WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas — Nearly four decades have passed since a seemingly ordinary Saturday night turned tragic for an elderly couple in Williamson County. Investigators are still convinced that someone has crucial information about the events of that fateful evening.
Carla Ritchey-Scruggs clings to a worn hymnal, a treasured keepsake that evokes cherished memories of her grandfather. The emotional resonance of one particular hymn offers comfort amid the pain of loss. “The Old Rugged Cross represents so much in my life. My strength comes from remembering how they fought until the very end,” she shared.
On March 5, 1988, Ritchey-Scruggs’ grandparents, S.E. and Ethel Ritchey, were following their usual weekend routine in Taylor. “They had a pattern that was familiar and comforting,” said Detective Mark McKinney of the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. The couple typically concluded their Saturday by locking up their laundromat and purchasing groceries.
After shopping at H-E-B, the Ritcheys returned to their home in the Shiloh community, their maroon Ford loaded with groceries. However, this night would take a harrowing turn as they unloaded their vehicle.
At that moment, 19-year-old Ritchey-Scruggs was driving home from an outing with friends when she encountered a roadblock. A deputy approached her vehicle, and upon hearing her name, his expression shifted drastically. “His face went blank. He told me to wait for a moment,” she recalled, sensing something was terribly wrong.
Ethel Ritchey managed to alert family members after being violently assaulted in her garden. She regained consciousness momentarily and made a frantic call. “My grandmother called my parents, and we rushed to the scene,” Ritchey-Scruggs recounted.
By the time emergency responders arrived, Ethel was shaken but physically unharmed. S.E. was not as fortunate; he had been struck with a blunt object during the attack. “He told my dad, ‘They did this to me,’ and then he lost consciousness,” said Ritchey-Scruggs. Tragically, S.E. Ritchey succumbed to his injuries 17 days later.
Detectives believe the couple was likely followed home and intentionally targeted due to their predictable patterns. “This was a crime of opportunism, exploiting the couple’s trusting nature,” Detective McKinney observed, urging anyone with information to come forward. “In a close-knit community like Taylor, someone may have inadvertently shared details about this crime.”
Ritchey-Scruggs remains adamant that those involved must live with the decisions they made that night. “I don’t understand how they can look in the mirror every day. They need to take the crucial step to admit what they did. It’s time for the truth to emerge,” she stated.
The emotional toll of that evening continues to haunt Ritchey-Scruggs’ family. Ethel never fully recovered from the trauma and passed away in 2000 from natural causes.
Authorities encourage anyone with insights into this cold case to reach out to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Tip Line at 512-943-5204. The fight for justice persists as the community holds onto hope that the truth will eventually surface.