KCBD, NewsChannel 11 Lubbock |Lubbock Medical Examiner Says It Was Homicide

Lubbock Medical Examiner Says It Was Homicide

No other DNA was found on the body, but the Lubbock Medical Examiner is now confirming that Kay Harrelson's death was a homicide.

It's something investigators have suspected ever since Harrelson's body was found in a Shallowater ditch, 11 days after she and co-worker Peggy Merimon disappeared. Both were last seen August 9 leaving the Lubbock State School, where they worked. Even after Wednesday's official ruling that the death was a homicide, it is still not known exactly how Harrelson died.

"We're not rushing. For us it's better to be right than to be fast." That's the word from, Thomas Beaver, Lubbock's Medical Examiner on why's its taken six months to determine the cause of death for Kay Harrelson.  

Beaver said, "Because of the circumstances of death, I'm going to call it homicidal violence of an undetermined ideology because I don't have a finding for that but I think the circumstances are suspicious enough that this should be ruled a homicide."

Because of the state of the remains, there is no way to tell how Kay Harrelson died. Apparently, in the summer heat of 2006, the body decayed quickly and began to mummify. Beaver says those reasons, in combination with animal activity, most likely took away any evidence of how the murder occurred.

Beaver added, "This is an ongoing investigation and I think that there will be new information over time. When, I don't know. So I will be prepared to amend the death certificate in light of any new information we're able to acquire."

Beaver says any new information would have to come from the person responsible for the crime.

Lubbock County District Attorney, Matt Powell said, "If we were at a point where I felt that there was sufficient evidence to charge somebody with this it would be done."

When the investigation started, the person of interest in the crime was put on administrative leave from the Lubbock State School. We inquired about his status and representatives at the State School told us he is still employed there but has not shown up to work.

get more>> Web Enhanced Peggy Merimon Search Timeline Follow the search for Peggy Merimon in the special section collecting all of the news stories related to her disappearance.