Texas Rangers seek information and justice in area cold case murders
Texas law enforcement is offering rewards for information leading to arrests in the cold case murders of James Schuessler of Mason County and Holly Simmons of Llano County. Courtesy photos
In Llano County, a woman went missing almost 15 years ago. Her body was recovered three years later. About 20 years ago, in nearby Mason County, a man was found dead. Both were murdered.
While their deaths slipped away from headlines and memories long ago, the Texas Rangers haven’t forgotten either of them.
The state law enforcement agency is seeking information in the unrelated murders of Holly Simmons and James Charles “Jimmy” Schuessler.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, under which the Texas Rangers operate, has increased the reward for information leading to an arrest in the murder of Schuessler from $3,000 to $6,000.
A $3,000 reward is routinely offered for tips that lead to an arrest in cases on the Texas Rangers’ Cold Case website. The $6,000 reward is only if information leads to an arrest in Schuessler’s murder before the next featured cold case is announced.
According to law enforcement, Schuessler was found apparently bludgeoned to death in his rural Mason County ranch house on Oct. 14, 2001. Authorities determined the married father of two was last seen alive the previous evening.
Simmons, a 46-year-old woman from Buchanan Dam, was last seen on Nov. 28, 2006, when she dropped off her 17-year-old daughter at a bus stop near their home.
Law enforcement conducted an extensive missing person’s investigation but couldn’t determine what happened to the woman.
Then, in July 2009, recreational divers found a small, submerged boat containing human remains at the bottom of Inks Link underneath the Texas 29 bridge. An autopsy determined the remains belonged to Simmons and she was murdered.
Texas Crime Stoppers is offering a $3,000 cash reward for information leading to an arrest in Simmons’ case. Her family members have set up the Justice for Holly Simmons Facebook page.
In either case, tipsters must provide information through the Texas Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-8477. All tips are anonymous. Individuals can also submit information through the Texas Rangers’ Cold Case website or by calling the Missing Persons Hotline at 1-800-346-3243.