DPS, county identify remains in almost 40-year cold case News Staff Wed, 07/24/2024 - 8:00 pm
The 1976 Ephrata High School yearbook photo next to an age progression photo provided Texas DPS. Contributed photos 
The Ephrata High School varsity cheerleaders published in the July 25, 1974 edition of The Ephrata Review. Roberta Mumma, center front, was recently identified as the 1984 victim of a possible Jack County homicide.
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Staff Report kbailey@grahamleader.com
A decades-old Jack County homicide just got a new lead and authorities are seeking information from the public.
The Jack County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Rangers have identified Roberta Mumma as the victim of an alleged homicide that occurred near Wizard Wells in 1984. Her identity has remained a mystery until now.
Mumma was 25 years old at the time of her death and was identified using advanced forensic techniques and DNA analysis. Her last known location before the discovery of her remains was in Tennessee.
Mumma was a 1976 graduate of Ephrata High School in Pennsylvania. In articles published in The Ephrata Review and the Intelligencer Journal, she received multiple scholarships to attend the University of Pittsburgh to major in physical therapy after graduating.
“Miss Mumma has worked as a volunteer for the Easter Seal Society of Lancaster. In school, she was active in cheering squads, pinochle club, student council, Girl's Club and intramural sports,” a June 3, 1976 article in The Ephrata Review stated.
Enrollment records from the university have not yet been obtained and Mumma’s connection to Tennessee has not yet been clarified.
In the 1986 obituary of Mumma’s father, her location was listed as unknown. When her maternal grandfather died in 1997, a family member posted a public notice in multiple Pennsylvania newspapers notifying Mumma that she had been named as a beneficiary in her grandfather’s will.
In a Dec. 2, 1984 article published in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Jack County sheriff's officials suspected homicide in the death of a woman whose skeletal remains were found by deer hunters in the early morning hours of Dec. 1, 1984 in an abandoned pasture near Wizard Wells in eastern Jack County.
“Jack County Sheriff's Deputy Burl Downey said Saturday that because of the condition of the skeleton, officials couldn't tell what caused the death. But because the body was found wrapped in plastic, officials suspect the person was killed…,” the article stated.
In April 1985, then Jack County Sheriff W.B. Mathis said the University of Tennessee had performed tests on the remains and provided some clues. According to a Texas DPS missing persons bulletin, the decedent’s estimated age was 25 to 29 years old, and she had healed trauma to her spine and may have had foot problems. Her time of death was estimated between three months to one year.
“Dental records show that all her dental work was done by one dentist. A technique was used which only has been in practice the past seven years…,” an April 9, 1985 article published in the Wichita Falls Record News stated.
Current Jack County Sheriff T-Bob Hauger said he found out the identity of the victim about a week ago. He hopes that now that the victim has been identified, someone will come forward with information.
“Someone knows something out there and we’re hoping they come forward,” Hauger said. “Having the identity has given the family some closure but we want to give the family some justice.”
The Jack County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Rangers are actively investigating this cold case and seeking justice for Mumma.
“... Anyone with information about Mumma or the circumstances surrounding her death to come forward. The smallest detail could be crucial in solving this case and bringing closure to Roberta Mumma’s loved ones,” the Wednesday, July 24 release stated.
For more information or to provide tips, please contact the Jack County Sheriff’s Office at 940-567-2161 or chauger@jackcounty.texas.gov.
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