Christmas Murder On Lockhart Road

What began as a joyful Christmas celebration in Lockhart, Texas, in 1994 ended in tragedy and mystery, with a nurse murdered and her boyfriend and his young son vanishing without a trace.

(As heard in the Weird Darkness podcast episode, ‘Twas The Mystery Before Christmas)

What should have been a joyful Christmas celebration turned into a tragic mystery for the small town of Lockhart, Texas, in December 1994. Latricia White, a 38-year-old nurse, was celebrating the holiday with her boyfriend Lee “Dub” Wackerhagen, and his nine-year-old son, Chance. The three were last spotted enjoying themselves at a local restaurant just days after Christmas.

But everything fell apart in a way that went very wrong. When Latricia failed to come to work or call in, her father, Jack White, began to worry. On Dec. 27, he checked on her, and horrifyingly discovered his daughter in her bedroom, shot six times with a. 22-caliber gun. And even stranger: Dub and Chance had gone missing.

Initially the police believed Dub may have murdered Latricia in a rage. Those who knew him said he had a bad temper and was often jealous. A few days before Christmas, he and Latricia had had a big fight over Chance, and Dub had threatened to leave. But the pair appear to have patched things up, as they were spotted sharing a restaurant meal happily together soon after.

Three days after Latricia’s body was discovered, police found Dub’s pickup truck parked out in a field about 30 miles away. What they discovered inside only deepened the mystery of the case. There were Dub’s wallet, checkbook and hunting rifle (which had never been fired). In the rear were Christmas presents, some still wrapped, stained with blood. Tests revealed the blood was not Latricia’s, indicating someone else had been injured.

The case took another bizarre twist four months later, when Chance’s grandfather answered a call from a young boy who said, “Help me” before the line went dead. The grandfather thought it was Chance, but loyal friends thought it more likely a cruel prank.

Dub’s family believes he and Chance were murdered by someone they knew. Latricia’s family and the police, however, believe that Latricia was killed by Dub, who is on the run with his son. Years later, investigators uncovered evidence that Dub and Chance were in fact victims themselves, but the case remains unsolved to this day.

The mystery of what really happened that Christmas in Lockhart lives on. A nurse, her boyfriend and his young son were spending the holidays together. Then one was dead, and two others vanished for good, leaving only blood-soaked Christmas gifts and a lot of unanswered questions.

SOURCE LINKS: https://weirddarkness.com/christmasmysteries/

(Cover photo: Texas Department of Public Safety)