AMARILLO, Texas (KVII) — The suspect in the 1997 stabbing death of Gloria Ann Covington died before he could be prosecuted.

Covington, 45, was stabbed to death Aug. 5, 1997. Her body was found by two young children in Hilltop Park, now known as Hines Memorial Park. She was naked from the waist down and had multiple stab wounds. Lt. James Clements said Covington also may have been sexually assaulted.

According to Clements, Covington was taken to the park in a vehicle and was brutally assaulted inside the vehicle.

At some point, she managed to escape and run across the park, but her attacker chased her down.

“There was an attack in the park where Gloria fought for her life,” Clements said.

Police never found a suspect and the case went cold.

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In 2023, APD enlisted the help of the Texas Rangers’ cold case unit and the Office of the Attorney General’s cold case prosecutors.

Police sent DNA evidence from four cold cases to the state crime lab. The Texas Rangers’ cold case unit agreed to move forward with additional DNA testing on two of them, including Covington’s murder.

In 2024, DNA from a hair found in Covington’s pubic area matched DNA in the Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS.

The DNA matched Jimmy Dale McClinton. He lived in Amarillo at the time but was never a suspect and was never questioned in connection with the murder.

After the CODIS hit, Sgt. Joel Hodges, a cold case detective with APD, and a member of the Texas Rangers traveled to Buchanan Dam in Llano County, where McClinton was living at the time.

Clements said McClinton talked to investigators but gave them little information before asking for a lawyer.

Police had a warrant for McClinton’s DNA and collected a sample during the interview.

The DNA sample was tested at the state crime lab. Clements said it was a 100% confirmation that the hair found on Covington’s body was McClinton’s.

APD and the Texas Rangers presented the case to the Attorney General’s Office, which agreed to prosecute McClinton for Covington’s murder. McClinton died before he could be arrested.

According to his obituary, McClinton died November 23, 2025 in Kingsland, 60 miles northwest of Austin. He was 73 years old

“I was hoping to put cuffs on him myself,” Clements said. “Unfortunately, time was against us on this case.”

The Texas Rangers said McClinton was a suspect in other cases as well.

While McClinton was never arrested, investigators said they hope the announcement gives Covington’s family some closure.

“No family should have to wait decades for answers,” said Lt. Jason Shea with the Texas Rangers. “While today’s announcement can’t bring Ms. Covington back, I hope knowing this provides a measure of peace.”