During a press conference on Tuesday, the Alma Police Department in Arkansas provided a major update in the Morgan Nick case, revealing that DNA found in a truck previously owned by the main suspect in her disappearance has been connected to Morgan.
Morgan Nick, then six years old, was abducted on June 9, 1995, from a parking lot near Wofford Field in Alma during a Little League game. Her mother, Colleen Nick, shared her emotional experience in a 2019 interview, recalling her rising panic when she couldn’t find Morgan.
In 1995, police collected witness statements, which included a description of a suspect and a red truck with a white camper shell believed to be involved. Police subsequently identified Billy Jack Lincks as a person of interest. Lincks was interrogated in 1995 but denied any involvement in Morgan’s disappearance.
In July 2019, the Alma Police Department reopened the investigation. They tracked down Lincks’ truck in 2020, which had changed hands several times. The current owner consented to a search, leading to the collection of various materials, including hair, from the truck. This evidence was handed over to the FBI.
A year later, the FBI indicated they were closing in on identifying Morgan’s abductor but required additional information regarding Lincks. They emphasized that any detail about his life could be crucial.
In 2023, a detective from the Alma Police Department discovered advanced DNA analysis technology available from Othram Labs, which had successfully created DNA profiles from hair samples. By the end of 2023, the police received evidence back from the FBI and sent it to Othram for analysis. On September 27, 2024, Othram reported that the hair matched Colleen Nick or one of her siblings or children.
Subsequent interviews with the Nick family revealed that no one was familiar with Lincks or had been in a vehicle resembling his. Chief Pointer noted that the evidence “strongly indicates” Morgan had been in Lincks’ truck, who passed away in 2000.
Pointer indicated that law enforcement has invested extensive effort into this case, pursuing over 10,000 leads, but reiterated that Morgan remains missing. “We’ve reached a point where we can concentrate on one suspect,” he stated, while also stressing that many questions are still unanswered: “How was she taken? What occurred afterwards? Did Lincks have assistance in her abduction? And where is Morgan now?”
The investigation continues to be active. Authorities are reinterviewing Lincks’ known associates and are appealing to anyone with information to contact them at 1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678).
At the conclusion of the press conference, Morgan’s mother, Colleen, addressed attendees, expressing gratitude for the community’s support in seeking the truth about her daughter’s disappearance. She emotionally recounted how Lincks had taken Morgan from them but asserted that their love for her endures, emphasizing that it will outlast any wrongdoing.
“If you have information about Morgan Nick’s disappearance or Billy Jack Lincks,” authorities urge you to call 1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678).