Texas Rangers Seek Tips in Eastland Co. Cold Case

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is seeking information on the 2019 murder of 37-year-old Courtney Allan Sholar. The reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for his death is now increased to $6,000 if the tip is received before the next featured Texas Rangers cold case is announced. Anyone with information in this case is asked to please come forward.

On May 16, 2024, Courtney Allan Sholar’s body was found in a rural Eastland Co., nearly five years after he went missing. Sholar, who was affectionately nicknamed “Opie,” was last seen driving a Dodge Ram pickup in Ranger, Texas, after returning from a trip on June 29, 2019. He had been in the process of moving from the Ranger area to Oklahoma and was traveling back to Texas at the time of his disappearance. Sholar had ties to the oil industry in Eastland Co., holding a variety of oil field jobs before his death. 

Sholar’s case is actively being investigated by the Texas Rangers and Eastland Co. Sheriff’s Office, and advanced DNA testing has been completed and submitted for analysis. Several witnesses have been interviewed and provided significant information, but investigators believe other community members have information and need to come forward. 

Funded by the Governor’s Public Safety Office, Texas Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for any Texas Rangers cold case listed on the DPS website—which provides information on more than 140 cases in an effort to garner public interest in unsolved or cold cases.

To be eligible for cash rewards for this case, tipsters MUST provide information to authorities using one of these two methods:

• Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).
• Submit a tip online through this link only and select “Cold Cases Featured” and “Cold Case” in the type of crime and offense type sections. 

As part of a DPS public awareness program, one case from the Texas Ranger Unsolved Crimes Investigation (Cold Case) Program will be featured bi-monthly in an effort to generate new investigative leads and bring attention to these cold cases. Texas Crime Stoppers rewards are increased up to $6,000 for featured cases in hopes of generating additional tips. The higher reward amount will only be paid if the tip is submitted before the next cold case is featured.

The Texas Ranger Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program was created to assist Texas law enforcement agencies investigating unsolved homicides or violent serial crimes. Since there is no statute of limitations for the offense of murder, investigators pursue these cases to a successful resolution or until no viable leads remain.

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