Linda Cougat, a 24-year-old Caucasian woman, was last seen on October 19, 1968, at a laundromat in Odessa, Texas. At the time of her disappearance, she worked as a bartender at Bowler Bar in Odessa. Her sudden vanishing sparked an intense search effort by local law enforcement, who combed through pastures, drainage ditches, and empty lots in hopes of finding clues to her whereabouts.
The investigation took a grim turn when her handbag was discovered in an empty field northwest of Odessa, containing three address books that confirmed her identity.
Her body was eventually found in a desolate pasture, approximately 15 miles from Odessa. The medical examiner determined that she had been deceased for at least eight weeks. An autopsy revealed that she had been strangled, with her arms bound behind her back using two nylon stockings, while a third stocking was tightly wrapped around her neck. Linda Cougat was found wearing Bermuda shorts and a blouse, but her underwear had been removed and stuffed inside her shorts. This led investigators to theorize that she may have been sexually assaulted before being forced to redress and then taken to the remote location where she was killed.
During the investigation, a bloodstained miniskirt was found in her home, which she had reportedly worn shortly before her disappearance. Authorities questioned her coworkers and acquaintances multiple times, searching for any leads that could explain what had happened to the young bartender. The case became even more alarming as it was suspected that Linda Cougat may have been one of the first victims in a series of murders that would later be known as the "Odessa Lust Murders." This string of killings terrorized women in Ector County and surrounding areas from 1968 to 1971.
Ultimately, Linda Cougat was identified as the first known victim of serial killer Johnny Meadows, who was responsible for multiple murders in the region. The case remains a chilling reminder of the dangers faced by women in West Texas during that time.
