Authorities say an elderly Texas couple who vanished after leaving a family Thanksgiving celebration have been found dead in rural New Mexico.
Linda and Gary Lightfoot were discovered in Quay County, N.M., according to a statement from the Carson County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, Dec. 2, which described the area as “very rural.”
“We would like to thank the public and all agencies involved,” officials said, adding their condolences “to the family and friends of the Lightfoot’s as this is a tragic event.”
The couple, both in their 80s, had last been seen leaving a Thanksgiving gathering in Panhandle, Texas. Family members reported them missing the following day when they did not return to their home in Lubbock, about 150 miles away.
Panhandle Police Chief Sace Hardman said their vehicle was found parked and inoperable, and that the couple likely died of hypothermia. He added that no foul play is suspected at this time, according to Everything Lubbock, CBS Austin and NewsNation. Autopsies will be conducted in Albuquerque, N.M.
The Panhandle Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Nov. 30, authorities in Texas issued a Silver Alert for Linda, 81, and Gary, 82, after the Texas Department of Public Safety joined the search.
According to the Carson County Sheriff’s Office, the Lightfoots were seen leaving Panhandle on Thanksgiving but never made it home. Investigators believed they were traveling in a silver 2024 Toyota Camry, which was later captured on cameras in both Texas and New Mexico.
Hardman told local outlet KAMC that the couple’s relatives contacted police on Nov. 28, saying Linda and Gary had left Panhandle around 3 p.m. local time on Nov. 27 and never arrived home.
Neither of them was carrying a cellphone or any other trackable device, Fox 4 reported.
Multiple agencies joined forces to look for the couple, including Panhandle police, the Carson County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Police and the Texas Rangers. New Mexico State Police and Quay County officials used helicopters and drones during the search, News Channel 10 reported.
Gary had a long career in law enforcement, previously working for the Lamb County Sheriff’s Office, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office and other departments. He also served as Littlefield Police Chief from 1993 to 2003, according to Everything Lubbock.Thinking
