Man charged in 2010 Cold Case slaying of Mitchell County teen

Staff Reports

AUSTIN – More than a decade after she was last seen alive, a person has been charged in the cold case slaying of Mitchell County eighth-grader Hailey Dunn.

Shawn Casey Adkins, 35, of Big Spring, was arrested Monday, June 14, in Big Spring and charged with one count of murder in the death of 13-year-old Dunn.

Dunn was last seen on Dec. 27, 2010. Her mother reported her missing the next day. Despite a search, there was no sign of Dunn until March 16, 2013, when her remains were found near Lake JB Thomas in Scurry County.

Adkins had been a suspect in the case but was never charged. At the time of Dunn’s death, he was the live-in boyfriend of Dunn’s mother. The circumstances surrounding Dunn’s disappearance is what led authorities to Adkins initially. Ultimately, though, the investigation stalled for lack of new evidence.

In 2020, the district attorney for the 32^nd Judicial District, Ricky Thompson, consulted with the Texas Rangers Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program (UCIP) regarding the case, and the Rangers took a new look into the investigation. The Rangers interviewed several people, and Adkins was identified as the suspect in Dunn’s slaying.

A search warrant was obtained to collect Adkins’ DNA. After samples were collected on June 13, an arrest warrant was obtained and Adkins was arrested and taken to the Howard County Jail in Big Spring. He was then transferred to the Mitchell County Detention Center. Bond was set at $2 million. The investigation into the case continues.