Disappearance of Morgan Nick
Child who disappeared in Arkansas, 1995

Morgan Nick
Nick at age 6
Born
Morgan Chauntel Nick

(1988-09-12)September 12, 1988
West Germany
DisappearedJune 9, 1995(1995-06-09) (aged 6)
Wofford baseball field, Alma, Arkansas, U.S.[1]
35°28′33″N 94°13′24″W / 35.47573°N 94.22329°W / 35.47573; -94.22329
StatusMissing for 30 years, 7 months and 7 days
Known forMissing person
Inspiration for the Morgan Nick Foundation
Parent(s)Colleen Nick (mother)
John Nick (father)
Distinguishing featuresCaucasian female. 4 ft 0 in (120 cm), 55 pounds. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Five visible silver caps on molars.[2]

Morgan Chauntel Nick (September 12, 1988 – disappeared June 9, 1995) is an American girl who disappeared in Alma, Arkansas, at age six. She attended a Little League Baseball game at the Wofford baseball field with her family, and was last seen by eyewitnesses tapping sand from her shoes in the parking lot, after being allowed by her mother, Colleen, to briefly catch fireflies with other children.[3] She is believed to have been abducted very shortly after this sighting.[4]

Subsequent forensic developments strongly indicated Billy Jack Lincks, a child sex offender, was involved in Nick's abduction,[5] making him an official suspect in the case.[6] Lincks died in 2000 at the age of 75 while incarcerated for an unrelated offense. No one has ever been charged with Nick's abduction and likely murder. The case remains unsolved, though an open and active investigation.[7][8]

Colleen Nick has since become an advocate for missing persons in the United States, and founded the Morgan Nick Foundation (MNF), which supports the families of missing children.[9]

Disappearance

On June 9, 1995, Morgan Nick and her mother, Colleen, traveled from their home in Ozark, Arkansas to a Little League baseball game in the town of Alma.[10][11] The two had been invited by close friends to attend the game and at approximately 10:30 p.m., Morgan and her friends asked their parents if they could leave the stands to catch fireflies.[12] Initially, Morgan's mother was reluctant to allow her daughter to do so, but eventually agreed to let her go.[13] She was last seen at 10:45 p.m. by her friends,[14] emptying sand out of her shoes alone near her mother's car while her friends emptied their own shoes a few dozen feet away.[15] Morgan's friends reported seeing a "creepy" man talking to Morgan as she was putting her shoes back on.[16]

When the game ended shortly thereafter, Morgan's friends returned without her. They told Colleen that Morgan was at her car, but when Colleen returned to the car, her daughter was not there. Morgan was never seen or heard from again.[2]

Later developments

On January 15, 2002, police conducted a dig on a private piece of land in Booneville, Arkansas, after they received a tip that claimed Nick might have been buried there. The tip was "so specific" that police decided to dig; a police dog was also used in the search. Police ended the investigation at 9:30 p.m. and said they did not intend to return to the property.[17]

On November 15, 2010, federal investigators searched a vacant house in Spiro, Oklahoma, for DNA evidence that could show Nick had once been in the house.[18] On December 18, 2017, investigators returned to the house to conduct another search after they received a tip about the case.[19] Cadaver dogs alerted investigators to a well on the property, which they said was the "center of the investigation".[19] The search was called off on December 19, after no evidence was found.[20]

As of 2021, new leads in Nick's disappearance continue to be received and "investigated at the local, state, and federal levels".[21]

In November 2021, police named Billy Jack Lincks as a person of interest in their investigation. Lincks, who died in prison in 2000, drove a red pickup truck that had been the focus on their investigation since the beginning in 1995. The FBI said that fibers found in the truck were a close match for those from Morgan's t-shirt.[22]

On September 30, 2024, the Alma police chief stated that there had been a "significant development" in the case and a press conference would take place the following day. On October 1, the Alma police department confirmed that new DNA evidence linked a member of the Nick family to the interior of a red truck once belonging to Lincks.[23] Alma Police Chief Jeff Pointer stated that the lab report "strongly indicates that Morgan had been in the truck."[24]

