Man indicted in 2006 Llano County murder
A 57-year-old Lubbock man has been indicted in the 2006 murder of a Buchanan Dam woman.
A Llano County grand jury handed down the indictment May 3 against Jimmy Don Wolfenbarger, 57, formerly of Buchanan Dam, in the cold case murder of 46-year-old Holly Marie Simmons.
Wolfenbarger turned himself into the Lubbock County Jail on Wednesday, May 12, but was released after posting a $2 million bond. He was ordered to surrender his passport.
The indictment comes after years of investigative work by the Llano County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Rangers.
“They’ve really been working this hard the last couple of years,” said Llano County Deputy Chief Brad Evans.
In November 2006, Simmons was last seen dropping off her 17-year-old daughter at a bus stop near their Buchanan Dam home. Authorities conducted an extensive search for the woman but could not find her. At the time, law enforcement believed she had disappeared under suspicious circumstances.
On July 7, 2009, recreational divers found a body in a boat at the bottom of Inks Lake below the Texas 29 bridge. An autopsy later confirmed it was the remains of Simmons.
In the subsequent years, Llano County deputies and Texas Rangers have followed up on information in the case. The Texas Rangers Cold Case website has continued to carry details about Simmons. Her family members have also maintained the Justice for Holly Simmons Facebook page in an effort to keep attention on her murder.
Anyone with information regarding the case should contact the Llano County Sheriff’s Office at 325-247-5767.