LAKEWAY, Texas (KXAN) — It’s a mystery that has eluded investigators for more than 37 years. Who shot and killed Elizabeth “Betty” Thomas?
Why would someone target the beloved 45-year-old wife, mother and soon-to-be grandmother of Lakeway? Why was her body found in the trunk of her car in an Austin hotel more than 20 miles from her home?
Over the decades, rumors have spread through the affluent, close-knit suburb of Lakeway. According to reports at the time, investigators suspected it was a professional hit, and examined whether Thomas’ murder was linked to the death of her father-in-law eight years earlier. Lakeway police investigators now say both theories led to a dead end. However, new search warrants, filed this year and discovered by KXAN investigators, point to a potential breakthrough in the case.
In this week’s episode of Unresolved: Central Texas, Avery Travis sits down with Lt. Jason Brown, who leads the Lakeway Police Department’s Special Operations Division and serves as the lead investigator on the case.
Lt. Brown talks about his team’s hope that DNA analysis will soon lead to the person responsible for Thomas’ death and reveals key discoveries that have led investigators to the brink of what they hope will finally be justice for Betty Thomas.
New episodes of Unsolved: Central Texas launch every Thursday at 1pm on the KXAN+ streaming app. To download KXAN+, search for KXAN on your favorite streaming device, including Roku, Apple TV, Samsung, and Amazon Fire TV. You can also find all episodes of Unsolved: Central Texas on-demand in the KXAN+ Originals category anytime on KXAN+.