Nearly 30 years after the murder of Geraldine Blackmon, a major development has brought renewed hope for justice. On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, investigators with the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Texas Rangers, arrested 71-year-old William Doyle Magness of Midlothian, Texas. Magness was charged with murder in connection with the 1996 homicide.
A search warrant was executed at Magness’s residence, where investigators also served the murder arrest warrant. He was taken into custody without incident.
The arrest follows an intensive reinvestigation of the cold case. Hopkins County investigators re-interviewed witnesses, conducted forensic analysis, and uncovered key new evidence — including a firearm barrel recovered in 2025 that was positively matched to the bullet from the original crime scene.
“This case would have never been solved without the hard work and dedication of Mrs. Rice in the original investigation,” said Sheriff Lewis Tatum, referring to former investigator Cherry Rice, who led the 1996 case. “Her determination ensured that evidence and documentation were preserved for all these years, which proved instrumental in bringing us to this point.”
Sheriff Tatum also praised current investigators Shea Shaw and Chris Baumann, and Texas Rangers Warren Williamson and David Stewart, for their roles in the breakthrough. Magness was booked into the Hopkins County Jail and his bond was set at $1 million.
The investigation remains ongoing.
