debra dialed 911 and calmly informed the operator that she had murdered her daughter.

In the recorded conversation with the dispatcher, Debra stated that one of the girls was still alive and urged them to hurry up with an ambulance. While she spoke with the dispatcher, Debra could be heard trying to reassure her daughter Kiersten who was still alive and bleeding. When the police arrived, Debra Jeter willingly surrendered and was taken away while Kiersten was rushed to the hospital.

Is Debra Jeter’s Daughter still Alive?

Debra Jeter’s daughter Kiersten Jeter is still alive. While her sister Kelsey died from her injuries after their mother attacked them with a knife, Kiersten luckily survived. However, following the controversies surrounding the issue, Kiersten has retreated into her private life and has avoided media attention.

Kiersten is active on Instagram as @kiersy, but her account is private with a clear warning on her bio: “If you don’t know me, please DON’T TRY TO FOLLOW ME”.

A Movie was Made About Debra Jetter’s Horrific Act

The Debra Jeter murder case gathered much media attention, and in 2022, Netflix made an original film about it. The film Case and Survived Daughter documents the story of Debra Jeter and how she attacked her children.

What happened to Debra Jeter?

Following her arrest, Debra Jeter was placed on suicide watch and eventually charged with murder and attempted capital murder, with a bond of $1.5 million imposed on her. A year after, Debra pled guilty in a plea deal and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. As a result, her daughter Kiersten was unable to testify against her.

In her confession, Debra stated that she only attacked the girls to get back to her ex-husband Lee for divorcing her. As such, she wanted him to share part of her pain. Her ex-husband corroborated the confession, stating that she had never forgiven him for filing for a divorce.

Where is Debra Jeter Now?

Debra Jeter is serving her life sentence in a Gatesville prison unit under the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Before her transfer to prison, she apologized for her actions, stating that she still hated her ex-husband Lee.

Some years after her sentencing, it was rumored that she had taken her life while in prison, but we could not find valid proof of her death. Her husband, Lee Jeter, has since moved on and is married to another woman.