Jeffrey R. MacDonald
Jeffrey Robert MacDonald (born October 12, 1943) is an American former medical doctor and United States Army captain who was convicted in August 1979 of murdering his pregnant wife and two daughters in February 1970 while serving as an Army Special Forces physician.
Jeffrey R. MacDonald | |
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MacDonald in 1970 | |
| Born | October 12, 1943 Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Former physician |
| Spouses |
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| Children |
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| Parent(s) | Robert MacDonald Dorothy Perry |
| Motive | Unknown. Possible rage compounded to mimic a Manson-inspired massacre. |
| Conviction(s) | First degree murder (18 U.S.C. § 1111) (1 count) Second degree murder (18 U.S.C. § 1111) (2 counts) |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Details | |
| Victims | Colette Kathryn Stevenson MacDonald (26) Kimberley Kathryn MacDonald (5) Kristen Jean MacDonald (2) |
| Date | February 17, 1970 |
| Location(s) | Fort Bragg, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Imprisoned at | FCI Cumberland, Maryland, U.S. |
MacDonald has always proclaimed his innocence of the murders, which he claims were committed by four intruders—three male and one female—who had entered the unlocked rear door of his apartment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and attacked him, his wife, and his children with instruments such as knives, clubs and ice picks. Prosecutors and appellate courts have pointed to strong physical evidence attesting to his guilt. He is currently incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland.
The MacDonald murder case remains one of the most litigated murder cases in American criminal history.