An elderly couple from Texas was found dead in rural New Mexico this week after going missing following a Thanksgiving celebration. Charles Lightfoot, 82, and Linda Lightfoot, 81, of Lubbock, were discovered on Tuesday morning near a ranch west of Tucumcari, according to the Quay County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators believe the couple died of hypothermia. They were reported missing after leaving a Thanksgiving dinner in Panhandle, Texas, around 3 p.m. on Thursday and failing to arrive home. A Silver Alert was issued, and their silver Toyota was last spotted in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, on Friday.
Charles, a former police officer who served as police chief of Littlefield, Texas, from 1993 to 2003, was oxygen dependent, prompting authorities to consider the disappearance a credible health threat. The couple did not own mobile phones, complicating the search, which involved number plate readers, GPS tracking, and assistance from the New Mexico State Police with helicopters and drones.
The Quay County Sheriff’s Office expressed condolences to the Lightfoot family and stated that the investigation is ongoing. Further details will be released as they become available.
