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Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Morgan Nick's family reflects on 30-year disappearance
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Monday marks 30 years since Morgan Nick's disappearance, with the Arkansas State Capitol lit up in pink in her honor. Colleen Nick, Morgan's mother, says she will continue to honor her daughter's legacy and life no matter how many years pass by. 'No mother should have to bear this,' Community members react to Morgan Nick investigation update Nick spoke of how her daughter had a personality that could light up any room. 'Morgan was just this bright, bubbly little girl,' Nick adds. 'She loved apples and bubble gum; she thought it was a food group. She wanted to grow up to be a circus performer and a doctor.' The then 6-year-old Morgan Nick was at a Little League baseball game at the Alma Baseball Complex with her mother on the night of June 9, 1995, when she went to catch fireflies with two friends in a parking lot next to the ballpark. 'She really wanted to go,' Nick said. 'She gave me a hug, then kissed me on the cheek, and then climbed down the bleachers with the other kids, and they ran into the parking area 50 yards from where we were sitting. We could very clearly see them playing.' The friends Morgan was seen with later returned, but she was not with them. Nick says the other kids told her Morgan was in her car, taking sand out of her shoe. 'About that time the game ended, the team we were watching came off the right-hand side of the bleachers,' Nick remembered. 'So, when we were engaged with them cheering and shouting, our backs were to the parking lot for four or five minutes, we were engaged with that team, and when I glanced back – I didn't see Morgan.' Texas-based company discovers DNA link between Morgan Nick and a potential suspect Nick goes on to say that after she spoke with the friends Morgan was with, she 'walked over to the car thinking she had just gotten inside, and I opened the doors and Morgan wasn't inside.' Nick says that night turned into a large manhunt to bring Morgan home, with about 10 different agencies searching on the site. 'We were absolutely determined to find Morgan and believed with all of our hearts we would find her right away,' Nick said. 'Then a few hours went by, a few days, then a few weeks, but still I never thought we would be here 30 years later.' As time has gone by, Nick says one major thing has changed: the use of technology that has led to a break in the case. Nick came across an article about the Texas-based Othram Labs DNA testing. 'We can work with material that is degraded, very old, very low quantities that no one else would work with,' Othram Labs CEO David Mittelman said. Over the years, one man remained a constant possible suspect, Billy Jack Lincks. Officers first questioned Lincks weeks after Morgan's disappearance, following another attempted kidnapping involving an 11-year-old girl in Van Buren, just 8 miles away from Alma. During the press conference held by Alma Police back in October, Police Chief Jeff Pointer stated, 'Police questioned Lincks on August 31, 1995; he denied any knowledge of Morgan's abduction and appeared to be truthful at that time; investigators moved on.' But with DNA testing advancing, in December of 2023, hair collected from Linck's truck was sent to the Texas lab for testing. 'The bottom line is the physical evidence collected from the truck that Lincks owned when Morgan was abducted strongly indicates that Morgan had been in this truck,' Pointer said. As for Nick, who was at the press conference that day, she says it was devastating to learn that piece of information. 'It was heartbreaking for us,' Nick said. 'That's not what we wanted, that wasn't what we had fought for the end for Morgan. Our dream was to somehow bring her home to our family, where she deserves to be, but also, if the answer is out there, we would want that.' Arkansas State Police official speaks on identifying victim in 40-year-old cold case After the attempted kidnapping in Van Buren, Lincks was convicted of sexual solicitation and later died in prison at 72 in the year 2000. 'It's disappointing to us that he can't be held responsible because he died in prison for the same kind of crimes,' Nick said. Although Morgan is still missing, she has continued to impact many lives. In 1996, Nick established the Morgan Nick Foundation, set on helping families who have missing loved ones and letting them know they are not alone. 'He (Lincks) took her away from us, he took her away from our family, but he did not extinguish her light, her light shines on. That is why so many lives have been touched,' Nick said. Nick says that last year, they worked with more than 1500 families in the state, becoming a beacon of hope for others. 'When you have a community of people who can walk together, I think it gives families a lot of strength, a lot of resources help them to stay focused on fighting for their missing person,' Nick said. Nick says she missed so many moments with her daughter over the past 30 years, but she will make sure Morgan's legacy and light remain brighter than ever. 'I think about it a lot as the 30 years comes up, she was only 6 years old when we lost her, but she has changed the world more than any 6-year-old I know,' Nick said. Director, mother discuss docuseries about Morgan Nick case Since the Alma Police's press conference in October, the chief says there's been no new information. However, the case is still being investigated. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Utah cold case solved 40 years after 18-year-old woman's murder thanks to DNA sample, police say
