MANSFIELD (CBSDFW.COM) – Police have arrested a 64-year-old man in connection to his nephew’s murder 37 years ago.

An indictment says Terry L. Woodson struck the child, Anthony Tyrone Woodson, with “an electrical cord” or some other item, killing the little boy.

Initial reports about Anthony’s disappearance on August 29, 1981 said he was kidnapped by a stranger. On that day he went to the store with  Terry Woodson. Woodson told police that he left the child asleep in the car while he went inside a convenience store. When Woodson returned to his car, Anthony was gone, according to Woodson. At the time, decades ago, authorities believed a stranger took the little boy.

Woodson intentionally killed his nephew, whose nickname was ‘Burt’, according to the indictment.

THE COLONY, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – The Colony Police Department said investigators have solved the March 1997 murder of Chris Charles Stecker.

Police said Stecker was shot and killed by two suspects during a home invasion robbery. The case remained unsolved until late last month.

Police said they developed new leads recently that led to the two suspects in this murder.

The suspects were identified as Christopher Newby and Roger Newby.

The investigation led to Christopher Newby being charged with murder.

Christopher Newby is currently an inmate in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice serving an unrelated prison sentence.

Christopher Newby’s father, Roger Newby died in prison in 2014 while serving a sentence on an unrelated case.

This case will be filed with the Denton County District Attorney.

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – A cold case has reopened in North Texas.

North Richland Hills police have released a detailed sketch of a suspect wanted for a spree of armed bank robberies and for shooting one of their officers in March 2003.

Investigators were able to recently put together a sketch of the suspect based on DNA obtained during the case. They believe the suspect looked like the sketch at the time Officer Jeff Garner was shot while chasing him.

According to police, Garner was chasing the suspect on March 3, 2003 after the man had allegedly robbed a bank at 6624 Watauga Road in Watauga. Garner was shot and wounded in the 7900 block of Smithfield Road in North Richland Hills.

Police said the wanted man is suspected of other armed bank robberies in the cities of Arlington and Fort Worth, as well as in Kansas and Oklahoma. The robberies are said to have taken place between October 1998 and March 2003.

According to police, the man allegedly assaulted bank employees during the robberies.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call police at 817.281.1000 or Crime Stoppers at 817.469.8411. A reward of up to $13,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and successful prosecution for the crime.

DENTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — An Arkansas man whose remains were found in Oklahoma more than 30 years ago, has been identified thanks to work by researchers at the University of North Texas and advances in DNA technology.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said Thursday it’s investigating the killing of 32-year-old William C. Reed, who was last seen alive in Bentonville, Arkansas, in August 1987.

William C. Reed (Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation)

His skeletal remains were found almost a year later near Mazie, Oklahoma, about 80 miles west of Bentonville.

Reed’s remains were identified after researchers at UNT extracted DNA from one of the victim’s bones.

A DNA profile entered last month into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System was matched to Reed’s brother and daughter, who submitted DNA in 2010 hoping it could locate him.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

HUNT COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) – The family of a woman found murdered nine years ago has increased the reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Heather Leann Pope father found her body on August 3, 2010 behind a vacant house in south Hunt County. The autopsy ruled her death as homicide due to blunt force trauma.

Heather Leann Pope (courtesy: Hunt County Sheriff’s Office)

Heather’s father, along with some family friends learned that several people were seen loitering behind a business on FM 751 and FM 429 on the day Pope’s body was found.

Hunt County Crime Stoppers offered an initial reward of up to $1,500.00 on April 4, 2019 for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible. However, Heather’s parents met with Hunt County Crime Stoppers and donated $8,500.00 to the reward fund. This raised the amount to $10,000.00 for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible.

If you have information regarding the murder of Heather Leann Pope call Hunt County Crime Stoppers at 903-457-2929.

You will remain anonymous.

FANNIN COUNTY (CBSNEWS.COM) – In Bonham, Texas, the Jennifer Harris case has become folklore — the 2002 murder is one of the oldest and coldest murder cases in Fannin County.

(credit: CBS News)

Jennifer Harris was 28 when she disappeared on May 12, 2002. Her Jeep was found abandoned on the side of the road. Six days later, a fisherman found her nude body floating in the Red River.

Police learned Jennifer had told at least one other person she was pregnant.

◊◊◊ Click Here To Read The Complete Story On cbsnews.com ◊◊◊

ARLINGTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – After receiving a credible tip this month, the Arlington Police Department identified a suspect in a fatal shooting from five years ago.

Michael Jackson Jr., of Arlington died at John Peter Smith Hospital from a gunshot wound on December 10, 2014.

