Melinda Ruth Jones
Case Number:
Not publicly available
Case Status:
Unsolved — LE confirmation pending
Date of Birth:
12/30/1961
Date of Death:
Not publicly available
Date Discovered:
04/01/1983
Cause of Death:
Gunshot wounds to the back and head
Location:
Old Mab Road at Middle Creek, about 4 miles south of Elizabeth.
Agency:
Vernon Parish Sheriff's Office – 337.238.1311
Tip Line:
Vernon Parish Crime Stoppers - 337.239.2233
Additional Agency:
Allen Parish Sheriff's Office – 337.639.4353
Additional Tip Line:
Allen Parish Crime Stoppers - 337.389.7001
Background
Melinda Ruth Jones was born on 12/30/1961 in Texas to Charles and Donna McRae Jones, and had two sisters: Kathy and Charli. She attended Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas, where she was a freshman during the 1976–1977 school year.
At the time of her death, she lived in Kerrville and was employed by Panacolor Labs of Andover, Massachusetts, selling camera film and photo albums door-to-door.
Melinda was interred at Glen Rest Cemetery in Kerrville, TX.
Case Summary
Melinda was last seen on 03/18/1983 while working in Leesville, Louisiana, with other company employees. Her coworkers subsequently reported her missing. It is believed the group was staying at the Redwood in Leesville.
On 04/01/1983, Melinda’s body was discovered in Allen Parish, just across the vernon Parish line. She was found partially submerged in water in a ditch or culvert along Old Mab Road at Middle Creek, approximately four miles south of Elizabeth.
According to then-Allen Parish Sheriff John C. Durio, Melinda had been shot once in the back and once in the head. Investigators believed her body had been at the location for at least a week before it was discovered.
No identification was found with her remains, which initially made identifying her difficult. After Allen Parish investigators established her identity, they learned that she’d been reported missing after last being seen in the Leesville area on 03/18/1983.
The case remained unsolved for decades. On 05/28/2020, the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office (VPSO) Cold Case Team issued a renewed appeal for information after reopening the investigation. They began reconstructing Melinda’s activities during the days leading to her disappearance and death, and hoped advanced in DNA testing and forensic science could assist in the investigation. Nothing further on this has been released by authorities.
Suspects/Persons of Interest
No suspects or persons of interest have been publicly identified.
Timeline
| 03/18/1983 | Last seen in Leesville. |
| March 1983 | Reported missing by coworkers. |
| 04/01/1983 | Body discovered in Allen Parish. |
| 04/1983 | Identified as Melinda. |
| 05/28/2020 | VPSO renewed its public appeal for information. |
Limited Information – Can You Help?
If you have additional details, records, photos, or other related materials about Melinda or her case, please consider sharing them.
Research Notes
- Sources vary in referring to lodging as the Redwood Hotel or the Redwood Motel.
- Materials reviewed don’t give precise location where she was last seen, the last confirmed person to see her, how she traveled while working, or how she came to be at the location where her body was discovered.
- This profile will be updated as pending public records requests are received.
Sources
- The Town Talk, “Apparent Murder Victim Identified as Texas Woman,” 04/12/1983.
- Daily World (Opelousas), “Body Identified,” 04/13/1983.
- San Antonio Light, “Body Identified as Kerrville Woman’s,” 04/13/1983.
- The Town Talk, “Obituary: Melinda R. Jones,” 04/15/1983.
- Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office, Facebook post regarding Melinda Ruth Jones, accessed 05/28/2020.
- American Press, “1983 Vernon Parish Case Being Reopened,” 05/31/2020.
- Leesville Daily Leader, “VPSO Seeking Help in Cold Case Investigation,” 06/03/2020.
- Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Texas, Birth Index, 1903–1997.
- Tivy High School Yearbook, Kerrville, Texas, 1977.
rev 09/22/26