28-04-2025
Mother still searching for answers in 1976 murder of Maryland college student Deborah Scott
Deborah Scott came into the world on October 5, 1957. She left it 18 years later.
'It was a very violent crime scene,' Deborah's mother, Jean Hayes, recalled. 'I'm sure she fought back.'
On April 26, 1976, Jean came home to a horrific scene—one she says she'll never forget. Deborah had been murdered in their apartment. 'I did not think there was anyone who would want to hurt her,' she said.
Jean still doesn't know who would want to hurt her daughter—the bright, beautiful girl she gave birth to all those years ago. And nearly 50 years later, she's still hoping she'll find out…
Jean raised her two girls in Woodlawn, a suburb in Baltimore County. Deborah was the oldest. 'She was a quiet young lady,' Jean told Dateline. 'She was an average teenager. She used to sing.'
Jean says her daughter had a lovely singing voice and led the choir at their church. 'She used to sing 'Precious Lord.' That was one of her favorite songs,' she recalled. 'She loved music.'
Deborah also excelled as a student and was valedictorian of her class at Northwest High School. 'She was in a couple of clubs with her friends,' Jean said. 'She had her first boyfriend.'
Deborah graduated in 1976 and was a freshman at Morgan State University, which was close to the family home. According to Jean, Deborah intentionally chose a nearby school because she wanted to live at home during college. 'She liked being close to family,' Jean explained. 'She was studying general education, and I believe she was considering a career as a psychiatrist or psychologist.'
On the morning of April 26, 1976, Jean headed to work while her youngest daughter, Cheryl, set off for high school. Deborah was still at home when everyone else left, but was expected to attend classes that day.
Around 3:30 p.m., Jean got a call at work. It was Cheryl. 'She was crying,' Jean recalled.
Cheryl had come home from school and found Deborah dead. She ran to the nearest phone booth to call her mother. 'I just dropped everything and came right home,' Jean said. The family lived on the ground floor of an apartment complex.
Jean was no stranger to loss—she had lost her husband years earlier. The couple was separated at the time, but his sudden death in his sleep was painful.
This was different, though. Nothing had prepared her for this.
Deborah was on the living room floor. 'She still had on night clothes,' Jean said. 'And I could tell she was deceased.'
Jean says nothing appeared to be missing, and there were no signs of robbery or sexual assault. 'I called the police,' she said.
Baltimore County Police arrived at the scene. Dateline spoke with Detective Linsey Buckingham, who was assigned to Deborah's case earlier this year. She confirmed Deborah was last seen alive on the morning of April 26, 1976, at 9:15, and was found murdered later that afternoon. 'She suffered trauma, which included stab wounds and blunt force injuries to her upper body,' Buckingham said.
Various items were collected at the crime scene. 'Whenever we go out to a scene, we don't know what's going to be important at the time, so we cast a very wide net,' Buckingham explained. 'The residence was searched for anything the detective [at the time] thought could be important, and evidence was collected.'
Deborah's funeral was held in the same church where she once sang so beautifully. 'The church community was very important,' Jean said.
Dateline also spoke with Tonya Pease, who grew up with Deborah. 'My mom and Jean were best friends,' Tonya said. 'I remember the funeral. I remember there was, like, a veil over her.'
Jean says she leaned on Tonya's mother and her fellow church members in the days and months after Deborah's murder. She continued to wonder why anyone would want to hurt her daughter. 'I've thought about it several times over the years, and I haven't come up with anybody,' she said.
According to Det. Buckingham, several people were interviewed at the time of Deborah's murder. 'I know a lot of polygraphs were done,' she said. 'An actual person that was one hundred percent verified to be a person of interest was never identified.'
Months turned into years, and there were still no answers. Then tragedy struck again. 'My other daughter died in '93 as a result of a car accident,' Jean said.
Her youngest, Cheryl, left behind three children. 'They've carried me through,' Jean said. She says she's also been carried by the hope that she will one day see Deborah's case solved.
'These cases are always very hard. Unfortunately, when it's this many years later, a lot of the people we'd like to speak to are now deceased,' Det. Buckingham told Dateline. 'We have some evidence to send out, and we're trying to have everything retested to see if forensic capabilities are now stronger than they were.'
Jean hopes those technological advances will finally bring her closer to answers. She's 84 years old now, has lost both of her children, but continues to seek answers for the daughter whose truth has still not been uncovered. 'I've got pictures of her around and, you know, I'll never forget her,' she said.
