Nearly three decades after a University of Texas at Dallas student vanished on a routine day of errands, Texas Rangers are once again asking North Texans for help, this time with more cash on the table. The 1997 killing of 22-year-old Brent Alan Gutheinz remains unsolved, and investigators say fresh tips could finally crack the case.
In today's post on X, the Texas Department of Public Safety announced that the Rangers are seeking new information in Gutheinz’s killing and that tipsters could receive a $6,000 cash reward. The case was highlighted as a featured Texas Rangers cold case, and the post urged anyone with information to speak up.
INCREASED REWARD OFFERED IN COLLEGE STUDENT’S COLD CASE MURDER
— Texas DPS (@TxDPS) April 13, 2026
The Texas Rangers are seeking new tips in the 1997 murder of 22-year-old Brent Alan Gutheinz in North Texas. Anyone with information is asked to please come forward – your tip could earn you a $6,000 cash reward.
On… pic.twitter.com/VT9Al6KuPi
Case details
Gutheinz was last seen on June 19, 1997, reportedly running errands and going to the gym. Three days later, a fisherman discovered his burned, mutilated body along Squirrel Creek in rural Grayson County. At the time, he was a 22-year-old senior at the University of Texas at Dallas and living in Richardson. The condition of his remains and lingering questions about the original investigation have kept the case unsolved for years, as outlined by Uncovered.
How to pass a tip
The increased reward is available through the Texas Crime Stoppers program and applies to people who submit tips by phone or online. Local coverage notes that tipsters should call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477) or send information through the P3 Tips portal, and that the extra $6,000 is only paid if the tip is made before the next featured Texas Rangers cold case is announced, according to News Channel 6.
Investigation history
The Texas Rangers public cold case listing for Gutheinz records the discovery date as June 22, 1997, and classifies the death as a homicide, with the file still active. Over the years, family members and observers have raised concerns about how early forensic work was handled and pointed out that multiple investigative leads never resulted in arrests, leaving a long list of unanswered questions. For the official case entry, see the Texas Rangers Unsolved Homicides page for Brent Gutheinz at Texas DPS.
Legal context
Texas law does not impose a statute of limitations on murder, so prosecutors can bring charges years or even decades after the crime if supported by evidence. That framework is spelled out in Article 12.01 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and is the reason cold case tips from the 1990s can still lead to arrests today.
Authorities say tips can be submitted anonymously and are encouraging anyone who recalls unusual activity around Van Alstyne, Sherman or Richardson in June 1997 to contact them. Calls to the Crime Stoppers hotline or tips sent through the state portal are forwarded to the Texas Rangers unit assigned to this cold case.
