On January 18, 2010, Jimmy Earl Whitt was discovered murdered in his residence in Stephens County. The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, Breckenridge Police Department, and the Texas Rangers began an investigation into Whitt’s death interviewing multiple individual and ultimately developing Charles Larry Johnson as a suspect. The investigation continued through 2015 but was suspended due to the lack of new leads or developments that would enable successful prosecution of the murder.
In 2024, the Texas Rangers Unsolved Crime Investigation Program (UCIP) assisted the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, re-investigating the case. During this new investigation, multiple interviews with individuals related to the original investigation were conducted revealing new details. Through the new investigation, Charles Larry Johnson was confirmed to be responsible for the murder of Jimmy Whitt and was also found to be in possession of firearms and jewelry which had been removed from Whitt’s home at them time of his murder.
The case was presented to the 90th Judicial District Attorney’s Office who agreed that sufficient evidence had been uncovered to prosecute Johnson for the murder of Whitt, but it was also discovered the Johnson had passed away in March of 2022.
The Texas Ranger UCIP was created to assist Texas law enforcement agencies investigating unsolved homicides or violent serial crimes. Since there is no statute of limitations on the offense of murder, investigators pursue these cases to a successful resolution or until no viable leads remain.