DNA links man to 1997 Texas park murder, but he died before he could be prosecuted, authorities say

Modern forensic testing has linked a brutal 1997 Amarillo park killing of a nursing home cook and mother of four to a suspect with a long history of knife assaults who died last year before charges could be filed, authorities said.

Jimmy Dale McClinton of Buchanan Dam has been tied to the killing of Gloria Ann Covington, who was found partially nude, stabbed, and sexually assaulted on Aug. 5, 1997, by children playing at Hilltop Park, according to the Texas Rangers and the Amarillo Police Department.

Officials said that in February 2024, the Texas Department of Public Safety crime lab generated a DNA profile from autopsy evidence, and a subsequent CODIS search – the national DNA database – matched it to McClinton.

McClinton had a documented history of knife assaults against women. Despite living in Amarillo at the time, he was never interviewed in 1997, authorities said.

While Amarillo police, the Texas Rangers, and the Texas Attorney General's Office prepared the case, McClinton died in November 2025 at age 81 before the grand jury presentation, officials said.

"The Texas Rangers would like to thank our partners, including the Amarillo Police Department and DPS's Crime Laboratory Division, for their years of commitment and dedication to identify McClinton and solve Covington's case," the agency said in a news release.

CBS News Texas will provide updates should additional information become available.