The mother of a young girl who was taken nearly three decades ago has finally spoken out after authorities named a prime suspect in the case.
On June 9, 1995, Morgan Nick, a six-year-old girl, was abducted from a parking lot following a little league baseball game in Alma, Arkansas.
Initially working with only a suspect description, law enforcement spent countless hours examining over 10,000 leads. It has taken almost 30 years for a significant breakthrough to emerge.
At the time of Morgan’s disappearance, authorities received a description of a potential suspect. The suspect was described as a white male, around 6 feet tall, with a medium to solid build, a mustache, and a 1-inch beard. He was reportedly seen with a red truck featuring a white camper shell, which was thought to be connected to the incident, according to the Morgan Nick Foundation.
“One of the early persons of interest was Billy Jack Lincks, a resident of Van Buren, Arkansas. Lincks was arrested on August 29, 1995 – roughly 12 weeks after Morgan’s disappearance – for sexual solicitation of a child. Lincks used his red truck during the offense,” Alma Arkansas Police Department states in a post to Facebook.
However, on August 31, 1995, when questioned by police about Morgan, Lincks denied any involvement and appeared credible, prompting investigators to look elsewhere.
Since the investigation began in 1995, progress was minimal, until recently when the Alma Police Department stated on October 1 that they are now honing in on one suspect.
Starting in July 2019, Alma Police detectives revisited the early stages of the investigation. Their focus returned to Lincks, who had been arrested in 1992 for sexually assaulting a young girl, as reported by 5NEWS.
Authorities managed to trace Lincks’ truck from 1995, which had changed hands multiple times. Detectives conducted a thorough examination of the vehicle for potential evidence.
In the following year, the FBI Evidence Response Team analyzed the truck, discovering hair samples. In 2023, this evidence underwent advanced analysis at Othram Laboratory in Texas. By 2024, it was concluded that the hair samples belonged to Colleen Nick, one of her siblings, or her children.
“Follow-up interviews of members of the Nick family revealed that none of them knew Billy Jack Lincks and that none of them had ever been in his truck,” Alma Police’s statement continues. “Physical evidence collected from the truck that Lincks owned when Morgan was abducted strongly indicates that Morgan had been in his truck.”
Alma Police detectives have now decided to focus on a single suspect to unravel the details surrounding Morgan’s abduction. Unfortunately, Lincks passed away in 2000, leading Morgan’s mother, Colleen Nick, to a painful realization.
She told the Mail Online on Tuesday: “There’s probably a one per cent chance she’s still alive – but really I don’t think there is.”
She continued: “Now I just want to know where Morgan is.”
Morgan’s mother expressed gratitude for the ‘army of supporters, advocates and heroes’ who have ‘rallied to uncover the truth about her disappearance,’ noting that while a man ‘stole Morgan’ from her family, he ‘didn’t see that he could never win.’
Nick concluded: “Because our love for Morgan – her memory, her voice – outlasted his life. And that love continues to shine. Morgan’s heart shines on.”
Alma Police urge anyone with information that could assist in resolving this case to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).