Aftermath

External image
image icon Age progression of Nick to age 32

In 1996, Colleen Nick founded the Morgan Nick Foundation, which helps parents cope with the disappearances of children, and helps prevent children from going missing.[13][25] Her case was featured on Unsolved Mysteries[16] and America's Most Wanted,[26] while Morgan's family and the foundation were featured in 2005 on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition after the family's house was damaged in a water heater explosion.[27]

The Amber alert service is named the Morgan Nick Amber Alert in the state of Arkansas.[28]

In August 2012, Tonya Smith and James Monhart, two previously convicted felons, were arrested for computer fraud after attempting to assume the identity of Morgan Nick.[29]

Media

Bibliography

  • Morton, Kristin Samantha (2021). The Disappearance of Morgan Nick. Perth, Scotland: Trellis Publishing. ISBN 979-8-224-95032-4.

Documentary

  • Still Missing Morgan (2023). A four-part ABC News Studios docuseries commissioned by Hulu and casting Lauren Sweetser as Colleen Nick.[30][31]

See also

References

  1. ^ Castile, Misty (October 1, 2024). "DNA Evidence Links 1995 Suspect to Morgan Nick Disappearance". Southwest Times Record. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "The Morgan Nick Foundation: Morgan's Story". Retrieved June 6, 2024 – via morgannickfoundation.com.
  3. ^ Fulton, Veronica (June 7, 2019). "Twenty Four Years Later, Mother Still Fighting for Justice in Daughter Morgan Nick's Disappearance". NBC News. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  4. ^ Cavallier, Andrea (October 7, 2024). "A Six-Year-Old Girl was Kidnapped 30 Years Ago. Hair Found in a Truck Has Finally Led to a Suspect". The Independent. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  5. ^ Grajeda, Antoinette (October 1, 2024). "New DNA Evidence Strongly Links Suspect to Morgan Nick's 1995 Disappearance, Arkansas Police Say". Arkansas Advocate. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  6. ^ Weaver, Penny (October 1, 2024). "DNA Connects Lincks to Morgan Nick Disappearance". Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  7. ^ Clay, Kaelin (June 9, 2025). "30 Years Without Morgan: The Case Still Rattling Colleen Nick's World". KATV. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  8. ^ Vrbin, Tessa (June 27, 2025). "Arkansas Missing Persons Database Now Includes Real-Time Updates". Arkansas Advocate. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  9. ^ "House Adopts Resolution to Honor Colleen Nick, Morgan Nick Foundation". Arkansas Money & Politics. April 1, 2025. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  10. ^ Rosenbaum, Philip (August 20, 2010). "Cold Case: Girl, 6, was Snatched at Little League Game". CNN. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  11. ^ Jones 2019, p. 483
  12. ^ Humphrey 2022, pp. 122–123
  13. ^ a b "Five Years Later: Morgan's Mom Still Has Enough Hope for Everyone". Blytheville Courier News. Associated Press. June 9, 2000. p. 7. Retrieved February 27, 2018 – via NewspaperArchive.com. Free access icon
  14. ^ Bilchik 1999, p. 87
  15. ^ "Mother of Morgan Nick Begins Campaign". Blytheville Courier News. Associated Press. October 27, 1995. p. 6. Retrieved February 27, 2018 – via NewspaperArchive.com. Free access icon
  16. ^ a b "Morgan Nick". Unsolved Mysteries. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  17. ^ "Officers Use Backhoe to Dig for Morgan Nick". Blytheville Courier News. Associated Press. January 16, 2002. p. 14. Retrieved February 27, 2018 – via NewspaperArchive.com. Free access icon
  18. ^ "House Searched in Morgan Nick Abduction Case". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Associated Press. November 15, 2010. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  19. ^ a b Franklin, Dallas (December 19, 2017). "Authorities Comb Oklahoma Property Earlier Examined in Connection to 1995 Disappearance of 6-Year-Old Girl". KFOR-TV. Associated Press. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  20. ^ Jordan, Kate (December 19, 2017). "Sheriff: No Evidence Found in Spiro Relating to Morgan Nick Case". KFSM-TV. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  21. ^ Howington, Jordan (April 28, 2021). "Police Receive New Credible Leads in Morgan Nick Case After Documentary Airs in Arkansas". MSN. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  22. ^ Pereira, Ivan (February 27, 2023). "'Still Missing Morgan' Digs into 1995 Kidnapping of 6-Year-Old with New Key Evidence". ABC News. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  23. ^ Roberts, Adam (October 1, 2024). "New DNA Evidence links Billy Jack Lincks to Morgan Nick's Disappearance". KHBS. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  24. ^ Derby, Caroline; Hampton, Tylisa; Boyd, Samantha; Smith, Bill Smith; Kienlen, Alex (October 2, 2024) [October 1, 2024]. "Alma Police Give Update on Morgan Nick Case, Say DNA Found in Truck Links Billy Jack Lincks as Suspect". KARK-TV. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  25. ^ Jordan, Kate (December 19, 2017). "Timeline: A Look Into Some of the Twists and Turns in Morgan Nick Case". KFSM-TV. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  26. ^ "AMW Missing Data File For: Morgan Nick". America's Most Wanted. Archived from the original on April 3, 2006. Retrieved November 14, 2025 – via amw.com.
  27. ^ "Extreme Makeover: Nick Family". ABC. August 14, 2005. Archived from the original on June 19, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  28. ^ "Arkansas Department of Public Safety: Amber Alert". Arkansas Department of Public Safety. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  29. ^ "Woman Suspected of Impersonating Morgan Nick Pleads Not Guilty". Fox16 News. August 12, 2012. Archived from the original on August 12, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  30. ^ White, Peter (February 23, 2023). "Ridley Scott To Produce True-Crime Docuseries 'Still Missing Morgan' For Hulu With ABC News Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  31. ^ Ringo, Brandon (February 10, 2023). "Hulu Announces New True Crime Series About Morgan Nick Disappearance". KARK-TV. Retrieved November 16, 2025.

