Arkansas police say newly discovered DNA evidence has linked a suspect to the 1995 disappearance of a six-year-old girl . Alma Police Chief Jeff Pointer announced on Tuesday that the DNA sample connected a deceased man to the abduction of Morgan Nick.
During the startling revelation, Pointer said that Billy Jack Lincks, who had been arrested by police 12 weeks after the girl's disappearance for sexual solicitation of a child, was responsible for the girl's kidnapping . At the time of his arrest, Lincks had denied that he had ever been involved with the girl's case, reported CBS affiliate WCSC-TV .
Police said that they managed to implicate the deceased man after getting test results back from the FBI. In 2020, the department sent the government agency a few samples of evidence that had come from one of the man's trucks. Pointer said in his statement that the FBI had discovered “various forms of matter” in Lincks’ truck, including hair.
On Friday, the lab said the hair found in the vehicle matched that of Colleen Nick, Morgan's mother, or one of her children. According to Pointer, “the bottom line indicates” that Morgan was in Linck's car. However, Linck died in 2000 without telling police where the girl might be. With the new discovery, Pointer has stated that the case is far from being closed.
"Where is Morgan now," asked Pointer adding that the department is now planning on re-interviewing witnesses and has asked anyone who may have the slightest bit of information to call 1-800-THE-LOST. According to records, Morgan was last seen on June 9, 1995 when she and several other children went to the Alma Little League Ball Field to catch fireflies.
Morgan's disappearance led to the creation of the Morgan Nick Foundation, a group dedicated to helping find the girl as well as other missing children. Colleen Nick, who is still alive, said the foundation's existence has kept her daughter's memory alive.
“He stole Morgan from me, her dad, Logan and Taryn. He didn’t see that he could never win. Because our love for Morgan – her memory, her voice –outlasted his life,” Nick told the outlet. "That love continues to shine. Morgan’s heart shines on.” She also added: “An army of supporters, advocates and heroes” have since dedicated their lives to uncovering the truth about what happened.
The FBI had named Lincks as a person of interest in 2021 after reopening the case. In April later that year, the Alma police released a photo showing a truck and camper that had been at the field when Morgan had gone missing. A year previously, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children had released an aged up photo of Morgan who would have been 31 at the time. Morgan's story also promoted a docuseries that debuted on Hulu earlier this year which took an in-depth look at the case.
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