A search warrant was obtained to collect Adkins’ DNA, which led to his arrest in connection to Dunn’s murder.
June 18, 2021
MITCHELL COUNTY, Texas — A man has been charged in the murder of Mitchell County teen Hailey Dunn — over 10 years after she was last seen alive.
Shawn Casey Adkins, 35, of Big Spring, TX , was arrested Monday and charged with one count of murder in the death of 13-year-old Dunn.
The Texas Department of Public Safety says Dunn was last seen on Dec. 27, 2010. Her mother reported her missing the next day.
Dunn remained missing until nearly three years later on March 16, 2013 when her remains were found near Lake JB Thomas in Scurry County.
Adkins had been a suspect in the case, but was never charged, the Texas Dept. of Safety says. At the time of Dunn’s death, he was the live-in boyfriend of Dunn’s mother. Adkins was not able to be arrested at the time due to lack of new evidence.
In 2020, the district attorney for the 32nd Judicial District, Ricky Thompson, consulted with the Texas Rangers Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program (UCIP) regarding the case, and the Rangers took a new look into the investigation, said the Texas DPS.
A search warrant was obtained to collect Adkins’ DNA, which led to his arrest in connection to Dunn’s murder.
He was taken to the Howard County Jail and later transferred to the Mitchell County Detention Center. His bond is set at $2 million.
Officials say the incident is still under investigation.