Cited works and further reading

  • Bilchik, Shay (1999). When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide. Pennsylvania: Diane Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-788-17690-6.
  • Branson, Jack; Branson, Mary (2011). Delayed Justice: Inside Stories from America's Best Cold Case Investigations. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books. ISBN 978-1-616-14392-3.
  • Collins, James J. (1999). Law Enforcement Policies and Practices Regarding Missing Children and Homeless Youth. United States: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. ISBN 978-0-788-18639-4.
  • Fisher, Bonnie S.; Lab, Steven P. (2010). Encyclopedia of Victimology and Crime Prevention. Los Angeles: Sage Publishing. ISBN 978-1-412-96047-2.
  • Humphrey, LaDonna (2022). The Girl I Never Knew: Who Killed Melissa Witt?. New York City: Genius Book Company. ISBN 978-1-947-52181-0.
  • Jones, Terry (2019). Mr. Prosecutor: Ternty-Five Years Fighting Crime in the South: A Memoir: Former Prosecuting Attorney in the 4th Judicial District of Arkansas. Pittsburg, Pennsylvania: Dorrance Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-644-26243-6.
  • Katz, Hélèna (2010). Cold Cases: Famous Unsolved Mysteries, Crimes, and Disappearances in America. Santa Barbara: Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-37692-4.
  • Murphy, Paul (2011). Guide for Implementing or Enhancing an Endangered Missing Advisory (EMA). Washington: U. S. Department of Justice. ISBN 978-1-437-98383-8.
  • Pettem, Silvia (2017). The Long Term Missing: Hope and Help for Families. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-442-25680-4.
  • Sprague, Donald F. (2013). Investigating Missing Children Cases: A Guide for First Responders and Investigators. New York: Taylor & LFrancis Group. ISBN 978-1-439-86063-2.
  • September 13, 1995 Arizona Republic news article pertaining to the disappearance of Morgan Nick
  • Contemporary news article detailing the extensive efforts to locate Morgan Nick
  • October 2024 DNASolves.com press release naming the prime suspect in the abduction of Morgan Nick
  • Morgan Nick Foundation
  • Morgan Nick at NamUs
  • Morgan Nick at The Doe Network
  • Morgan Nick at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
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