New update on Morgan Nick disappearance case

ALMA, Ark. — A brand new improvement within the Morgan Nick case was revealed on Tuesday, Oct. 1, throughout a press convention in Alma. 

The Alma Police Division (APD) has formally introduced Billy Jack Lincks as a suspect within the disappearance of 6-year-old Morgan Nick.

Morgan Nick disappeared on June 9, 1995. Her mom, Colleen Nick, took Morgan to a bit of league baseball sport in Alma, however she by no means imagined she can be going dwelling with out her daughter. 

In the course of the sport, Morgan left with some buddies to catch fireflies. After some time, Morgan was left by herself after which by no means seen once more. 

Since then, the FBI, native authorities, and her household have been in search of solutions to her disappearance.

Authorities consider that Morgan was kidnapped from the parking zone at round 10:45 p.m. Officers acquired a suspect description in addition to the outline of a purple truck with a white camper shell that was allegedly concerned within the crime. 

In 2021, the FBI linked native World Conflict II veteran and Crawford County native Billy Jack Lincks to Morgan’s abduction.

Lincks, a resident of Van Buren for the reason that late Nineteen Seventies, was caught trying to abduct an 11-year-old woman eight miles away from the Wofford Baseball Discipline the place Morgan was taken from. Lincks’s abduction try was simply two months after Morgan’s disappearance. This crime was dedicated utilizing his purple truck. Chief of Alma Police Division, Jeff Horner, stated Lincks was questioned about Morgan’s abduction, however he denied any information of it, so “investigators moved on.”

Lincks was discovered responsible of sexual solicitation of a kid and sentenced to jail the place he later died in 2000. Nevertheless, he was not investigated as a suspect in Morgan’s disappearance till after his dying.

On Oct. 1, Alma police introduced Lincks as an official suspect after DNA proof related his involvement with the six-year-old’s disappearance.

Police tracked down the present proprietor of Lincks’s truck, who allowed them to research it. The proprietor stated he didn’t know Lincks. In keeping with a launch by Arkansas State Police, the truck had been bought “a number of instances within the years that adopted. ” The FBI Proof Response Workforce then took over, examined the truck for DNA in 2020, and vacuumed it for proof. 

Within the assortment, investigators had been capable of finding hair. In July 2023, Alma Detective Shawn Taylor found a complicated DNA system that would take a look at hair with or with out roots. Taylor spoke with the FBI to ship the DNA proof to a lab for testing.

On Sept. 27, 2024, the lab’s report got here again, figuring out that the hair contained within the proof despatched in belonged to both Morgan’s mom, Colleen Nick, or a member of Colleen’s household. Officers stated no person within the Nick household was accustomed to Lincks and had by no means been contained in the truck, prompting the suspicion that Morgan was the one within the truck. Horner stated this bodily proof “strongly signifies that Morgan had been in his truck.”

Alma Police Chief Jeff Pointer formally recognized Billy Jack Lincks as the primary suspect in Morgan’s disappearance. Nevertheless, the investigation remains to be within the seek for Morgan and what occurred after the alleged abduction. 

“Alma Police detectives have reached a degree the place they will think about a single suspect to find out the circumstances surrounding Morgan’s abduction,” officers stated.

Morgan’s mom additionally stepped as much as the rostrum to share some phrases. 

“A military of supporters, advocates and heroes have rallied to uncover the reality about her disappearance,” she stated. “He stole Morgan from me, her dad, Logan and Taryn. He didn’t see that he might by no means win. As a result of our love for Morgan – her reminiscence, her voice – outlasted his life. And that love continues to shine. Morgan’s coronary heart shines on.”

Police nonetheless have many unanswered questions and ask the general public to report any details about this case to 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

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