DNA connected to Morgan Nick linked to suspect in her 1995 Arkansas disappearance

During a press conference Tuesday, the Alma Police Department in Arkansas announced a significant update in the Morgan Nick case: DNA found in a truck once owned by the main suspect in her disappearance has been linked to Morgan. 

On June 9, 1995, the 6-year-old was taken from a parking lot near Wofford Field in Alma during a Little League game. “When I couldn’t see Morgan, my heart started to beat really fast,” Morgan’s mother, Colleen Nick, told Dateline in 2019. “We were somewhere we hadn’t been before. She wouldn’t go anywhere by herself.”

 Back in 1995, the Alma Police Department took statements from witnesses who were there that evening. “A suspect description was provided, as was a description of a red truck with a white camper shell that was allegedly involved,” Chief Jeff Pointer stated during the press conference Tuesday. 

A man named Billy Jack Lincks quickly became a person of interest. Lincks was questioned in 1995 but denied having any knowledge of Morgan’s disappearance. 

In July 2019, the Alma Police Department took a fresh look at Morgan’s case. In 2020, they tracked down the truck Lincks owned in 1995. By then, it had passed through multiple owners. The current owner allowed authorities to search the vehicle, and they vacuumed various locations inside the truck. “In doing so, they produced several vacuum canisters containing various forms of matter, including hair, from the vehicle,” Chief Pointer said. At that time, the evidence was turned over to the FBI. 

A year later, the FBI announced they believed they were getting closer to identifying the person responsible for Morgan’s abduction. But they needed more information — specifically about Billy Jack Lincks. “Whether it was through school, work, church, or any social activity, we need information about Lincks and details about his entire life,” the FBI release stated. “Remember, every piece of information about Lincks’ life is important—no detail is too small or insignificant.” 

In 2023, a detective from Alma PD learned about an advanced analysis process provided by Othram Labs — specifically that they had been successful in developing DNA profiles from hair, with or without roots. 

By the end of 2023, they received the evidence back from the FBI and sent it over to Othram. “On September 27, 2024, Othram Laboratory sent a report [back],” Chief Pointer said. “They determined that the hair contained in the evidence that was submitted for analysis was that of Colleen Nick, one of her siblings or one of her children.” 

Alma PD reinterviewed members of the Nick family and determined none of them knew Lincks or had been in a truck similar to the one he’d owned in 1995. Pointer said this evidence “strongly indicates” Morgan had been in his truck. Lincks died in 2000. 

Chief Pointer stated that law enforcement officials have “spent thousands of hours working more than 10 thousand leads in this case,” but he emphasized that the important thing to note is that Morgan Nick is still missing.  

“We’ve reached a point where we can concentrate on one suspect to determine the circumstances surrounding Morgan’s abduction,” Chief Pointer said. But many questions remain, he stressed. “How was she taken from the ball field? What happened next? Did Lincks have help in abducting Morgan or concealing his crime all these years? And where is Morgan now?”  

The investigation is far from over. “It is ongoing and active,” the chief said. Authorities are reinterviewing known associates of Lincks.

They are also asking anyone who might have information that could answer their remaining questions to contact them at 1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678).  

At the end of Tuesday’s press conference, Morgan’s mother, Colleen, got up and addressed the crowd. “There have been an army of supporters and advocates and heroes who have rallied to uncover the truth about Morgan’s disappearance,” she said. “And you see those people here in this room today.” 

“He stole Morgan from me, he stole her from her dad, and he stole her from Logan and Taryn,” Colleen said, referring to Morgan’s siblings. “But he didn’t see that he could never win. Because our love for Morgan — her memory and her voice — outlasted his life.” 

And at the end of the day, Colleen knows that their love will continue to do so. “That love continues to shine. Her heart — Morgan’s heart shines on,” she said. 

If you have any information about the disappearance of Morgan Nick or about Billy Jack Lincks, please call 1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678).