DNA leads to arrest in 2008 cold case homicide

Lubbock police have made an arrest in a 2008 cold case. DNA evidence led them to Billy Jack Limbaugh, 43, who is currently charged with attempted aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, and the murder of Monica Isabel Adams.

Adams was found dead in a field near north MLK and Bradley in August of 2008. A man checking a pump-jack near Martin Luther King Blvd. and East Bradley discovered Adams' body.

On August 20th, 2008, Monica Adams body was found in a field near the area of E. Bradley and N. MLK Boulevard. The preliminary investigation led to the belief she was the victim of an apparent homicide. DNA evidence was collected, and despite an extensive investigation by LPD Homicide and Crime Scene Investigators, the case eventually went cold and the evidence was preserved for future investigation.

This past week, the Texas DPS crime lab informed LPD Investigators that a known sample of DNA evidence had been directly linked to Monica Adams' homicide, in what is called a familial DNA hit. This familial DNA hit meant that a close biological relative of a known DNA provider would be the person whose DNA was found at Monica Adams' crime scene. The case was immediately re-examined, a new lead was discovered based on this familial DNA hit, and a possible suspect was quickly established.

While investigating this new suspect, LPD Investigators were able to tie Monica Adams' homicide to two other cases. The first occurred around January 5th, 2008, in which the victim stated they had been the victim of a sexual assault and eventually escaped the captor. DNA evidence in that case had been previously linked to Monica Adams' homicide.

The second had occurred on May 11th of this year, (LPD case number 14-15244) in which the victim stated they had been assaulted and thrown out of a vehicle in the area of 4200 Idalou Road. During that investigation, the victim was able to identify Billy Jack Limbaugh, Jr., in a photo spread as the suspect who had assaulted them. DNA evidence collected during that investigation showed Mr. Limbaugh was the source of the DNA in both Monica Adams' homicide as well as the related 2008 sexual assault case. Thus, LPD Investigators were able to establish Billy Jack Limbaugh, Jr., as the perpetrator in all three of these cases based on the original familial DNA hit and a corroboration of evidence.

Earlier this week, while the Monica Adams homicide was being further investigated, Mr. Limbaugh was arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping and assault on the May 11th case. Today, Mr. Limbaugh has been served with additional arrest warrants and has now been charged with the murder of Monica Adams as well as aggravated sexual assault from the related 2008 case. Mr. Limbaugh is currently incarcerated in the Lubbock County Detention Facility, where the additional warrants were served today.

At this time, Lubbock Police investigators have not linked Mr. Limbaugh to any other unsolved homicides but on-going investigations are underway.

The Lubbock Police Department would like to especially thank the DPS labs, their lab technicians and personnel in Lubbock and Austin; notably Gary Molina (manager of CODIS in Austin) and Cathy McCord (Lubbock DPS crime lab) for their efforts and on-going help in these cases. The Lubbock Police Department also thanks Matt Powell, Lubbock County District Attorney, and his staff of investigators and prosecutors, notably Wade Jackson and Sunshine Stanek, for their help in this case as well.

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DNA leads to arrest in 2008 cold case homicide