The Lubbock Police Department will continue their search for a missing Lubbock woman, Linda Gail Wilhite.
Wilhite, 67, went missing in August; in September her son Kody Climer, 45, was arrested and charged with her murder.
“A lot of people think when we are actually able to indict someone for murder, they figure we are done and the case is over,” Lieutenant John Hayes said. “That’s not the case. We are still looking and processing over lots of information.”
The case was strong enough for a Lubbock Grand Jury to indict Climer , but Lt. Hayes said they are missing one of the key pieces of evidence, Wilhite’s body.
“We know that she suffered grave injury,” Lt. Hayes said. “We know that. We feel like Kody Climer is the person that caused that injury.”
Although, Lt. Hayes said it is possible to build a case without it.
“How, the method of the injury or the type of injury, that we don’t know,” Lt. Hayes said. “It really doesn’t change the case per se. It’s not going to be a different charge.”
Cases like this have been successfully prosecuted in Lubbock County in the past.
In 1991, Roger Scott Dunn disappeared. Six years later his ex-girlfriend Leisha Hamilton and Timothy James Smith were both sentenced to 20 years in prison. Dunn’s body was not found until 2012.
In 2009, Mickey Patterson was arrested and charged with the disappearance and murder of two Lubbock women, Kay Harrelson and Peggy Merimon, although, at the time, only Harrelson’s body had been found. Merimon’s body was found in May 2010 with Patterson’s case finally going to trial in September 2011.
So LPD detectives have set two goals: find Linda Wilhite’s body and build a strong case against Climer.
“I think really what drives my investigators is the fact that…we have a family that is missing a loved one,” Lt. Hayes said. “And from all accounts she seemed like a fantastic lady. We owe it ,not only to her family, but to her to bring her home.”
Detectives have been following up on Crime Line tips, cross referencing cell phone tower locations with Climer’s stated whereabouts and witness statements. Lt. Hayes said he hopes the information will confirm or contradict Climer’s claims and hopefully help lead them to Wilhite’s body.
If you have any information about this crime, call Crime Line at (806)741-1000.