He was shot in his car near the 8000 block of Matlock Road at a medical clinic.

Daequayvios Marquis Hill (credit: Arlington Police Department)

Investigators said Jackson Jr. and the suspect, Daequayvios Marquis Hill were engaged in a road rage incident.

Hill is presently serving a prison sentence for an unrelated crime. However, detectives consulted with the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office and charged him while still in custody with one count of Murder.

AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM) — More than 30 years after a woman was killed in East Texas, police have arrested a man in connection with the case.

On Tuesday, Aug. 27, 60-year-old Daniel MacGinnis was arrested in connection with the murder of Patricia Ann Jacobs.

Jacobs, who was 36 at the time, attended a meeting at the Silver Spur tavern in Hardin County on the evening of Oct. 5, 1988. When she didn’t return home, her husband drove to the bar to search for her and found her pickup truck still in the parking lot. Jacobs’ husband contacted the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office and reported her missing.

Patricia Ann Jacobs (Credit: Texas Department of Public Safety)

The following day, on Oct. 6, Jacobs’ body was found in the Neches River in Port Arthur — approximately 40 miles from where she was last seen.

MacGinnis lived in the same city as Jacobs when she died, and police determined he was a suspect. But by the spring of 1989, he fled to California.

When the Texas Rangers traveled to California to interview him; MacGinnis, who had no previous contact with Jacobs’, denied any part in her death.

The investigation stalled until Oct. 2018, when a family member contacted the Texas Rangers to request an update on the case. Port Arthur Police along with the Texas Rangers determined there was evidence in the case that had not been examined by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) crime laboratory.

The evidence in question was tested and matched MacGinnis’ DNA.

Though, a motive for the murder is still unclear.

MacGinnis has also been convicted of crimes in other parts of Texas, California and Idaho, where the Texas Rangers have reached out to law enforcement agencies in effort to determine if he is tied to any other unsolved cases.

MADISONVILLE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – The Madison County Sheriff’s Office and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children are trying to solve a disturbing 3-year-old cold case.

The agencies created a facial reconstruction to show what the child may have looked like in life.

The reconstruction was made using a CT scan of her skull.

The victim’s remains were found on Sept. 17, 2016 near the 7800 block of I-45 north in Madisonville, Texas inside a black suitcase.

(courtesy: Madison County Sheriff’s Office and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children)

She was between 2 and 6 years old and was found wearing a pink dress and a diaper.

The girl was also found with a feeding tube. She likely had a condition called micrognathia, which would have affected her ability to eat on her own. She also would have likely needed professional medical care throughout her life.

It’s estimated that she was deceased for three to five months before she was found.

Forensic experts believe she was Caucasian or Hispanic and had thick, dark hair.

New genealogy research now reveals she also had Native American lineage.

While she was found in Texas, a pollen analysis completed on her remains suggests she was from the southwest U.S. or the adjacent region in Mexico. It’s even more likely she was from southeast Arizona.

Madisonville is 145 miles southeast of Dallas.

GREENVILLE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – The Hunt County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday investigators are still trying to figure out what happened to a woman who has been missing almost 12 years.

Lisa Lee Chandler, who lived in the 5500 block of SH 34 North, Wolfe City Texas, has not been seen since September 23, 2007.

Lisa Lee Chandler has been missing from Hunt County, Texas since September 23, 2007. (Hunt Co. Sheriff’s Dept.)

The Hunt County Sheriff’s Department explained, Alice Marie Johnson, Lisa’s mother, has said in the past that she became worried about her when she was not answering her phone and she and others made the decision to drive from Starks, Louisiana to check on her welfare.

Upon arrival they could not locate Lisa and nothing in her home appeared out of the ordinary, her vehicle was in the driveway and her dog was running loose in the yard.

Johnson told authorities this was very odd and she filed a missing persons report.

The Sheriff’s Office said during the past 12 years this investigation has included searches in and around the area Lisa Chandler lived and numerous interviews with people who knew Lisa.

“I feel without a doubt that someone in or around Wolfe City knows something about Lisa Chandler. We have learned that a lot of her known associates were in that area at the time she disappeared and some of them people may still live here. Please, if you have any information contact Sgt. Jeff Haines with the Sheriff’s Office who is actively investigating this case,” said Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks in a news release.

Sgt. Jeff Haines can be contacted at 903-453-6809 or via email at jhaines@huntcounty.net.

Or anyone can submit a tip through Hunt County Crime Stoppers and remain anonymous at 903-457-2929.

