By Staff Report
The abduction of six-year-old Morgan Nick on June 9, 1995, in Alma remains a haunting case that still captures the attention and hearts of those across the state and beyond.
The young girl, who vanished while catching fireflies near a Little League ballpark, left behind a mystery that has plagued investigators and her family for nearly three decades.
Over the years, the focus of the investigation has shifted as various suspects have surfaced. On Monday, the Alma Poiice Department held a press confermnce and named Lincks as a suspect in the almost 30-year-old cold case.
One name that stands out is Billy Jack Lincks, a man whose troubled past and proximity to the case have cast a long shadow over the search for Morgan Nick.
Billy Jack Lincks was born on January 8, 1928, in Crawford County. Growing up in a rural setting, Lincks was raised in a working-class environment with family ties that ran deep in the surrounding communities. His childhood and family dynamics were reportedly unremarkable, fitting the mold of a small-town upbringing.
However, beneath the surface of this seemingly ordinary upbringing was a life that would later be marked by criminal behavior and disturbing incidents.
Lincks eventually married and started a family of his own, becoming a father and grandfather over the years.
While many of his family members distanced themselves from his actions, Lincks' dark turn later in life undoubtedly impacted those closest to him. By all accounts, the man who would become linked to one of Arkansas’s most chilling unsolved cases led a relatively uneventful life until his older years, where a series of disturbing behaviors and criminal actions came to light.
During his working years, Billy Jack Lincks took on a variety of blue-collar jobs. He was known to be a hard worker, holding down positions that included factory work, truck driving, and general labor in the Crawford County area. Lincks was described by acquaintances as a quiet man who mostly kept to himself, a common characteristic for many who lived in the rural parts of Arkansas.
Despite maintaining steady employment for most of his life, Lincks was never able to secure any long-term or high-paying positions. This transient work history mirrored his lifestyle; Lincks moved between several towns in Arkansas and Oklahoma, never quite settling into one place for very long.
This transient nature has since made it difficult for investigators to track his whereabouts during key times in various investigations, including the Morgan Nick case.
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Lincks' criminal history paints a disturbing picture that has only grown more concerning in light of the Morgan Nick abduction. One of the key incidents in his criminal past occurred in 1995, the same year Morgan disappeared.
Lincks attempted to lure a child into his vehicle at a Sonic Drive-In in Van Buren, Arkansas, only 30 minutes from where Morgan was abducted. This incident led to his arrest and conviction on charges related to child solicitation, raising red flags about his potential involvement in other criminal activities.
This connection is particularly chilling, as it places Lincks in close proximity to Alma at the time of Morgan Nick’s abduction. The incident at the Sonic Drive-In demonstrated a clear intent to engage in predatory behavior, adding weight to the possibility that Lincks may have had a role in Morgan's disappearance.
However, despite these strong suspicions, Lincks was never officially charged in connection with the Nick case before his death in 2000 at the age of 72.
Though Billy Jack Lincks’ name may not be widely known outside law enforcement circles, his possible connection to Morgan Nick’s abduction has remained an area of interest. Investigators have painstakingly pieced together Lincks’ timeline, movements, and actions around the time of Morgan’s disappearance, but his involvement has remained a mystery.
His passing in 2000 left many unanswered questions, and without a definitive link to Morgan's case, the full truth of his actions that fateful night remains elusive.
As we continue this series on the abduction of Morgan Nick, we will dive deeper into the events surrounding June 9, 1995, explore the various suspects, and look closely at the ongoing efforts to solve this tragic mystery.
Billy Jack Lincks’ dark past, unsettling behavior, and criminal actions make him a compelling figure whose life and potential role in the case warrant further examination.
Stay tuned for Part Two, where we will explore the events of the night Morgan Nick vanished and the clues that may lead to the truth behind one of Arkansas’s most haunting unsolved mysteries.
