SAN ANGELO, Tx - A five year old murder case: one step closer to being solved. back at it for a Monday, glad your are too. I'm Bob Brackeen.
I'm Monica Quintero. a lot of people worked to get answers to this killing. Senora Scott has been tracking this story since last year and was there when sheriff David Jones shared the news, she joins us live. Senora?
Monica, Bob: the remains of Brian Plunkett were found in the state park near grape creek but it all stared here on the side of 2288. These complaints give details about the night of June 13th, when Plunkett and his girlfriend Kimberly Linthicum were leaving San Angelo to move to Louisianna. The two were on their way out of town when they met up with George Simmons.
Plunkett and Linthicum had been dating but Linthicum had also been seeing Simmons. Records show on June 13th, Kimberly Linthicum and George Simmons were planning to rob Brian Plunkett of guns and cash. They thought Plunkett would not resist their attempts to rob him but he did. The two men fought and according to Linthicum, Simmons put Plunkett in a strangle hold and continued to strangle him until he died. A few months later, Plunkett's remains were found at the state park. Fast forward five years.
"These were involved from the very beginning, yes," Sheriff David Jones said.
But what was the final piece of evidence that pointed to them? Sheriff Jones didn't say but he did tell us this.
"There has been some documentation from the participants in the case," Jones said.
A case that hasn't necessarily taken this long to solve...
"This case has been worked very diligently."
Just this long to prove.
"We just had to bring it to a point where the District Attorney would accept it and issue us a warrant," Investigator Lt. Terry Lowe said.
Warrant in hand, the sheriff's department finally had enough.
"You have to meet all the elements that are in the particular crime that you're going to charge them with," Lowe said.
The requirements are met, now the judicial system takes over. Even though, sometimes, the evidence has been there the whole time.
"Sometimes the simplest answer is the correct answer," Lowe said.
And two suspected killers in custody, proof of that answer. Simmons and Linthicum are both charged with murder, a first degree felony. The next step is being indicted by a grand jury. Then the case will go to court. Senora Scott Fox News First.
This week also marks the anniversary of the discovery of Shane Stewart and Sally McNelly's remains. This is the other cold case being investigated by the sheriff's department. A message for the perpetrators from the lead investigator in the case.
"I would like to say to the perpetrators of the Shane and Sally that we're coming and just watch for us," Lt. Terry Lowe said
These killings happened on the fourth of July in 1988. the remains of both Stewart and McNelly were found at Twin Buttes this week that same year.
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEFr2kFWTzM
