UPDATE: Potential person of interest in double homicide unsolved after 17 years

A person of interest has reportedly been identified in connection with a Hunt County double homicide which has remained unsolved after 17 years.

The Hunt County Sheriff’s Office and the families of Cora McAbee and Brandon Howell are again asking for anyone with information about the deaths to come forward.

Howell, 29, and McAbee, 42, were found early on the morning of May 25, 2006 inside McAbee’s home on Private/County Road 2174, just off of Farm-To-Market Road 1903 south of Greenville. The murders were believed to have occurred as the couple slept, sometime between 11 p.m. May 24 and 6:38 a.m. May 25, 2006. Both victims had been shot at close range multiple times.

Howell was the owner of a Greenville lawn and garden business. McAbee and Howell had been dating for about a week.

McAbee, the mother of five children, was the owner of the former Cora’s Country Café on Highway 34 South in the Cash area.

The investigation into the murders and has been assisted by the Texas Rangers and the Cold Case Team of the Sheriff’s Association of Texas in Austin.

But sheriff Terry Jones said Thursday morning that tree has been progress made in the case.

“We are working with the District Attorney’s Office on this case, we have a person of interest, and we are continuing to follow-up on all information pertaining to this case,” Jones said.

Jones also asked that if anyone has information in reference to the murders, they can contact the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office at 903-453-6838 or Hunt County Crime Stoppers at 903-457-2929, online” at www.huntcountycrimestoppers.net of by mobile app: P3TIPS.com.