LIST: Top priority cold homicide cases Texas Rangers are still trying to solve
KETK news has compiled a list of top priority unsolved homicide cases that Texas Rangers have been working on to bring justice to the victims and closure for their families.
LIST: East Texas cold homicide cases Texas Rangers are still trying to solve
City: Dallas
County: Dallas
Suspect(s): Black man
According to Texas DPS, in October of 1979, 7-year-old Barclay was walking down the street near 2900 West Northwest Highway when witnesses saw that she was abducted and struck multiple times by a Black man driving a dark colored vehicle, possibly a two-door Buick.
Officials said in December of that same year, Barclay was found dead on the side of a county road near Hiram Road in Wills Point. 'An autopsy was conducted and determined the cause of the death to be a homicide,' the Texas Rangers said. 'The Dallas Police Department maintains an open homicide investigation and is being assisted by the Texas Rangers.'
City: Houston
County: Harris
Texas DPS said on Christmas Day in 1980, Estrella Salinas and her 14-year-old son, Andrew Salinas, were found dead on the east side of White Oak Bayou and the Pinemont Bridge, near the 4500 block of Creekmont Drive in Houston.
Estella and Andrew were seen in a blue-colored 1972 Mercury Cougar, which Estella had been driving. The vehicle was later found near the intersection of Cavalcade and Eastex Freeway, with the keys and the victim's items still inside.
City: Universal City
County: Bexar
According to officials, recently divorced 23-year-old Herrera was last seen in the early morning hours of April 11, 1981, leaving a bar called Johnny's Inn in Universal City.
Two days later Herrera was found dead and nude in a field near the 500 block of East Aviation Drive. 'An autopsy determined her manner of death to be homicide due to multiple injuries,' Texas DPS said. 'Evidence suggests she was sexually assaulted prior to her death.'
County: Bexar
According to Texas DPS, 21-year-old Richard Anthony 'Tony' Garza disappeared from southern Bexar County on Sept. 14, 1984, and was reported missing by his father six days later. Garza had been working as a stable hand at a local ranch with race horses.
On Jan. 4, 1986, Garza's remains were found near U.S. Highway 181 and FM 344 (now called FM 775) in Wilson County.
His cause of death was ruled a homicide, officials said.
City: Lubbock
County: Lubbock
On the morning of March 26, 1987, 13-year-old Veronica Taylor was found dead from blunt force trauma in a snow-covered field adjacent to FM 1729 in eastern Lubbock County, the Texas Rangers said. She was last seen leaving a relative's apartment the previous evening.
Have you seen them? Texas children that have been missing, unidentified for over 45 years
Taylor was only a 6th grader at the time of her death, she was attending school at Murfee elementary in Lubbock.
City: Vernon
County: Wilbarger
Suspect(s): Black man
During the early morning hours of Sept. 23, 1990, an intruder entered the apartment of a mom and two sons. The intruders shot the mother and her two sons, 12-year-old Derrick 'Lump' Jackson and 14-year-old James 'Lil James' Edwards, Texas Rangers said.
According to officials, Jackson and Edwards died from gunshot wounds, while their mother fought the intruder and was shot several times but survived.
County: Crane
According to Texas DPS, on Jan. 31, 1990, human remains were found in Crane County and the body was identified as Maria Mendez of Odessa in 2023 by Texas Rangers and the Odessa Police Department.
The investigation into her death continues.
Beyond the Headlines: Who was the East Texas brother that was murdered nearly 40 years ago?
City: Shepherd
County: San Jacinto
Around 10 a.m. on May 3, 1992, after 19-year-old Natasha Atchley attended a late night to early morning birthday in Shepherd, her car was found burned on a rural dirt road about a mile from the party.
'Atchley's body was located in the trunk of her hatchback car,' Texas DPS said. 'Natasha previously attended school in Livingston, but moved and graduated from Odessa Permian High School in 1990. Atchley was visiting friends from the Livingston area at the time of her murder.'
City: Crystal City
County: Zavala
On Dec. 18, 1992, the body of Luiz Segovia was found near Crystal City. He had just come back from Austin after a state cosmetology exam, officials said.
On the night of his murder, Segovia was described as happy about his exam and his future.
City: Junction
County: Kimble
According to Texas DPS, on Nov. 30, 1997 Kenneth Minton was found dead from gunshot wounds behind Junction Restaurant in the northeast corner of IH-10 and US 83. It is believed by investigators that the suspects attempted to conceal the crime but weren't successful.
Minton was a truck driver and at the time of his death it was believed he was heading to Florida with a load.
County: San Augustine
According to the Texas DPS, Harold William 'Bill' Roland was last seen on July 21, 1997 in San Augustine County where he was staying at his lake house on Lake Sam Rayburn.
VANISHED: Harold William Roland
Officials said Roland told a witness he planned to go fishing and his wife reported him missing the following morning. Also missing was Roland's pickup truck, pontoon boat and trailer.
During the next three month, Roland's items were found at different locations including:
The pickup truck was found in a rural area of Angelina County burned (arson)
The boat trailer was found abandoned in a National Forest in San Augustine Count
The pontoon boat was located hidden under willow trees on Lake Sam Rayburn
'Pontoons on the boat had been shot, possibly in an attempt to sink the craft,' officials said. 'Extensive searches and interviews have not revealed the location of Roland, investigators suspect Roland was killed.'
City: Laredo
County: Webb
According to officials, on Sept. 26, 2004 the remains of an unidentified woman were found on the bank of the Rio Grande River in Laredo.
LIST: 20 Tyler cold homicide cases police are still trying to solve
After the autopsy, it was determined that the woman was murdered and that she has distinct characteristics consisting of gold peace signs on her front teeth.
City: North Richland Hills
County: Tarrant
On Dec. 9, 2007, officials said, Marianne Wilkinson was enjoying her evening with her husband of 46 years when the doorbell rang.
After Wilkinson opened the door, she was shot multiple times by an unidentified person and died from the attack.
Wilkinson was a mother of two children and a grandmother of four. She graduated from college in 1961 from Southern Methodist University and was very active in her church, First Baptist Church of Keller, where she attended a bi-weekly prayer group and served on the social committee for her Sunday school class.
Texas DPS said Wilkinson and her husband had been enjoying their retirement by traveling before she was killed.
Texans can submit tips about these cases on the Texas Rangers unsolved homicide website or to stay anonymous call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477). For more information on cold cases Texas Rangers are investigating, people can visit the Texas Department of Public Safety website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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