The extensive search for an elderly couple from Lubbock, Texas, who vanished on Thanksgiving Day in Quay County, New Mexico, concluded tragically on Tuesday with the discovery of their bodies, police confirmed.
Charles “Gary” Lightfoot (82) and Linda Lightfoot (81) were found deceased near Tucumcari in rural New Mexico. The couple had been traveling back home to Lubbock after visiting friends in the Texas Panhandle when they were reported missing.
The Search and Health Concerns
The disappearance immediately raised severe concerns due to the couple’s age and critical health requirements.
- High-Risk Situation: The Carson County Sheriff’s Office issued a Silver Alert across both New Mexico and Texas shortly after the couple went missing. Authorities emphasized the urgency because Charles Lightfoot was dependent on external oxygen at all times to breathe. The Sheriff’s Office deemed their situation a “credible threat to their health and safety.”
- Search Technology: The search efforts were concentrated near Tucumcari after police revealed the couple’s Toyota Camry had successfully pinged a cell tower in the area. The Quay County Sheriff’s Department subsequently deployed drones to conduct aerial searches, and patrol cars scoured all the roads they were believed to have traveled.
Discovery and Suspected Cause of Death
The rigorous search operation culminated early Tuesday afternoon when the octogenarian couple’s bodies were located near their Toyota Camry in a pasture ground outside Tucumcari.
While the official cause of death has not been formally released, police in New Mexico reportedly suspect the couple may have succumbed to hypothermia, a dangerous condition that occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it, compounded by Charles’s known breathing disability (oxygen dependency).
The Carson County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement expressing profound sadness over the outcome: “We would like to thank the public and all agencies involved… We would also like to offer condolences to the family and friends of the Lightfoots as this is a tragic event.”