DPS Seeks Leads In 1984 Murder

DPS Seeks Leads in 1984 Murder of Corpus Christi Girl

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is reminding the public that a reward of up to $6,000 is being offered to help solve the 1984 murder of 13-year-old Helen Kilgore. The DPS is offering a higher compensation amount for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible if the tip is received before the next featured case is announced later this month.

On April 13, 1984, Kilgore was reported missing from Corpus Christi. Several days later, officials discovered her body on the side of a rural road near the Central Texas town of Meridian (Bosque County), more than 200 miles away from her home. Someone had shot Kilgore to death, and her remains were found wrapped in a blanket. At the time of her death, Helen, a middle school student, is survived by three sisters and her parents.

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 recently began offering 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 cold case listed on the website. For more details, you may visit the Texas Ranger cold case website at http://www.dps.texas.gov/TexasRangers/UnsolvedHomicides/index.htm.

As part of a DPS public awareness program, a case from the Texas Ranger’s 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 featured case in hopes that the higher reward money will generate additional tips. The DPS pays the top bonus amount 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 murder, investigators pursue these cases to a successful resolution or until no viable leads remain.