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) — On June 27, 1983, 11-year-old Julie Fuller disappeared from the Kensington Motel in Arlington after taking out the trash. She was found raped and murdered in Fort Worth the following day. Her killer had never been found — until now, 36 years later.

Julie Fuller (Fort Worth Police Department)

Decades after investigating the cold case, Fort Worth police were able to get DNA evidence into the database CODIS, but with no matches.

It has been a relentless effort by not only the department, but by Fuller’s brother, Lee Fuller.

Julie and Lee Fuller (CBS 11 News)

“It’s that mixed emotion,” Lee said. “You can’t say you’re happy, but it’s good to get some kind of closure.”

He and his family immigrated from the U.K. to start a new life in Texas.

“I was probably sitting there watching TV or something worthless like that, and then my sister just happened to take out the trash and then never came back,” he said. “The whole thing is so surreal and you can’t really properly process it.”

In February 2018, homicide detectives then reached out to Parabon Nanolabs and obtained a DNA phenotyping report — a tool used to predict a suspect’s physical appearance and ancestry from unidentified DNA evidence.

No sign of Julie Fuller’s killer was ever found, although police acquired some DNA evidence that didn’t produce a match.

A year and a half later, on Dec. 13, Fort Worth police said they have identified Fuller’s killer as James McNichols, who died in 2004 at 52 while living in Iowa.

James McNichols

“I’m really just in shock and awe [at] the fact that after nearly 40 years they managed to get to who actually did this,” Lee said.

NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) – It could be the end of privacy as we know it.

Home DNA testing combined with genetic genealogy means virtually anyone can be identified.

The new technology is turning cold cases red hot, solving dozens of cases across the nation including one in Fort Worth.

Julie Fuller was just 11 years old when she was abducted, raped and strangled in 1983.

Julie Fuller (courtesy: Fort Worth Police Dept.)

Thirty years later, FWPD detective Thomas O’Brien took over the case.

“They weren’t looking at DNA back then,” he said. “There wasn’t a database that existed to do that.”

There is now.

Parabon Nanolabs in Virginia tested rape kit evidence to identify people with similar DNA.

O’Brien used that list of names to find other relatives.

Once he identified a suspect, he contacted the man’s family.

“I think they felt confident,” he said. “‘Well this is probably the person if you’re asking about it.'”

James McNichols had died years earlier. Still, his family members agreed to take a kinship DNA test, which proved he was the killer.

It was the answer Julie’s old brother had waited for, for 36 years. “It was something that he had felt would truly never be solved,” said O’Brien.

James McNichols (courtesy: Fort Worth Police Dept.)

“For most people just getting a name is very important,” said Marian Woods, a genetic genealogist based in Plano.

Her first case was her own.

At 15 she learned the man raising her was not her biological father. She spent four decades wondering before using her own DNA to track down a name.

He had already passed away but Woods says just knowing, was enough. “It was a sense of gratitude and closure.”

But Woods warns that is not always the outcome.

“The person should be prepared for a rollercoaster ride, because you can get very shocking results [or] very disappointing results.”

That can include surprise siblings or secret adoptions.

Two of her current cases involve clients born out of rape and prostitution.

According to Woods, even people who never have their own DNA tested can be affected.

Every one-night stand, every sperm donor no longer has anonymity.

Woods says DNA databases effectively mean the end of privacy for everyone.

“Even if you don’t upload your DNA, your niece, your nephew, your grandmother, your aunt, your uncle – everyone is getting these kits for Christmas,” said Woods. “Everyone has a curiosity and they have a right to know!”

It’s important to note, finding matches isn’t necessarily as easy as clicking a button.

Online databases could give you 1,000 possible relatives. Determining how they’re related could require researching census data, obituaries, family trees and more.

Back at the Fort Worth Police Department, Detective O’Brien is hoping to use genetic genealogy to solve more crimes, even though he understands the potential privacy concerns.

“I think the majority of individuals who would look at this would agree that there is a great good that we’re dealing with,” he said. “And I think they would be okay with it.”

Parabon’s chief genetic genealogist released this statement about the Julie Fuller case:

“Julie Fuller’s case is a good example of the power of investigative genetic genealogy and its ability to provide answers and resolution to the families and communities impacted by these types of terrible crimes, and make society a safer place for all. It was an honor to assist Detective Tom O’Brien and the Fort Worth Police Department on the Julie Fuller case. Fort Worth is very fortunate to have such a dedicated, caring detective. Our hearts go out to Julie’s family.”

MINNEAPOLIS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — A former MMA fighter accused in two Texas slayings is one of two people charged in the death of a woman who was abducted from a Minnesota domestic violence shelter 11 years ago, authorities said Monday.

