DPS Needs Public's Help Solving Cold Case Murder of Real Estate Agent

AUSTIN, TX- The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is asking for the public’s help with solving the murder of Virginia “Ginger” Freeman, 40, in Brazos County. A reward of up to $6,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible, if the tip is received before next month’s featured case is announced, said a DPS press release.

The Brazos County Crime Stoppers are also offering a reward up to $1,000 for information associated with this case.

On December 1, 1981, Freeman was murdered behind a vacant rural residence in Brazos County that she was showing to an alleged potential buyer.

Earlier in the day, an unknown male caller contacted Freeman’s office claiming to be a cash investor interested in property in the Bryan/College Station area. Freeman made arrangements to meet the man at a rural property listed for sale, but first stopped by her own residence at about 3 p.m., where she told her children about the potential sale.

Sometime after 7 p.m., Freeman’s husband reported her missing to the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office, and he began searching for her. Her husband found her vehicle parked at a residence for sale on Greens Prairie Road, and her body was found behind the vacant residence. An autopsy revealed that at approximately 3:30 p.m., Virginia had been struck on her head, strangled and stabbed, the DPS press release read.

To be eligible for the cash rewards, tipsters must provide information to authorities by calling the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).  All tips are anonymous.

Individuals also can submit information to the Brazos County Crime Stoppers hotline at 979-775- TIPS (8477), through the Texas Ranger Cold Case website or contact us by telephone at 1-800-346-3243 (DPS Missing Persons Hotline).

The DPS Texas Rangers’ Unsolved Homicides website provides information on more than 75 cases in an effort to help garner public interest in unsolved or “cold cases.”

Texas Crime Stoppers recently began offering 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 cold case listed on the website. For more information, visit the Texas Ranger cold case website at: http://www.dps.texas.gov/TexasRangers/UnsolvedHomicides/index.htm.

As part of a DPS public awareness program, one case from the Texas Ranger Unsolved Crimes Investigation (Cold Case) Program is featured each month 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, according to the DPS press release.