July 10, 2025 – A cold case murder has been solved after nearly 30 years according to an announcement from the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office.
A statement from the Sheriff’s Office says: “After nearly three decades, a major development has been made in the 1996 murder of Geraldine Blackmon. On Tuesday, 71-year-old William Doyle Magness of Midlothian, Texas, was arrested and charged with murder in connection with the cold case.”
Working with the Texas Rangers, Hopkins County Sheriff’s investigators executed a search warrant at Magness’s residence on Tuesday. During the warrant service, an arrest warrant for murder was also served, and Magness was taken into custody without incident. He was booked into the jail on s charge of murder. His bond is set at $1 million.
The sheriff’s office says the arrest is the result of a comprehensive re-investigation of the 1996 homicide, including re-interviewing of witnesses, conducting extensive forensic analysis, and the critical discovery of new ballistic evidence. A gun barrel recovered from Magness’s residence in 2025 was positively matched to the bullet collected from the 1996 crime scene, providing the crucial link needed to move the case forward.
Sheriff Lewis Tatum praised the dedication of the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office investigators Shea Shaw and Chris Baumann. And he thanks Texas Rangers Warren Williamson and David Stewart for their partnership and expert support.
Sheriff Tatum also thanks Constable Dennis Findley, who worked the case during his tenure at the Sheriff’s Office, and Cherry Rice, the original lead investigator assigned to the case in 1996.
“Without the hard work and dedication of Mrs. Rice in the original investigation, this case would have never been solved,” Tatum stated. “Her determination ensured that evidence and documentation were preserved for all these years, which proved instrumental in bringing us to this point.”
The arrest of Magness marks a significant step toward achieving justice for Geraldine Blackmon and offers long-overdue answers to her family and the Hopkins County community.
This remains an ongoing investigation, and no additional details will be released at this time.
