Arrest made in 1982 cold case of woman found dead in drainage culvert, Texas cops say
Velma Nesset, 64, was found dead in 1982 in a drainage culvert near the mall where she worked in Odessa, Texas. She’d been sexually assaulted and stabbed to death, police say.
Now, 38 years later, Odessa police said they’ve made an arrest in the cold case, according to a news release.
Odessa Police Criminal Investigation Division and the Texas Rangers Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program used advanced forensic technology to identify Bill Wayne Ludwigson, 58, as a suspect. He has been charged in connection with her death and remains in Denver — where he was arrested — awaiting extradition to Texas.
Nesset’s partially nude bodywas found in a drainage culvert on April 19, 1982, not far from the Permian Mall where she worked as a part-time housekeeper.
Anyone with any knowledge of Nesset’s murder or who has information regarding Ludwigson is encouraged to contact Detective J. Caid at 432-335-4943, the Texas Rangers or Odessa Crime Stoppers at 432-333-TIPS.
This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 7:32 PM.