Dorothy Lubbock

The mother of a San Antonio police officer is found stabbed to death in her home
Dorothy Dale Lubbock was a mother and a business owner, known for operating several hair salons in both San Antonio, Texas, and New York. She was also the proud mother of two sons who dedicated their lives to law enforcement: one as a San Antonio Police Department officer and the other as a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper. In her later years, she lived a quiet life in the South Side of San Antonio, the city where her family had deep roots.

On the morning of August 12, 1996, a horrific discovery was made inside Dorothy’s home on Roosevelt Avenue. The 74-year-old woman was found stabbed to death. The scene suggested a violent struggle, and investigators with the San Antonio Police Department quickly determined that the motive was likely a robbery that had taken a tragic turn. The news sent a shockwave through the community and particularly through the local law enforcement agencies where her sons served with distinction.

Witnesses reported seeing three men fleeing from the area around Dorothy’s home after the attack. Despite this initial lead, investigators were unable to identify the individuals. The case was thoroughly investigated at the time, but with few other leads to follow, it eventually grew cold. The identities of the three men seen running from the scene remain a mystery, and no arrests have ever been made in connection with the brutal slaying.

For more than two decades, the murder of Dorothy Lubbock has remained an open wound for her family and the San Antonio Police Department. Her son, Jim Lee Lubbock III, was a decorated U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served as a sniper in Vietnam before joining the San Antonio Police Department and later the San Antonio Fire Department. He passed away in March 2024, never having seen justice for his mother's murder. The case was eventually handed over to the department's Cold Case Squad, which continues to seek new information that might finally lead to a breakthrough.

Over the years, authorities have periodically re-released details of the case to the public, hoping to jog someone's memory or appeal to a person's conscience. They have emphasized the brutal nature of the crime and the fact that the victim was the mother of two dedicated public servants. The pain of the loss has been a constant for the Lubbock family, who have waited decades for answers.

As of December 2017, the investigation into Dorothy Lubbock's murder is still active. The San Antonio Police Department and Crime Stoppers continue to ask for the public's help in solving this decades-old crime. A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for any information that leads to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for her death. Anyone with knowledge of the murder is urged to call Crime Stoppers at (210) 224-STOP (7867) or the SAPD's Cold Case Squad at 210-207-7635. Callers can remain anonymous.