Disappearance of Morgan Nick

{{Infobox person

| image = Morgan Nick.jpg

| name = Morgan Nick

| caption = Nick at age 6

| birth_name = Morgan Chauntel Nick

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1988|9|12}}

| birth_place = West Germany

| disappeared_date = {{Disappeared date and age|1995|6|9|1988|9|12}}

| disappeared_place = Alma, Arkansas, U.S.

| disappeared_status = {{Missing for|1995|6|9}}

| parents = Colleen Nick (mother)
John Nick (father)

}}

Morgan Chauntel Nick (September 12, 1988 – disappeared June 9, 1995) is an American girl who was abducted at a Little League Baseball game. Her mother is known for creating the Morgan Nick Foundation, which helps people find their missing children.

Disappearance

On June 9, 1995, Morgan Nick and her mother, Colleen Nick, went to a Little League baseball game in the town of Alma, Arkansas.{{cite news|last1=Rosenbaum|first1=Philip|title=Cold case: Girl, 6, was snatched at Little League game|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/18/grace.coldcase.morgan.nick/index.html|accessdate=February 26, 2018|publisher=CNN|date=August 20, 2010}} At around 10:30 p.m., Morgan asked her mother if she could catch fireflies with her friends. At first, her mother was uncertain, but eventually let her go.{{cite news|title=Five years later: Morgan's mom still has enough hope for everyone|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/anonymous-crime-clipping-jun-09-2000-577233/|accessdate=February 27, 2018|work=Blytheville Courier News|agency=Associated Press|via=NewspaperArchive.com|date=June 9, 2000|page=7}} {{free access}} She was last seen at 10:45 p.m. by her friends, emptying sand out of her shoes alone near her mother's car while her group of friends emptied their shoes a few dozen feet away.{{cite news|title=Mother of Morgan Nick begins campaign|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/anonymous-crime-clipping-oct-27-1995-577222/|accessdate=February 27, 2018|work=Blytheville Courier News|agency=Associated Press|via=NewspaperArchive.com|date=October 27, 1995|page=6}} {{free access}} Morgan's friends reported seeing a "creepy" man talking to Morgan as she was putting her shoes back on.{{cite web|url=https://unsolved.com/gallery/morgan-nick/|title=Morgan Nick|work=Unsolved Mysteries|accessdate=February 28, 2018}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://morgannickfoundation.com/about/morgans-story/|title=Morgan's Story|accessdate=June 6, 2024}}

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.{{cite news|title=Officers use backhoe to dig for Morgan Nick|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/anonymous-crime-clipping-jan-16-2002-577492/|accessdate=February 27, 2018|work=Blytheville Courier News|agency=Associated Press|via=NewspaperArchive.com|date=January 16, 2002}} {{free access}}

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.{{cite news|title=House searched in Morgan Nick abduction case|url=http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/nov/15/house-searched-morgan-nick-abduction-case/|accessdate=February 27, 2018|work=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette|agency=Associated Press|date=November 15, 2010}} On December 18, 2017, investigators returned to the house to conduct another search after they received a tip about the case.{{cite news|last1=Franklin|first1=Dallas|title=Authorities comb Oklahoma property earlier examined in connection to 1995 disappearance of 6-year-old girl|url=http://kfor.com/2017/12/19/authorities-comb-oklahoma-property-earlier-examined-in-connection-to-1995-disappearance-of-6-year-old-girl/|accessdate=February 27, 2018|agency=Associated Press|publisher=KFOR-TV|date=December 19, 2017}} Cadaver dogs alerted investigators to a well on the property, which they said was the "center of the investigation". The search was called off on December 19, after no evidence was found.{{cite news|last1=Jordan|first1=Kate|title=Sheriff: No Evidence Found in Spiro Relating to Morgan Nick Case|url=http://5newsonline.com/2017/12/19/no-evidence-found-in-spiro-relating-to-morgan-nick-case/|accessdate=February 27, 2018|publisher=KFSM-TV|date=December 19, 2017}} As of 2021, new leads in Nick's disappearance continue to be received and "investigated at the local state and federal level".{{cite news |last1=Howington |first1=Jordan |title=Police receive new credible leads in Morgan Nick case after documentary airs in Arkansas |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/police-receive-new-credible-leads-in-morgan-nick-case-after-documentary-airs-in-arkansas/ar-BB1ga63Q |access-date=2021-10-07 |work=MSN News |publisher=Microsoft |date=2021-04-28}}

