On February 10, 2016 authorities responded to a house fire in Lubbock, Texas and found the body of Holli Jeffcoat, 18. The young girl was a special needs student who had the mental capacity of 7-year-old and upon further investigation of the fire and her death, disturbing details have emerged. An autopsy found that the girl had been stabbed multiple times, her throat was cut and her uterus removed. The police later found out the girl had recently told school officials that her stepfather James Holland had impregnated the young teen.
In March, police finally arrested the stepfather on three counts of sexual abuse. The teen’s mother, Debbi Holland, was arrested last Friday and charged with aggravated sexual assault of an elderly or disabled person in connection with a sexual abuse. Police determined she knew about the sexual abuse and had been covering up for her husband for years. School officials found out about the abuse in January 2016 after the teen told officials she didn’t want to go home because the “sex hurt.” She also stated she did not want to attend gym class because she could feel the baby moving inside of her. This caused an investigation that entailed law enforcement, Child Protective Services, school staff and physical findings from an exam performed by a sexual assault nurse examiner.
The investigation found that there were indications of sexual abuse going back to 2008 when the young girl tested positive for an STD during an exam after an auto accident. However, no charges were ever brought against the parents by police. When school officials found out about the girl’s pregnancy in January, she was asked if her mother knew her father was abusing her. The girl responded yes but her mother stated to her that they needed the stepfather to pay bills. A written statement from a school official revealed that the teen said, “James was going to take the baby out with a coat hanger.”
On January 29, 2016, James Holland was ordered by law enforcement to leave the home and have no contact with the victim or her sibling, whom he was also accused of abusing, while the investigation was underway. Holland defied the order and picked up the girl from school and allegedly sexually abused her on the way home. The mother is accused of being uncooperative with CPS officials during the investigation up until early February when the fire occurred. Police revealed that the stepfather had a history of alcohol and drug abuse including injecting himself with methamphetamines. Debbi Holland’s bond is set at $500K, and James Holland’s bond is set at $2 million and other charges against the pair are expected soon.
