After nearly five decades, the Lubbock Police Department (LPD) has solved a previously unsolved murder from 1976 using new DNA testing.
In a May 1 press release, the LPD announced an update to the murder of Elizabeth Ann Price, pinpointing a juvenile as responsible for the death. The suspect, who was not named, has since deceased.
On April 10, 1976, Price was found dead at the 6200 block of North Cedar Avenue, which at the time was the Lubbock Regional Airport. Officers found Price’s body in what was the gate house.
Despite extensive physical investigations and several interviews of potential witnesses and suspects, the case went cold largely due to limitations of laboratory technology in the 1970s. Police ultimately conducted more than 260 interviews between 1976 and 1984.
The case seemed to catch a break in 1984 after Henry Lee Lucas confessed to causing Price’s death. Eventually, the charges against Lucas were dropped after it was discovered that he was not responsible for Price’s death.
While the case was constantly being examined by different investigators throughout the years, the case remained unsolved. There was some hope in 2002 when investigators utilized new DNA technology after evidence was submitted to the Lubbock lab on four separate occasions. However, once again this did not lead to a suspect.
Texas Rangers next used a SAKI grant in 2021 to investigate and prosecute cold sexual assault cases in the area. Using this grant funding, the Texas Rangers suggested to the Lubbock Police Department to submit untested evidence on April 19, 2021.
In May 2022, investigators used new technology to locate previously unknown foreign DNA. This DNA was submitted the following August to the Bode Technology Group in Lorton, Virginia for genealogical testing. Using advanced technology, the group was able to isolate the DNA to a single family tree and compared the DNA to one member of that family who was deceased.
On January 18, 2023, it was determined the suspect who was responsible for the murder was a stranger to Price.
The State of Texas does not allow the release of the name of the individual responsible for Price’s murder because of their juvenile status at the time of the crime.
“The Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit would like to thank the Texas Rangers Cold Case team, the Lubbock Department of Public Safety Lab, the Lubbock Police Department’s Forensic Investigations Unit, and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia. Without the tireless work from dozens of detectives throughout the years, this result would not have been possible,” LPD stated in a press release.