A married couple in their 80s who disappeared after leaving a family Thanksgiving gathering in Texas were found dead days later in rural New Mexico, and their family believes they became lost on the way home.
Linda and Gary Lightfoot were driving back to their home in Lubbock, Texas, after celebrating Thanksgiving with relatives in Panhandle when they were reported missing after failing to arrive. Five days later, their bodies were discovered in a remote area of Quay County, New Mexico, according to statements from the Carson County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office and the Quay County (New Mexico) Sheriff’s Office.
“We don’t have much additional information about what happened other than what law enforcement has shared,” relative Barbara Scheller said Thursday, Dec. 4.
“They’ve driven the road to Panhandle many times,” she added. “Somehow they got turned around and lost. Left their cell phone at home.”
The Quay County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched to a ranch west of Tucumcari, N.M., on Tuesday, Dec. 2, after receiving a report of a possible sighting of the Lightfoots’ vehicle.
When deputies arrived, they found a disabled vehicle parked in a tree line at the edge of a pasture. The vehicle was later confirmed to belong to Linda, 81, and Gary, 82.
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“Tragically, both individuals were found deceased at the scene,” the Quay County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, noting that the investigation remains ongoing.
The drive from Tucumcari to Lubbock typically takes about three hours.
A spokesperson for the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator said in an email that the department has custody of the couple’s remains, and that autopsy reports — including cause and manner of death — could take around three months to complete.
Scheller, who said Linda is her husband’s aunt, shared a written statement on behalf of the family, describing the couple as “genuine and kind people” who leave behind a “legacy of love and devotion.”
Gary, a military veteran, served as a law enforcement officer with the Lamb County Sheriff’s Office and later as Littlefield Police Chief from 1993 to 2003, the family noted.
“Gary was not only [a] highly regarded retired law enforcement officer, he was a self-taught wood craftsman. He could do just about anything with a scroll saw,” their tribute read. “He created wooden carved farm animals, crosses and anniversary carving for wedding anniversaries.”
Linda worked in Abilene for an oil and gas company before later moving into banking.
“Linda enjoyed giving cards and gifts for Easter, Christmas, birthdays and Valentines,” the family wrote, adding that she kept her fireplace “burning year round no matter the temperature outside” and “counted every blessing and every day as ‘fabulous.’ “
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Loved ones also said that Linda and Gary were active in their church and “showed great love to neighbors, friends and family.”
The couple is survived by their son, Gregg, Linda’s sister, Barbara, and Barbara’s husband, Waylon, along with several nieces and nephews. The family expressed gratitude to the agencies involved in the search and stressed the importance of “being prepared while traveling, even short distances, which may save lives in the future.”
“Although it was not the outcome we had hoped for, it is evident everything that could be done was done,” the family said. “The outpouring of love and support from so many people across Texas, NM and many other states encouraged us. Thank you for your love and prayers. We will cherish the memories we shared.”
