About Barbara Ann Lemmons Murder Investigation

Barbara Ann Lemmons' murder remains one of the chilling and unresolved cases from the 1950s. On the morning of July 23, 1957, Barbara and her friend Dorothy Gibson were found shot to death off Buckeye Road in Lea County, New Mexico. Their bodies were discovered about six miles away from where their car had been abandoned due to a flat tire. Both women were shot with a .22 caliber rifle, and a local trucker named J.D. Cantrell, who may have stopped to help them with the flat, was also killed at the scene.

Barbara and Dorothy had spent the evening before at a club in Hobbs, NM, dancing and enjoying themselves. They had dropped off a male friend in Carlsbad and were on their way back when the car trouble occurred. Though there was evidence of a struggle, the motive for the killings remains unclear. The women were not robbed, and it was undetermined whether they were sexually assaulted, though they were found fully clothed. This suggests the crime may have been personal rather than financially or sexually motivated.

The investigation initially focused on three men: Barbara and Dorothy's ex-husbands, and the male friend they had dropped off before their deaths. However, after polygraph tests (which are known to be unreliable), they were cleared as suspects. Over time, the case grew cold. Despite efforts to track down leads and connect this case to other crimes, no solid evidence ever materialized to solve the murders.

Barbara's granddaughter, Amber Clemmons, is now leading efforts to revive the investigation. Through a dedicated website, Amber aims to bring together all available evidence, photos, and details to centralize information and perhaps spark new interest in finding justice for Barbara. The website serves as a portal to keep the memory of Barbara's tragic death alive and to encourage any new leads that might help close the case after so many decades.

This effort reflects not just a search for justice, but a personal journey to honor a grandmother Amber never had the chance to know.