With 2016 now in the books EverythingLubbock.com compiled a recap of the top 10 local stories for the year as determined by how many people viewed each story.
The stories are listed in chronological order.
January 14: Police arrested John Henry Allen for the murder of Texas Tech student Zachary Kafer, 20. Allen was accused of stabbing Kafer in the 2400 block of Broadway Street. Allen claimed self-defense in court records. In November, a Lubbock County grand jury chose not to indict Allen.
January 22 – 25: A Texas Tech student was found dead in the U-Loft Apartments and then days later another student was found dead in the University Pointe Apartments. In both cases, it was determined through police investigations that the students died of accidental drug overdoses.
February 9: Three people died at the scene of a car crash on the east edge of Ralls. The car collided with a semi-truck. Texas DPS identified the victims as Margarita Perez, 60, of Plainview; Britni Lynn Woodring, 25, of Lubbock; and King David Perez, 3, of Lubbock.
February 10: Holli Jeffcoat, 18, was found murdered in a Northeast Lubbock County Home. She was described as a special needs student. Court records accused her step-father, James Holland, of sexually abusing and impregnating her. Jeffcoat’s mother, Debi Holland, was also arrested and accused of facilitating the sexual abuse.
July 15: Two children from Lubbock were found murdered in Lynn County. According to the children’s mother, Cybil Contreras, the biological father took the children and then killed them in murder-suicide. Court records confirmed there was a pending divorce in the family.
September 15: An open records request revealed that the phrase “Guns Up” had come under attack a few times over the course of five years. In one instance, a Texas Tech official removed the phrase from his weekly email to alumni. In other instances, Tech defended the phrase and made no accommodation for those who were offended.
November 7: Lubbock Police asked the public for help in finding Texas Tech student Jeffrey Hargrove, 33. Roughly two weeks after he went missing, he approached a police officer in the Depot District saying he did not know he was listed as missing.
November 17: Texas Tech professor Terry McInturff went viral on the Internet for his tongue-in-cheek offer to help students who were distraught over the election of Donald Trump.
“…In the spirit of dealing with the wounds of those feeling grief and unbearable angst over the election, Kim’s tragic Paris robbery, the heart wrenching Brangelina break-up or other similar tragedy, I would like to do my part. While I can’t offer “arts and crafts” or a “therapy dog,” the Energy Commerce Department has arranged for free hugs from our therapy boa constrictor. Please go to room 139 to schedule a session should you feel the need.”
October 27: Federal agents traveled from Washington D.C. to Lubbock to assist with a major drug bust. Two locations — 4901 4th Street and 5747 154th Street — were treated as Hazmat scenes because of Fentanyl which is 50 to 100 more times more potent than morphine. Sidney Caleb Lanier, Jessica Christine Holl, and Jamie Marie Robertson were arrested.
December 9: Grant Kleman, 18, of McKinney went missing from the campus of Texas Tech. He was later found dead in a car in the parking lot of Wal-Mart at South Loop 289 and Quaker Avenue. A police report indicated Kleman appeared to have taken his own life.