Texas Cold Case: Authorities Seek Information On Homicide Of Child, Increases Reward

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) wants to remind the public it is seeking help in solving the 1979 slaying of Elizabeth Lynne Barclay. An increased reward of up to $6,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the person or people responsible if the tip is received before next month’s featured Texas Rangers cold case is announced.

A $3,000 reward for information leading to an arrest is routinely offered on all cases on the Texas Rangers Unsolved Homicides website.

On Oct. 23, 1979, Barclay, age 7, was walking with her younger brother and friend in the 2900 block of West Northwest Highway in Dallas when they were approached by a black man.

The man, who was 30 to 35 years old at the time, was driving a dark-colored vehicle with a trunk lid that wouldn’t close all the way.

The car stopped and the man got out of the vehicle. A witness said the man grabbed Barclay and struck her several times as he carried her back to his car. It was the last time she was seen alive.

In December 1979, Barclay’s remains were found on the side of a rural road in Van Zandt County.

After a lengthy investigation by the Dallas Police Department, the case stalled. About a year ago, the Texas Rangers reopened the investigation.

Anyone with information about the homicide or the identity of the offender is urged to come forward. Today, the offender would likely be over 70 years old.

To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters MUST provide information to authorities by calling the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477). All tips are anonymous.

Individuals can also submit information through the Texas Rangers cold case website or by phone at 1-800-346-3242 (Missing Persons Hotline).

The DPS Texas Rangers Unsolved Homicides website provides information on more than 125 cases in an effort to garner public interest in unsolved or cold cases.

Texas Crime Stoppers offers rewards (funded by the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division and administered by DPS) of up to $3,000 for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for any Rangers cold cases listed on the website. For more information, visit the Texas Rangers cold case website.

As part of a DPS public awareness program, one case from the Texas Ranger Unsolved Crimes Investigation (Cold Case) Program will be featured bi-monthly in an effort to generate new investigative leads and bring attention to these cold cases.

The Texas Crime Stoppers reward is increased up to $6,000 for the featured case in hopes that the higher reward money will generate additional tips. The higher reward amount will only be paid if the tip is submitted before the next case is featured.

The Texas Ranger Unsolved Crimes Investigations Program was created to assist Texas law enforcement agencies in investigating unsolved homicides or violent serial crimes.

Since there is no statute of limitations for the offense of murder, investigators pursue these cases to a successful resolution or until no viable leads remain.