Connecting the DNA dots: How new technology led to breakthrough in Morgan Nick case
THE WOODLANDS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — For the first time, viewers are getting a behind-the-scenes look at the forensic lab credited with cracking the decades-old Morgan Nick case.
Six-year-old Morgan was abducted from a River Valley ballpark nearly 30 years ago. Her body was never found. But earlier this year, the Alma Police Department announced they were certain Billy Jack Lincks, a man who died in prison, was responsible for her disappearance.
The breakthrough came from a single hair found in Lincks' truck, decades after Morgan went missing.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children uses forensic artists to help save lives
'Somehow it stayed there, that piece of hair to be vacuumed up. That's incredible,' said Kristen Mittelman, Chief Development Officer at Othram Labs. 'The first thing we do is we extract DNA from the rootless hair. It goes into the lab for a DNA library to be sequenced. In this case, we compared it to a family sequence.'
Next Monday, June 9, marks the 30th anniversary of Morgan Nick's disappearance, and a two-hour special titled Chasing Fireflies will air in two parts on June 9 and 10, offering an in-depth look at the case, featuring investigators, forensic experts, Morgan's mother Colleen and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
The special will also be available early on Sunday from 7 to 9 p.m. on the streaming app 479 First.
Watch in the video player above.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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