Jess Leroy Lovelady, a 75-year-old white male, was brutally murdered on May 3, 1978. Lovelady was stabbed to death by Billy Dean Battenfield, a serial killer, who then disposed of his body by throwing it down a water well. The motive behind this heinous act was robbery, as Battenfield stole Lovelady's Social Security check, which he was attempting to cash for $1,500 at the time of his death.
Despite the suspicious circumstances surrounding Lovelady's disappearance, the police were initially unable to uncover any information about his fate.
Battenfield, along with a 15-year-old accomplice, had a history of violent crimes. Prior to Lovelady's murder, Battenfield had already committed another murder in June 1977, when he abducted and stabbed to death 51-year-old Thelma Ruth McCarty in McKinney, Texas. After killing her, he disposed of her body in a similar manner by dumping it down a water well. Following these murders, Battenfield and his accomplice temporarily traveled to Oregon before returning to Texas.
During their travels, they encountered 83-year-old Edward Elkington, a resident of Los Gatos, California, who was passing through Tucumcari, New Mexico. Elkington was killed in a similar manner to the previous victims. However, this time, Battenfield and his accomplice were apprehended, with the accomplice later leading the police to the location where Elkington's body had been buried. Battenfield was subsequently tried, convicted, and sentenced to 10-to-50 years imprisonment for this murder.
The investigation into Lovelady's murder eventually led to the arrest and conviction of Battenfield. His criminal activities spanned multiple states, including Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, and his method of killing involved stabbing his victims and disposing of their bodies in water wells. Battenfield's accomplice, whose identity remains undisclosed, played a crucial role in the investigation by providing information that led to the discovery of the victims' bodies and the subsequent prosecution of Battenfield.
