1976-12-14

Murder Probe Continues

Police sar the beating death of Mrs. Barbara Ann Garcia, whose half nude body was found in the backyard of her Amarillo home late Tuesday, may be related to a series of drues raids.

Mrs. Garcia. 21. of 2711 Magnolia was found beaten to death about 9 p.m Tuesday by her mother who told officers she went to the Magnolia address after repeated attempts to reach her daughter by telephone had failed.

An inmate of the Potter County jail. Charles Meals. the same Magnolia street address, was question-
ed by police yesterday and Tuesday in connection with the slaying

Police said Meals was one of 31 persons arrested during the past week by Metro Intelligence agents. Meals was arrested Dec. 9 and charged with delivery of marijuana and was in Potter County jail last night in lieu of $7,500 bond

There was a report of a 25-rear-old black man looking for Meals at an Amarillo Boulevard service station late Tuesday afternoon which police they were checking out.

Potter County authorities said then would be no extra guards assigned to protect Meals, and that they knew of no threats to the man's life

Mrs. Nellie Garcia, the murder victim's mother, said she entered her daughter's bore, along with a friend, and found the victim's child. 5-month-old Natosha. alone in a bedroom of the house

She discovered blood on the bedroom floor, police said, and called ber son to help in the search. Blood was also found on the kitchen floor, police said before Mrs. Garcia found the body of her daughter backyard 25 fret from the back door.

When found Garcia was clad only in a blue blouse officers said, and her eyes were black and swollen,

Petter County Justice of the Peace Roy Byrd ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. The autopsy had not been completed as of yesterday afternoon, Judge Byrd said.

Officers said they were not sure if the woman had been raped. They said her clothing lay in a pile at her feet

The victim's daughter was taken to the grandmother's home, police said.

Services for Mrs. Garcia will be at 2 today at Blackburn Shaw Martin