DPS Increases Reward

DPS Offers Increased Reward, Seeks Leads in 2004 Lubbock County Murder

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is asking for the public’s help in solving the 2004 homicide of Linda Trevino Carbajal, and an increased reward of up to $6,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of those 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 matters on the Texas Rangers’ Unsolved Homicides website.)

On April 19, 2004, the body of 21-year-old Lubbock resident Linda Trevino Carbajal was found along a rural dirt road in northern Lubbock County. Carbajal had suffered blunt force injuries and had been strangled. Investigators believe that Carbajal’s murder is linked to the July 15, 2003 death of Cynthia Palacio, which was the featured case in March 2018. Texas Rangers and Lubbock County Sheriff’s investigators are seeking information about the circumstances surrounding Carbajal’s murder, as well as Palacio’s homicide.

To be eligible for the 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 also can submit information through the Texas Ranger cold case website or by contacting us at 1-800-346-3243 (DPS Missing Persons Hotline).

The DPS Texas Rangers’ Unsolved Homicides website provides information on more than 75 cases to help 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 case listed on the website. For more information, visit the Texas Ranger cold case website.

As part of a DPS public awareness program, one case from the Texas Rangers Unsolved Crimes Investigation (Cold Case) Program is featured each month 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 highlighted 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 Investigation Program was created to assist Texas law enforcement agencies investigating unsolved murders or violent serial crimes. Since there is no statute of limitations for the offense of manslaughter, investigators pursue these cases to a successful resolution or until no viable leads remain.