Reward increased in unsolved 1985 Central Texas murder

The Waco-based Texas Rangers Cold Case Squad announced Tuesday it has doubled the reward being offered for information in a Central Texas murder case from 1985.

On Sept. 30, 1985, authorities found Dorothy Estep, 32, of Mexia, dead inside the trunk of her car, a yellow Plymouth Sopporo, along U.S. Highway 84 near Elk, and to date no one has been arrested for her murder.

“An increased reward of up to $6,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for her death if the tip is received before the next featured Texas Rangers cold case is announced,” a Tuesday news release from the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

Rangers routinely offer a $3,000 reward for information on all cold cases listed on the Texas Rangers Unsolved Homicides website.

“It’s still an active case and we’re working on it right now,” said Capt. Steve January, commander of the McLennan County Sheriff’s Cold Case unit.

Estep’s is among more than three dozen cold cases the county unit is investigating.

“She was on the way to Waco to pick up her daughter from her ex-husband’s house,” said Bob Wright, retired publisher of the Mexia Daily News and who was working for the newspaper when Estep was killed.

A coworker had reported her missing the day before when Estep failed to show up for work and didn’t answer her telephone.

Estep, a single mother of one daughter, worked for the State of Texas at the Mexia State School as a social worker and was last seen alive by her neighbor as she was going to pick up her daughter from her ex-husband’s home.

“She was a nice, kind woman,” Wright said, “We went to church together and she was always willing to help with projects and such.

“She was active in the church and I never heard anyone say an unkind word about her.”

January said McLennan County was the lead investigative agency on the case, but deputies and the Rangers have sought assistance from several agencies in trying to solve the case.

“Texas Rangers and local law enforcement have worked diligently on this investigation however, all leads have been exhausted, and the Rangers are asking for the public’s help to solve this case,” the release states.

“We’re hopeful that someone will come forward with information that can help us close this case,” said Ranger Jim Scoggins, commander of the Texas Rangers Cold Case Squad, which is based in Waco.

The DPS Texas Rangers Unsolved Homicides website provides information on more than 125 cases in an effort to garner public interest in unsolved or cold cases.

As part of a DPS public awareness program, one case from the Texas Ranger Unsolved Crimes Investigation (Cold Case) Program will be featured bi-monthly in an effort to generate new investigative leads and bring attention to these cold cases.

The Texas Crime Stoppers reward is increased up to $6,000 for the featured case in hopes that the higher reward money will generate additional tips.

The higher reward amount will only be paid if the tip is submitted before the next case is featured.

Texas Crime Stoppers offers rewards (funded by the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division and administered by DPS) of up to $3,000 for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for any Rangers cold case listed on the website