Tragedy has struck a Texas family following the disappearance and subsequent discovery of an elderly couple who vanished while returning home after Thanksgiving festivities with family. Gary Lightfoot, aged 82, and his wife Linda Lightfoot were found deceased in their vehicle on Tuesday. Their car was located in a remote pasture near Tucumcari, New Mexico, according to reports by KVII. Authorities suspect that hypothermia was the cause of their untimely deaths.

On Thanksgiving Day, the Lightfoots departed from their relatives’ residence in Panhandle, Texas, around 3 p.m., intending to travel back to their home in Lubbock, a journey of approximately 150 miles. Unfortunately, they never reached their destination. By Friday, their family had reported them missing, prompting the Texas Department of Public Safety to issue a Silver Alert by Sunday, as detailed by CrimeOnline.

Throughout the search, license plate readers tracked the couple’s car first in Groom, Texas, and subsequently in San Jon, New Mexico. Additionally, a cell tower registered activity from their vehicle near Tucumcari, which is situated about 140 miles from Panhandle and 180 miles from Lubbock. These readings suggested the Lightfoots inadvertently veered off course, taking Interstate 40 westward from Amarillo rather than heading south on Interstate 27 toward Lubbock.

Efforts to locate the couple were extensive. New Mexico State Police deployed a helicopter, while the Quay County Sheriff’s Office utilized drones and ground patrols in their search. Despite these efforts, the journey that was supposed to bring them safely home ended in tragedy.

New Mexico State Police told KVII they used a helicopter to search for the couple, while the Quay County Sheriff’s Office had drones in the air and car patrols on the search.