Cedric Marks, 45, of Killeen, Texas, has been charged in Hennepin County with second-degree murder in the 2009 slaying of April Pease, who was the mother of one of his children. Kellee Sorensen, 34, of Lynden, Washington, faces a similar charge.

Marks and Pease were allegedly involved in a custody dispute.

Marks is also suspected in the strangling deaths of his ex-girlfriend and another man in Texas last January, authorities said. Their bodies were about a week later in a shallow grave in Oklahoma.

In February 2019, Marks escaped from a prison van during a private transport near Conroe, Texas but was captured several days later.

Prosecutors in Central Texas are seeking the death penalty for Marks.

Marks and Sorensen originally found Pease at a shelter in Washington State, after which time Pease was transferred to a Bloomington, Minnesota shelter, court documents show. The two suspects tracked down Pease in Minnesota and took her against her will.

Marks told Sorensen he killed Pease and removed her hands and teeth so she couldn’t be identified, according to court documents. It’s unclear from the complaint whether her body was ever discovered, but one of Marks’ wives told police it was buried somewhere in one of the Dakotas.

Marks compiled a record of 31-28-0 during his professional MMA career, which began in 1999, according to mixedmartialarts.com. His last fight was in 2018.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM) – The Texas Department of Public Safety is seeking information and asking for the public’s help in solving the 1985 cold case homicide of Dorothy Estep. An increased reward of up to $6,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for her death if the tip is received before the next featured Texas Rangers cold case is announced. A $3,000 reward for information leading to an arrest is routinely offered on all cases on the Texas Rangers Unsolved Homicides website.

Estep, 32, was last seen by her neighbor on the evening of Sept. 29, 1985, as she was leaving her home in Mexia, located just outside of Waco in Limestone County, to pick up her daughter from her ex-husband’s house. The following day, Estep failed to show up for work, where she was a social worker for the state of Texas. After being unable to reach her, a coworker reported her missing.

Later in the day on Sept. 30, 1985, Estep’s vehicle — a yellow Plymouth Sapporo — was found on U.S. 84 near the Elk cutoff in neighboring McLennan County. Estep was found deceased in the trunk. Texas Rangers and local law enforcement have worked diligently on this investigation; however, all leads have been exhausted, and the Rangers are asking for the public’s help to solve this case.

To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters must provide information to authorities by calling the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477). All tips are anonymous.

People can also submit information through the Texas Rangers cold case website or by contacting them at 1-800-346-3242.

HUNT COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) – The family of a Hunt County woman found murdered, buried in a shallow grave still seeks closure despite increasing a reward substantially for information last year.

Heather Leann Pope’s father found her body on August 3, 2010 behind a vacant house in south Hunt County. The autopsy ruled her death as homicide due to blunt force trauma.

Heather’s father, along with some family friends learned that several people were seen loitering behind a business on FM 751 and FM 429 on the day Pope’s body was found.

Hunt County Crime Stoppers offered an initial reward of up to $1,500.00 on April 4, 2019 for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible. However, Heather’s parents met with Hunt County Crime Stoppers and donated $8,500.00 to the reward fund. This raised the amount to $10,000.00 for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible.

“I feel confident that someone out there knows what happened to Heather and who was responsible. The tipster will remain anonymous and all we are asking is for the killer to be brought to justice,” said Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks.

If you have information regarding the murder of Heather Leann Pope call Hunt County Crime Stoppers at 903-457-2929.

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot announced Wednesday that his office, working with Dallas Police and the FBI, arrested David Thomas Hawkins, 74, for the aggravated sexual assault of a Dallas woman in 1985.

Authorities believe DNA evidence links Hawkins to three other aggravated sexual assaults in Dallas and two in Shreveport, Louisiana between 1980 and 1985.

David Thomas Hawkins (credit: Dallas County Jail)

“This case was solved through the use of forensic genetic genealogy analysis and is the first of its kind to be solved in this manner in Dallas County,” said Creuzot.

In the 1985 aggravated sexual assault case, investigators reviewed the case with the help of experts in forensic genetic genealogy.

After extensive DNA testing, genealogy research and surveillance investigators linked Hawkins to the unknown male profile from the sexual assault collection kit in the 1985 case.

They used the same advanced DNA testing that helped crack the decades-old Golden State Killer case.

“This is why we have the federal Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) grant. It affords us the opportunity to investigate and vigorously prosecute cases that could not be solved decades ago. The use of forensic genetic genealogy is a game changer for us.” said Assistant District Attorney Leighton D’Antoni. “I want to thank the Dallas Police Department and the Dallas FBI Office for their hard work on this case as we seek to pursue justice on behalf of these women and their families. This investigation highlights what can happen when the best in Dallas County law enforcement come together to solve the most difficult cold cases.”

