Officials Offer Few Details About Cold Case Murder Arrests

Tom Green County Sheriff David Jones and Lieutenant Terry Lowe of the Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division held a press conference a 2 p.m. today to announce the arrest of two suspects in the 2010 murder of Brian Kyle Plunkett. They got their arrest, but so far both the Tom Green County Sheriff and the 119^th Assistant District Attorney Bryan Clayton are mum on the details.

George Dale Simmons, 37, and Kimberly Nicole Linthicum, 31, were both charged with first degree murder of Plunkett.

“Much of the groundwork was already laid when I took over,” Lowe said. The only other clues Lowe would reveal is that the TGCSO worked closely with ADA Clayton to make an airtight case.

On Oct. 25, 2010, Plunkett’s skeletal remains were discovered in the San Angelo State Park towards Grape Creek. Since then, the trail of details on why Plunkett, a Louisiana native who was living in San Angelo at the time, was dead.

“It is a very difficult case to work. Witnesses and various people who have knowledge of it tend to move and go on to various things,” the sheriff said. Though Lowe said much of the groundwork was already laid when he took over the case near the beginning of this year.

“If you look at the totality of the circumstances... Sometimes, it’s like when the water is flowing, the river takes its route. I keep it simple. And sometimes the simplest answer is the correct answer,” Lowe said.

ADA Clayton would not provide any details on the case, or voluntarily give us a copy of the arrest affidavit. He said it would be unethical for him to comment upon the case or confirm any of the details.

“There has been some documentation from the participants in the case,” Jones said. Both the Sheriff and Lt. Lowe said the case revolves around methamphetamine use or distribution. “An altercation led to his (Plunkett’s) death,” Lowe confirmed.

Prior to charges of murder being pressed against her, Kimberly Linthicum was already in jail. She was previously arrested on Oct. 10 on a theft charge/warrant by the San Angelo Police Department. The Sheriff said he was not aware that the previous charge was related to her first-degree felony murder charge.  She is held on a $200,000 bond.

George Dale Simmons was arrested Friday and booked for murder, first-degree felony. He is being held on a $250,000 bond.

Sheriff Jones said that neither suspect has posted bail as of Monday afternoon at 2 p.m.

Lowe said that Puckett’s family in the town of Ringgold, near the Shreveport/Bossier City area in northwest Louisiana, has been in contact with the Sheriff’s Department. “In fact, he (Plunkett’s father) just called my cell phone while I was talking,” Lowe said.

Sheriff Jones said there is one other cold case that weighs heavily on his mind. On July 4th, 1988, Sally Ann McNelly and Shane Paul Stewart were murdered in a double homicide case that eventually made national headlines. Lowe promised to solve that cold case as well.

The Texas DPS, Texas Game Wardens and the FBI assisted in solving the case, Lowe said.

ADA Clayton confirmed that the arrests are for murder-first degree-not capital murder.