A man who murdered an 18-year-old woman in Utah four decades ago has finally been identified, authorities said Thursday. Christine Gallegos was found dead on May 16, 1985, along Jefferson Street in Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake City Police Department said. She had been beaten, stabbed, sexually assaulted and shot to death near an area known then as Dirk's Field. Detectives were unable to find any leads despite years of investigative efforts and multiple rounds of forensic testing. The case went cold and remained so until 2023, when advances in DNA and genealogical testing connected the case to a man named Ricky Lee Stallworth. Stallworth was a 27-year-old airman stationed at Hill Air Force Base at the time of the Gallegos' murder, according to police. He died of natural causes in July 2023. Family Of Mom Murdered In Ritzy Dc Suburb Decades Ago Gets Justice As Perp Nobody Expected Pleads Guilty "We missed being able to talk to him and interview him just by a matter of months," Detective Cordon Parks said at a news conference on Thursday. "I wish we could have got to him before he died." Read On The Fox News App Stallworth was first named a likely suspect after the case was reexamined in 2023, with efforts focusing on identifying an unknown male DNA profile that had been previously entered into the Combined DNA Index System, a database of DNA profiles from convicted offenders, unsolved crime scene evidence and missing persons. Othram Labs in The Woodlands, Texas, came up with the likely match after detectives sent evidence to the lab in late 2023 for advanced DNA analysis. One of Stallworth's family members then provided detectives with a voluntary DNA sample, which police said confirmed Stallworth as a match. Parks said an investigation into Stallworth revealed him to be "sort of a State Street stalker." "Even though he was married, he would tell his spouses that he was going out for the night," Parks said. "He'd leave late in the night, and he wouldn't come back until early, early the next morning." Detectives said a motive remains unclear and any potential relationship between Gallegos and Stallworth remains unanswered. Investigators have said it was "very obvious" that Gallegos struggled with the suspect before she was shot and stabbed. "She left a blood trail up to the gutter of Jefferson Street," Parks said. Detectives' True Crime Podcast Helps Dig Up Breakthrough In Case That Haunted Family: 'Drew Audible Gasp' Gallegos' mother, Leah, thanked investigators for "never giving up" on solving the case. "You never quit thinking about it. You never quit crying about it," Leah Gallegos said when reporters asked about her memories of her daughter. "I wonder about the kids that she would have…" she added. "She was outgoing, she was sweet ... they took so much away when they took her away." Utah State Bureau of Investigation Agent Steve O'Camb said he hoped that identifying the killer would bring the family closure. "Handcuffs, however, do not equal healing," O'Camb said. "The resolution of Christine's case is a prime example. We weren't able to arrest a suspect, but hopefully we achieved some measure of justice for her and the family and friends that loved her."Original article source: Utah cold case solved 40 years after 18-year-old woman's murder thanks to DNA sample, police say
CBS News
16-05-2025
- CBS News
40 years after Utah teen's murder, police identify her killer as a U.S. airman
The cold case murder of an 18-year-old Utah woman was recently solved after police identified her alleged killer through DNA and other evidence, police annouced exactly 40 years after her death. The body of Christine Gallegos was found in a field in Salt Lake City on May 16, 1985. She had been beaten, sexually assaulted, stabbed and fatally shot, and police said it was clear that she struggled with her attacker. Salt Lake City police said Thursday that the man responsible was a 27-year-old airman who died in 2023. An undated photo of Christine Gallegos. Salt Lake City Police Department Despite "exhaustive efforts and multiple rounds of forensic testing over the years," no viable leads emerged after Gallegos was murdered, and her death remained a mystery for 40 years, police said. "These cold case homicides are difficult and challenging – any homicide investigation is – but when any number of years pass, like on this one, it becomes even more challenging," Police Chief Brian Redd said during a news conference Thursday. In 2023, the case was re-examined and previously unidentified DNA samples were sent to Othram Labs in Texas. The company specializes in cold cases and uses genealogy. The effort was funded by a grant from the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative organization, officials said. The testing results led investigators to identify Ricky Lee Stallworth as the likely suspect in the case. A family member's DNA confirmed the match, police said. Stallworth was a 27-year-old airman stationed at Hill Air Force Base at the time of Gallegos's death. He was never identified as a potential suspect, so he was never interviewed during the investigation, police said. Their relationship, if any, remains unclear and "remains one of the most significant unanswered questions in this case," police said. Stallworth, who lived in Layton, Utah, died of natural causes in July 2023. "We weren't able to arrest a suspect, but hopefully we achieved some measure of justice for her and the family and friends that loved her," Utah State Bureau of Investigation Agent Steve O'Camb said. Leah Gallegos and her adult son at a news conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Gallegos' daughter, Christine Gallegos, was found dead on May 16, 1985. Police recently solved her case. Salt Lake City Police Department At Thursday's news conference, Gallegos' mother, Leah, thanked police for continuing to investigate her daughter's murder even when the trail ran cold. "I didn't know I was going to speak — I just know that I sure miss this girl every day," she said, standing beside her adult son. "I wonder about the kids that she would have, and I watch other people with their daughters, their grandkids."