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Advancements in technology and DNA evidence helped Dallas police finally catch suspected serial rapist, David Thomas Hawkins.

Detectives said they believe Hawkins is responsible for four unsolved sexual assaults in the 1980s.

The 74-year-old convicted sex offender faces charges for sexual assaults on the four victims in Northeast Dallas apartments around The Village between 1982 and 1985.

“These victims have been wanting justice and deserving justice for decades and the fact that the technology has brought us to this is just absolutely amazing,” said Dallas Co. District Attorney John Creuzot.

David Thomas Hawkins (credit: Dallas County Jail)

Creuzot said it’s the first time genetic forensic genealogy was used to capture someone. The same method recently helped authorities in California find and arrest the serial murderer rapist known as the Golden State killer.

“It’s quite a breakthrough and we’ll get these cases processed and get them moving into the court system,” said Cheryl Hester, whose company — AdvanceDNA — helps authorities use DNA evidence to find links on genealogical internet databases with blood relatives who have given permission for their results to be public.

“Once we upload this data,” said Hester, “we get back what we call cousin matches these are relatives that match the DNA and they match it at all different levels.

The Texarkana- based company recently helped make an arrest in the 40 year old unsolved murder of an 8-year-old Ohio girl, too.

“A lot of these cases would not be solved without genetic genealogy,” said Hester. 

Details about how Dallas Police tracked down Hawkins may not be revealed until his trial. But he now faces spending the rest of his life in prison after living for decades in a home south of Fort Worth.

AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM) – The Texas Department of Public Safety is seeking leads in the 1979 homicide of 7-year-old Elizabeth Lynne Barclay.

The reward for any information leading to an arrest was also increased to $6,00 if the tip is received before the next featured Texas Rangers cold case is announced.

Elizabeth Lynne Barclay was abducted and murdered. (credit: Texas Department of Public Safety)

More than 40 years ago, on Oct. 23, 1979, Barclay was walking with her younger brother and a friend in the 2900 block of West Northwest Highway in Dallas. It was the last time she was seen alive. The trio was approached by a Black male — who was approximately 30 to 35 years old — driving a dark-colored vehicle with a trunk lid that wouldn’t close all the way. The car stopped, and the male suspect exited the vehicle. Witness say the man grabbed Barclay and struck her several times as he carried her back to his car.

In December 1979, Barclay’s remains were found on the side of a rural road in Van Zandt County. After a lengthy investigation by the Dallas Police Department, the case stalled. About a year ago, the Texas Rangers reopened the investigation.

Anyone with information about the homicide or the identity of the offender is urged to come forward. Today, the offender would likely be over 70 years old.

To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters MUST provide information to authorities by calling the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477). All tips are anonymous.

Individuals can also submit information through the Texas Rangers cold case website or by phone at 1-800-346-3242 (Missing Persons Hotline).

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A man has been charged in the 2003 strangling of a woman whose body was found on a rural road in West Texas, authorities said Friday.

Andy Castillo, of Lubbock, is charged with murder in the death of 21-year-old Cynthia Joann Palacio, also of Lubbock, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

A recent alert from a DNA database led the Texas Rangers and Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office to focus their attention on Castillo, the DPS said.

Andy Castillo (McLennan County Sheriff’s Office)

Castillo, 57, was in the McLennan County Jail in Waco on unrelated charges of criminal solicitation to commit child sexual assault when he was served with the arrest warrant in the Palacio case, the agency said.

Palacio’s partially clothed body was found in July 2003 in southeastern Lubbock County.

The case had been linked to the April 2004 killing of 21-year-old Linda Trevino Carbajal, but that case remains under investigation, the agency said. Carbajal was found strangled and with blunt force injuries on a rural road in northern Lubbock County.

Palacio was survived by her daughter, who was 2 years old when her mother was killed, the agency said.

Castillo was being held Friday in McLennan County Jail on more than $1 million in bond. Jail records didn’t list an attorney for him.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – Fort Worth police on Tuesday announced an arrest in the 1974 murder of Carla Walker, who was 17 years old when she was abducted, tortured and eventually killed.

Carla Walker (courtesy: Justice for Carla Walker Facebook page)

Police arrested Glen Samuel McCurley in connection with the brutal slaying.

Jail records showed McCurley was held in the Tarrant County Jail on a charge of murder with bond set at $100,000.

Glen Samuel McCurley (credit: Tarrant County Jail)