In 2010, police were called to a remote area for a missing persons case, months later, the classification of that case changed...
KIDY's Senora Scott profiles this investigation involving a young man from out of state in this week's cold cases of the Concho Valley.
June 13th 2010. 23 year old Brian Kyle Plunkett is reported missing. The Louisiana native had found his way to San Angelo and was about to return to his home state. Police say Plunkett and his girlfriend had packed up all their belongings and were going to leave for Louisiana on June 13th, but that all changed that night. Police reports say that Plunkett's girlfriend reported him missing after she dropped him off at the old sterling city highway and FM 2288. The couple was allegedly being chased and they decided that Plunkett's girlfriend should go get help.
However, when authorities began their investigation…Plunkett had disappeared.
"Any missing case we start immediately to try to find the facts of why they went missing where they might be," Sheriff David Jones said.
With no success that night or in the months that followed, finally the sheriff's office got a call…but it wasn't the one they'd hoped for. A hunter had found some remains at the state park. Those were later identified as Plunkett. That's when the missing person case turned into a possible homicide.
"It's just one of those cases where you'd hope the autopsy would tell you a little bit more, you'd hope that they were found a little bit sooner, that The witnesses would be more cooperative," Jones said.
Even with witnesses, persons of interest and some evidence… this crime scene was difficult to comb through and even required the fbi's involvement since it involved federal land.
"The remains are scattered...they're not like they would be if you just laid down and nothing bothered you so you usually have a large area to work," Sgt. Terry Lowe, Investigator for the Tom Green Co. Sheriff's Office said.
While several motives like drugs and money are considered, those possibilities don't affect how these cases are treated.
"I mean the motive's important as to why the crime happened but It doesn't matter your lifestyle, you're doing things wrong, you know you still don't deserve to be killed," Lowe said.
It's that belief that motivates investigators to find answers and in this case, very few questions remain
"I think this one's ready to be solved…"
That was Senora Scott reporting.
Tune in next week for the third and final story in this series that revolves around two teens and a nationwide effort to locate a killer.
