North Texas Family Seeks Answers in Cold Case Murder

Nearly a decade after 68-year-old Marianne Wilkinson was shot and killed in her North Richland Hills home, the case remains unsolved.

As time ticks on with each passing year, it's the fond memories of the grandmother that give continued hope to her loved ones after an unthinkable crime.

"He fired so quickly that she barely had time to react," said Wilkinson's son, Mike Wilkinson.

He choked back tears as he recalled a horrific phone call from his father on Dec. 9, 2007.

"He kept trying to speak. He would say my name but he couldn't say anything else," Mike Wilkinson said, as he remembered clearly the night that changed his life forever.

His own mother had been murdered, shot several times at close range.

Mike Wilkinson clings to prayers and believes that someone somewhere knows the truth about his mother's murder.

"Everything does still indicate that it was a murder-for-hire that went wrong. They went to the wrong place," he said.

Investigators have explored several theories and persons of interest through the years about what happened on Spence Court where Marianne Wilkinson was murdered, but nothing has been concrete. Even so, the Wilkinsons say their crusade for answers continues.

"We started a Facebook page that we try to post good memories, as well as something that's in the news that comes up. And that has reached a pretty good audience," said Terri Wilkinson, Marianne's daughter-in-law.

The family is making every effort to keep Marianne Wilkinson's memory alive. Her favorite flowers blossom in her son's front yard, where time moves on and a family clings to their faith, hopeful that answers come soon.

"She invested well with those she loved, and that's what we want to pass on and not be racked by bitterness and anger, because there's nothing we can do about it anyway," said Terri Wilkinson. "So if we let that control us, that, to me, then evil wins," she said.

Anyone with information is asked to submit a tip through the Texas Rangers's Cold Case website or by calling 800-346-3243.