MASON COUNTY, Texas — The Texas Department of Public Safety is looking for information on the 2001 homicide of James Charles “Jimmy” Schuessler.
An increased reward of up to $6,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of those responsible - if the tip is received before the next featured Texas Rangers cold case is announced.
A $3,000 reward for information leading to an arrest is routinely offered on all cases on the Texas Rangers’ Cold Case website.
On Oct. 14, 2001, Schuessler was found dead at his rural ranch house in Mason County. The investigation showed the married father of two was bludgeoned to death by an unknown attacker.
Schuessler was last seen alive the evening of Oct. 13, 2001.
Anyone with information is asked to come forward.
To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters must provide information to authorities by calling the Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-252-8477. All tips are anonymous.
Information can also be submitted through the Texas Rangers’ Cold Case website or by phone to the Missing Persons Hotline at 800-346-3242.
The Texas Rangers’ Cold Case website provides information on more than 125 cases in an effort to 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 cases listed on the website.
As part of a DPS public awareness program, one case from the Texas Ranger Unsolved Crimes Investigation (Cold Case) Program will be featured bi-monthly in an effort 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 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 homicides 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.
