Leah Adams was a beautiful soul who loved to make people laugh, according to her family and friends. The 32-year-old was found dead in Palo Pinto County on Thursday, Aug. 27. A Mineral Wells man has been arrested and charged with her murder.
Family photo courtesy of Sheriff’s Office
Leah Adams was a beautiful soul who brought love and laughter wherever she went, according to her family and friends.
The 32-year-old mother of three was found dead in the Brazos River in Palo Pinto County on Aug. 27. There was severe trauma to her face that investigators think may have been caused by a gunshot wound, according to a search warrant affidavit obtained by Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV. The victim’s white Dodge Ram 1500 pickup was fully engulfed in flames nearby.
Michael Wayne Hatcher, a 50-year-old Mineral Wells man, was arrested the night of Aug. 27 and charged with Adams’ murder.
According to the affidavit, Adams’ brother told authorities the last known location for his sister’s cellphone was a Mineral Wells address. Investigators visited the home in the 400 block of North Swanson Road and interviewed the occupants.
Hatcher and his girlfriend were the only people at the house. According to the affidavit, Hatcher told Texas Ranger Espinoza that he’d met Adams the previous night while fishing at Oaks Crossing in the Brazos River. He said Adams “had begun flirting with him,” the affidavit states.
According to the suspect’s account in the affidavit, the two had driven to a nearby gas station in Adams’ pickup. Hatcher said Adams had also sat on the tailgate of his truck, but hadn’t gotten inside.
Hatcher told Espinoza he and Adams were the only two at the river after midnight. He went home for a while, but returned to the river right before sunrise, he said. According to the affidavit, the suspect said he didn’t see any sign of Adams, but her vehicle was still there.
Espinoza reported seeing a stain that looked like blood under the front left pocket on Hatcher’s jeans, the affidavit states.
The suspect’s girlfriend told investigators that she’d seen Hatcher lying on a wooden bench on the front lawn early that morning. She said it was her red Ford F-150 that Hatcher had driven to the lake the previous night.
The girlfriend gave authorities permission to search the truck for Adams’ cellphone, and one of the investigators found a backpack in the bed. A journal with Adams’ expired driver’s license inside fell out of the bag, according to the affidavit. Authorities also found a small drop of blood on the passenger seat.
“Once the victim’s driver’s license was located, the search was stopped until a search warrant would be able to be obtained,” the affidavit states.
Investigators obtained a warrant and returned to the residence. They found several items during the search, including human hair, a blue shirt with a blood stain, a Taurus GX4 handgun, a backpack with Adams’ belongings and a blue journal with the victim’s expired driver’s license, according to the search warrant return.
Hatcher is currently being held in the Palo Pinto County Jail without bond, according to jail records.
A loving mother
Adams’ family said she loved her three young daughters. The victim’s mother, Stacy Carnley, told WFAA they want to keep her memory alive so her daughters will remember her.
“She does not need to be forgotten,” Carnley said.
Adams worked as a phlebotomist for 10 years, according to her online obituary. She was born and raised in Weatherford and graduated from Brock High School.
“Leah will be remembered for her laughter, her big personality, her creativity, her love of nature and animals, and the countless memories she created with those around her,” the obituary states. “She will be deeply missed and forever loved.”
Multiple friends and acquaintances posted Facebook tributes to Adams.
“She had such a beautiful soul, and a smile and laugh that could make your worst day turn into a great day,” one woman said. “She loved so hard, and trusted as a naive child would. I’m absolutely shattered by the fact that someone took her light away.”
“She was caring and genuinely sweet, and somehow, through everything life brought her, she never lost that childlike sense of whimsy,” another person posted.
Adams’ father, Troy Adams, told WFAA that the family needs more information about what happened to their daughter and sister.
“There’s something big missing from the story,” he said. “There’s just something wrong with this picture. That’s why I need answers so bad.”
The investigation into Leah Adams’ death is ongoing, according to the Palo Pinto County Sheriff’s Office.
This story was originally published September 3, 2026 at 4:06 PM.
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Harriet Ramos covers crime and other breaking news for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.