In November 2021, police named Billy Jack Lincks as a person of interest in their investigation. Lincks, who died 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.{{Cite magazine |last=Pereira |first=Ivan |date=February 27, 2023 |title='Still Missing Morgan' digs into 1995 kidnapping of 6-year-old with new key evidence |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/missing-morgan-digs-1995-kidnapping-6-year-new/story?id=97417403|magazine=ABC News |language=en-US |access-date=March 19, 2023}}

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, 2024, a press conference was held by the Alma police department to announce new DNA evidence linked a member of the Nick family to the interior of a red truck once belonging to Billy Jack Lincks. Lincks was named a suspect in the kidnapping case in 2021, but had died in prison in 2000.{{Cite web |last=DMM |first=Adam Roberts |date=2024-10-01 |title=New DNA evidence links Billy Jack Lincks to Morgan Nick's disappearance |url=https://www.4029tv.com/article/morgan-nick-billy-jack-lincks-dna/62467802 |access-date=2024-10-01 |website=KHBS |language=en}} Alma Police Chief Jeff Pointer stated that the lab report "strongly indicates that Morgan had been in the truck."{{Cite web |last= Derby|first= Caroline, Tylisa Hampton, Samantha Boyd, Bill Smith, and Alex Kienlen |date=2024-10-01 |title=Alma police give update on Morgan Nick case, say DNA found in truck links Billy Jack Lincks as suspect |url=https://www.kark.com/crime/alma-police-give-update-on-morgan-nick-case/ |access-date=2024-10-01 |website=Kark |language=en}}

Aftermath

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| image1 = [http://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/805103/1/screen Age progression of Nick to age 32]

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In 1996, Colleen Nick started the Morgan Nick Foundation, which helps parents cope with the disappearances of children, and helps prevent children from going missing.{{cite news|last1=Jordan|first1=Kate|title=Timeline: A Look Into Some of the Twists and Turns in Morgan Nick Case|url=http://5newsonline.com/2017/12/19/timeline-a-look-back-into-twists-and-turns-in-morgan-nick-case/|accessdate=February 27, 2018|publisher=KFSM-TV|date=December 19, 2017}} Her case was featured on both Unsolved Mysteries and America's Most Wanted,{{cite web|url=http://www.amw.com/missing_children/case.cfm?id=23683|title=AMW - Missing Children - Nick Morgan Case|accessdate=January 9, 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060403121554/http://www.amw.com/missing_children/case.cfm?id=23683|archivedate=April 3, 2006}} 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.{{cite web |url=http://abc.go.com/shows/extreme-makeover-home-edition/episode-detail/nick-family/60926 |title=Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - ABC.com |publisher=Abc.go.com |accessdate=August 12, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110619015848/http://abc.go.com/shows/extreme-makeover-home-edition/episode-detail/nick-family/60926 |archivedate=June 19, 2011 }}

The AMBER Alert service is named the Morgan Nick Amber Alert in the state of Arkansas.{{cite web|url=https://www.ark.org/asp/alerts/mnaa/index.php|title=Arkansas State Police - Morgan Nick Amber Alert|date= |accessdate=January 9, 2013}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.fox16.com/news/local/story/Woman-suspected-of-impersonating-Morgan-Nick/ePxHPkjtD06ex5ra8Xpgyw.cspx |title=Woman suspected of impersonating Morgan Nick pleads not guilty - FOX16.com Little Rock, AR |publisher=Fox16.com |date= |accessdate=August 12, 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812003258/http://www.fox16.com/news/local/story/Woman-suspected-of-impersonating-Morgan-Nick/ePxHPkjtD06ex5ra8Xpgyw.cspx|archivedate=August 12, 2012}}

In February 2023, Still Missing Morgan, a four-part ABC News Studios docuseries executive produced by Ridley Scott, was released on Hulu.{{Cite magazine |last=White |first=Peter |date=February 23, 2023 |title=Ridley Scott To Produce True-Crime Docuseries 'Still Missing Morgan' For Hulu With ABC News Studios |url=https://deadline.com/2023/02/ridley-scott-producing-true-crime-docueries-still-missing-morgan-hulu-1235254871/|magazine=Deadline |language=en-US |access-date=March 19, 2023}}