Developmentally Disabled Teen Found Dead with Uterus Removed After Accusing Stepfather of Raping and Impregnating Her

Authorities described a grisly crime scene: 18-year-old Holli Jeffcoat's bloody body on the floor, her throat slit and uterus removed. She lay dead as her childhood home was engulfed in flames. 

In March, authorities arrested Holli's stepfather, James Holland, 39, for allegedly continuously sexually abusing Holli and her 15-year-old sister over a period of years – starting when Holli was 12 and her sister was 9. 

Last Friday, authorities arrested Holli's mother, Debi Bryant Holland, 38, for allegedly allowing her husband to abuse the girls. 

Authorities believe James allegedly raped his stepdaughters two to five times a week during the last two to three years. Neither parent has been charged in the death of Holli, but the warrant alleges that James removed her uterus to cover up the fact that he had impregnated her. 

Authorities believe the house was burned to cover up the manner of Holli's death. An arrest warrant obtained by PEOPLE alleges that Holli was developmentally disabled and had the mental age of the six or seven year old. 

In January, Holli allegedly told school personnel that she was afraid of going home because she didn't want to have sex with her stepfather. 

"The sex hurt," the warrant states. "It also hurt when Holli ran in PE because she could feel her baby move." • 

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

 
 

Authorities believe Debi knew about the alleged abuse and told her daughters not tell anyone because James paid rent and they needed the money. She also allegedly told Holli she did not want her to have James's baby, and that James would abort the baby with a coat hanger. 

Officials allegedly discovered Internet searches on Debi's email address for incest porn mostly involving stepfathers and stepdaughters, the warrant states.

Knowledge of Holli's alleged abuse can be dated back to 2008 when she was a passenger in a car accident, when she was 10. Blood tests revealed she had a sexually transmitted disease and had suffered injuries consistent with vaginal penetration. Doctors informed Debi of her daughter's STD and injuries but no chargers were filed. 

Debi is being held on a $500,000 bond while James is being held in lieu of a $2 million bond. Neither of the accused has entered a plea, a Lubbock County courts official tells PEOPLE. Calls to their lawyer, Matt Morrow, were not returned as of press time.

 

Sign in to post a comment.