Detectives: 30-year-old murder still a cold case

HOUSTON Maxine "Judy" Patton was last seen shortly after midnight on November 25, 1980 as she dropped off a friend at home.

At approximately 5:25 a.m., Patton was found dead in a grassy area at 19100 Hardy Road in north Harris County. Her vehicle was found in the same general area.

Detectives say Patton had signs of blunt trauma.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office's Cold Case Squad is seeking the public's assistance in identifying the killer in this case. Anyone with information is asked to please contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222- 8477 or the HCSO's Cold Case Unit at 713-967-5911.

Patton's murder is one of several cold cases that the HCSO will feature every week in hopes of gathering new information that may help solve them. For many of these cold cases, there is very little information so investigators will be relying solely on the public's tips.