WINKLER COUNTY, Texas —
The Texas Department of Public Safety announced Tuesday that the reward being offered for information that leads to an arrest in connection to a 1977 Winkler County cold case has been raised to $6,000.
The case in question is the killing of 73-year-old S.A. “Champ” Weaver, the former Precinct 4 Constable of Winkler County.
On Jan. 4, 1977, around 1 a.m., Weaver’s 1971 Monte Carlo was found on the shoulder of Highway 302, four miles west of Kermit. The engine was running, and the headlights were on.
Weaver had been robbed of cash and shot multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Weaver was last seen earlier in the evening at the Elbow Room, a lounge he owned. The lounge wasn’t his only business, as he also owned a water works pumping station.
At the time of his death, he was married with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
To be eligible for a cash reward, tipsters must submit an anonymous tip by calling the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477). Those with information can also submit it through the Texas Rangers’ Cold Case website, or by phone to the Missing Persons Hotline at 1-800-346-3243.
The $6,000 reward will only be available for tips submitted before the next case from the Texas Rangers Unsolved Crime Investigation Program is featured. After that, the reward will be set at the routinely offered $3,000 that all cases on the cold case website are eligible for.
For more information on this case, and the more than 125 others featured on the Texas Rangers’ Cold Case website, click here.