LIST: East Texas cold homicide cases Texas Rangers are still trying to solve

Yahoo

19-05-2025

TYLER, Texas (KETK)– The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is investigating 147 unsolved homicides, with 14 of them being from East Texas, including cases dating back to the 1980s.
KETK news has compiled a list of unsolved homicide cases in East Texas that Texas Rangers have been working on to bring justice to the victims and closure for their families.
LIST: Who are the East Texas officers who have died in line of duty
On Aug. 20, 2008, Texas Rangers and the Anderson County Sheriff's Office started investigating the death of Mary Waters who was found dead inside her home on a rural county road in Anderson County. Officials said after an autopsy was performed it was found she died from a knife wound.
On Sept. 18, 2001, Texas Rangers and the Anderson County Sheriff's Office recovered human remains found in the trunk of an abandoned burning car on County Road 3490 in rural Anderson County. Officials said the victim was identified as Joshua Seales and after an autopsy was performed his death was ruled a homicide.
Tyler police investigate fatal shooting of 28-year-old woman
On July, 9 2008, Texas Rangers and the Palestine Police Department started investigating the death of Ricardo Loaeza who was found lying in a wooden area in the 1600 block of Eilenstein Street in Palestine. Officials said after an autopsy was performed it was found he died from a knife wound.
47-year-old Auditor from Pensacola, Flordia Jerry Lynn Williams had been staying in Lufkin while on assignment at St. Regis Paper Company. He was last seen eating at the restaurant inside the Ramada Inn where he was staying on Oct. 19, 1981.
Officials said on Dec. 30, 1981 a hunter found the mummified body of Williams near a rural Angelina County logging road, around 80 yards south of Rivercrest Road and about four miles northeast of Lufkin. Williams was found fully clothed with his hands bound and with a single gunshot wound to his left temple, investigators said.
Investigators believe Williams had been murdered elsewhere and dumped.
According to Texas DPS, around 7:20 a.m. on June 8, 1985 27-year-old Brian Keith Martin was found dead just outside of Lufkin on the side of FM 841 with a gunshot wound to the head. 'Martin's 1979 Chevrolet Camaro, bearing Louisiana tags, was nowhere to be found,' officials said. 'A firearm was recovered just a few feet from Martin's body.'
Martin was from Bossier City, Louisiana where he worked for Assure Inspection Management but at the time of death he was staying with friends at a local Lufkin trailer park while assigned to a local paper mill. Officials said that Martin and his roommate got off work at the paper mill around 1 a.m. and went home
'The last known sighting of Martin was by his roommate,' Texas DPS said. 'Martin's roommate reported Brian departed the trailer home in his Camaro at approximately 1:30 a.m.'
76-year-old retired Correctional Officer Riley Floyd Thomas who suffered from Parkinson's disease and congestive heart failure was reported missing by his ex-daughter-in-law on April 6, 2000, officials said.
According to Texas DPS, Riley was last seen with his son, Richard Thomas with who he lived with. Richard claimed to have placed Riley on a bus in Lufkin destined for Port Arthur, was later convicted of forging his father's name in order to cash his father's checks and fled to Oklahoma at or around the time of Riley's disappearance.
Officials said Riley has never been found and foul play is suspected.
According to Texas DPS, on Jan. 16, 2002 the Texas Rangers and the Cherokee County County Sheriff's Office began investigating the murder of Dennis Matlock who was found dad inside his home.
'An autopsy was performed which determined Matlock died from a combination of physical injuries.,' officials said.
Texas DPS said on Oct. 7, 2013 the body of 51-year-old Lillian Diseree Decoteau was found near the eastbound on-ramp of IH-20 outside of Hallsville. An autopsy confirmed Descoteau died from blunt force injuries and strangulation.
'She had been sexually assaulted, beaten and strangled. Descoteau's body was only clothed in a light pullover, a white bra and a shiny diamond stud earring in one ear,' DPS said.
DPS offers $6k for information in 2013 cold case murder in Hallsville
According to Texas DPS, on Feb. 25, 2001 Travoski Johnson was found dead in the trunk of his vehicle in Rusk County.
Officials said Thomas Pearson Leever was last seen at his home in Harris County at 7 p.m. on Oct. 15, 1990 and was reported missing after he didn't show for work the next day.
Leever's beige 1985 Chevrolet S-10 pickup was missing, as well as his safe from his house. On Oct. 19, 1990, Leever's partially decayed remains were found off a rural Sabine County road and the cause of death was gunfire, officials said.
'On Oct. 29, 1990, Leever's missing truck was found parked behind a business in Cleveland,' officials said. ' Leever's safe was never located.'
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. 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.
VANISHED: Harold William Roland
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.'
Officials said on March 30, 2001 the skeletal remains of 42-year-old Oliver 'Floyd' Yarbrough was found on the bank of the Attoyac River in a rural area of San Augustine County.
'An autopsy revealed that Yarbrough was a victim of homicide,' Texas DPS said. 'Witnesses last observed Yarbrough on Feb. 24, 2001 in Timpson in a red Chevrolet Beretta.'
Terri Renee Reyes was last known to be in Jacksonville during May or early June of 2006 and her skeletal remains were found in the National Forest near Broaddus on Sept. 2, 2006, officials said.
'Foul play is suspected in Reyes' death,' Texas DPS said. 'Reyes would have been 38 years of age at the time of her discovery.'
During November 2001, a crime scene was found in rural Shelby County containing evidence that Tara Lea Blue was murdered, officials said.
VANISHED: Tara Lee Blue
Blue was last seen the night before with Richard Lee Sanders, but Blue's body and Sanders have never been found. If Sanders is located, people are encouraged to not approach him.
East 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.