15-05-2025
Cold case murder solved 40 years after Utah teenager killed after hitchhiking to work: Police
Police in Salt Lake City announced Thursday they have solved the cold case murder of Christine Gallegos, 40 years after the 18-year-old was found dead after trying to hitchhike to work. Gallegos was found dead on May 16, 1985, according to the Salt Lake City Police Department. She had been severely beaten, stabbed and shot twice in the head. Police believe that the person who picked her up the night before drove her to a remote area and sexually assaulted her, killing her after she tried to fight back. The case remained unsolved for decades. In 2023, the case was re-examined in an attempt to identify an unknown male DNA profile collected in the case. Detectives sent the evidence to Texas-based Othram Labs for advanced DNA analysis using investigative genetic genealogy, police said. That analysis identified a likely suspect, who was confirmed through a voluntary DNA sample from a family member to be Ricky Lee Stallworth, police said. Stallworth was a 27-year-old U.S. Air Force airman stationed at Hill Air Force Base in Layton, Utah, at the time of Gallegos' murder, police said. Police spoke with three of his four ex-wives and a friend before making contact with a child of his who provided a voluntary DNA sample that confirmed the match, according to retired Detective Cordon Parks. There is no indication that he and Gallegos knew each other, and Stallworth's name had never come up during the investigation, Parks said. Detectives were unable to interview Stallworth, who died from natural causes in July 2023, months before he was identified as a possible suspect, police said. "I wish we could have got to him before he died," Parks said during a press briefing on Thursday announcing the closure of the cold case. "Today, we can say with certainty that he was responsible for the death of Christine Gallegos," Parks continued. Stallworth was known to go out overnight and return in the morning "without explanation," Parks said. In the last two years of his life, police reports showed that he had been associated with prostitutes, Parks said. One of his ex-wives was "not surprised that we would be collecting his DNA" in a murder investigation, Parks said. Gallegos' mother, Leah Gallegos, remembered her daughter as "outgoing" and "sweet." "She was in love with her fiancé, Troy," Leah Gallegos said during the press briefing. "They had a family planned." "I just know that I sure miss this girl every day. I wonder about the kids that she would have, and I watch other people with their daughters, their grandkids," she said. "They took so much away when they took her away." Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd credited the "determination of our homicide detectives" and the advances in forensic technology in allowing them to solve the case.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Cold case murder solved 40 years after Utah teenager killed after hitchhiking to work: Police
Police in Salt Lake City announced Thursday they have solved the cold case murder of Christine Gallegos, 40 years after the 18-year-old was found dead after trying to hitchhike to work. Gallegos was found dead on May 16, 1985, according to the Salt Lake City Police Department. She had been severely beaten, stabbed and shot twice in the head. Police believe that the person who picked her up the night before drove her to a remote area and sexually assaulted her, killing her after she tried to fight back. The case remained unsolved for decades. In 2023, the case was re-examined in an attempt to identify an unknown male DNA profile collected in the case. Detectives sent the evidence to Texas-based Othram Labs for advanced DNA analysis using investigative genetic genealogy, police said. MORE: Cold case solved over 50 years after a young mom was killed, her 3-year-old daughter left alive That analysis identified a likely suspect, who was confirmed through a voluntary DNA sample from a family member to be Ricky Lee Stallworth, police said. Stallworth was a 27-year-old U.S. Air Force airman stationed at Hill Air Force Base in Layton, Utah, at the time of Gallegos' murder, police said. Police spoke with three of his four ex-wives and a friend before making contact with a child of his who provided a voluntary DNA sample that confirmed the match, according to retired Detective Cordon Parks. There is no indication that he and Gallegos knew each other, and Stallworth's name had never come up during the investigation, Parks said. Detectives were unable to interview Stallworth, who died from natural causes in July 2023, months before he was identified as a possible suspect, police said. "I wish we could have got to him before he died," Parks said during a press briefing on Thursday announcing the closure of the cold case. "Today, we can say with certainty that he was responsible for the death of Christine Gallegos," Parks continued. MORE: Underwater remains could crack 1983 cold case of missing Chicago-area woman: Police Stallworth was known to go out overnight and return in the morning "without explanation," Parks said. In the last two years of his life, police reports showed that he had been associated with prostitutes, Parks said. One of his ex-wives was "not surprised that we would be collecting his DNA" in a murder investigation, Parks said. Gallegos' mother, Leah Gallegos, remembered her daughter as "outgoing" and "sweet." "She was in love with her fiancé, Troy," Leah Gallegos said during the press briefing. "They had a family planned." "I just know that I sure miss this girl every day. I wonder about the kids that she would have, and I watch other people with their daughters, their grandkids," she said. "They took so much away when they took her away." Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd credited the "determination of our homicide detectives" and the advances in forensic technology in allowing them to solve the case. "I just want to reiterate our commitment to solving cold cases," he said during the briefing. Cold case murder solved 40 years after Utah teenager killed after hitchhiking to work: Police originally appeared on
