Police in Arkansas have made a major DNA breakthrough in the 29-year-old cold case kidnapping of Morgan Nick.
Morgan, six, was kidnapped on June 9, 1995, during a Little League game while hunting fireflies with friends.
Witnesses said a man had been staring at her during the game and described a distinctive red truck with a white camper parked near the scene in Alma.
The FBI previously named the vehicle’s owner, Billy Jack Lincks, as a person of interest.
He was formally named a suspect on Tuesday after investigators were able to track down the truck and obtain a hair sample that came back as a match for Morgan.
Police in Arkansas have made a major DNA breakthrough in the 29-year-old cold case kidnapping of Morgan Nick
“He stole Morgan from us,” Morgan’s mother Colleen Link said as she choked back tears during a news conference.
‘But he didn’t win. Our love for Morgan, her memory, her voice, has outlasted his life. That love continues to shine, Morgan’s heart shines on.’
Lincks, who has since died, was convicted of sexual indecency after attempting to kidnap a child three months after Morgan’s disappearance.
He attempted to kidnap an 11-year-old girl in Van Buren at a location eight miles from the Wofford ball field where Morgan was last seen.
The victim’s description of his car matched that associated with Morgan’s disappearance.
The police released images of a red truck with a white camper at the time. Lincks died in prison in 2000 at the age of 72.
In 2019, officers managed to locate the owner of Lincks’ truck, who had no knowledge of its history.
The owner allowed the FBI to perform DNA testing on the vehicle. Several hairs were recovered, at least one of which came back as a match for a child or sibling of Morgan’s mother, Colleen Nicks, police said.
Morgan, six, was kidnapped at a Little League game in Alma on June 9, 1995 while hunting fireflies with friends
At a news conference Tuesday, Alma police said they had managed to locate a truck spotted near where Morgan was last seen that tested positive for her DNA.
Composite sketch portrays someone who may have come into contact with Morgan at the ballpark where she was kidnapped
The officers added that the investigation was still ongoing and that it was unclear whether Lincks was working alone.
At the time of her disappearance, Morgan was approximately four feet tall, approximately 50 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes.
She was last seen wearing a green Girl Scout T-shirt, blue jeans and white tennis shoes.
A massive investigation has yielded thousands of clues, but still no solid leads.
A police composite was released at the time containing witness memories of a man seen talking to Morgan.
He was described as between 23 and 38 years old, 6 feet tall, with a mustache and beard.
In 2017, police searched a property in eastern Oklahoma that had previously been searched in connection with the kidnapping, 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Alma.
However, neither search found any evidence.
A composite showing what Morgan Nick might look like today, at the age of 31
The FBI previously named Billy Jack Lincks, who died in prison in 2000, as a person involved in Morgan’s kidnapping
The youngster’s tragic disappearance is still deeply felt by her family. who founded the Morgan Nick Foundation to help find other missing children and adults.
Last year, a documentary titled Still Missing Morgan was released on Hulu, highlighting the kidnapping.
In the series, Morgan’s father described how the family had gone to watch a friend’s child play baseball.
Morgan went to play with some other kids and stopped to get sand out of her shoe. It is thought that it was at that moment that the kidnapper struck.
“That was the last time I ever saw her,” Morgan’s mother sobbed in one clip.
She also expressed her hope that her daughter, who would now be 31 years old, was still alive.
“Not everyone who is kidnapped dies,” she added. “People don’t understand how you can keep fighting relentlessly, but Morgan is worth fighting for.”