41-year-old missing persons case being investigated as homicide
A 41-year-old Lubbock missing persons case has turned into a homicide investigation, and police officials are offering up to $5,000 for any information that will help solve it.
Investigators with the Lubbock Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit are helping the Texas Rangers investigate the death of Debra Mackey after remains found in Hale County in 1982 were identified in November as hers, according to a Lubbock police news release issued Thursday.
Mackey, who was 20 at the time, was reported missing by family members on Jan. 6, 1982. She was last seen five days before in the 1700 block of Avenue E.
Investigators are asking for help getting a clearer picture on the circumstances around her disappearance, the release states.
On Feb. 16, 1982, a body was discovered in Hale County. However, the remains were unable to be identified, though a medical examination indicated the remains belonged to a Caucasian person.
Three years later, Henry Lee Lucas, a serial killer who gained notoriety for lying about many of the murders he committed, confessed to killing the person who was found in Hale County. Investigators determined that Lucas was lying, and the remains were buried in 1993, the release states.
On Feb. 8, 2015, Texas Rangers exhumed the body, hoping to finally identify it.
However, the identity of the body remained elusive until September of 2021, when representatives with the DoeNetwork, a non-profit group aimed at helping out with missing persons cases, offered to test the remains.
In November, investigators learned that the testing indicated the remains were Mackey's.
Anyone with information on the case can call the Crime Line at 806-741-1000. Information that could lead to the arrest or identification of a suspect may result in a cash reward.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: 41-year-old missing persons case being investigated as homicide
