Linda Gayle Jackson

Linda Gayle Jackson’s 1997 Amarillo Murder Remains Unsolved

Linda Gayle Jackson was found lying face down in an Amarillo street on the morning of September 11, 1997. Investigators determined that she had been assaulted and deliberately struck with a motor vehicle. No one has been arrested for her murder.

Jackson was killed approximately five weeks after 45-year-old Gloria Ann Covington was assaulted and stabbed to death at Hilltop Park. Reports have raised questions about a possible connection between the cases, but police have not publicly confirmed that the same person was responsible.

Amarillo police included Jackson’s case among several unsolved homicides selected for renewed forensic examination. Detectives reviewed the original reports, photographs, witness statements and physical evidence to determine whether advances in DNA testing could produce new leads.

The identification of Jimmy Dale McClinton through DNA as the suspect in Covington’s murder has renewed attention on Jackson’s case. Texas Rangers have said McClinton was considered a suspect in other cases, but authorities have not publicly named him as Jackson’s killer or announced forensic evidence connecting him to her death.

As of July 2026, Jackson’s murder remains unresolved. Anyone with information should contact the Amarillo Police Department’s Homicide Unit at 806-378-9468 or Amarillo Crime Stoppers at 806-374-4400.