On August 18, 1996, 86-year-old Mary Moore Searight was brutally attacked inside her home at 711 Pine Bluff Street in Paris, Texas. She had been sexually assaulted, beaten, and strangled. Discovered by her unofficial caretaker, Mary was still alive but gravely injured. She was airlifted to a hospital in Dallas, where she fought for her life for three days before succumbing to her wounds.
Background
A longtime property owner and landlord in Paris, Searight lived on the same street where she owned multiple homes. Among her tenants was a man named David Paul Cady Jr., who was 25 years old at the time. Paris Police interviewed Cady on the night of the crime. Officers noted a suspicious laceration on his right hand and inconsistent explanations for the injury. Investigators collected hand swabs for DNA analysis, but no decisive breakthrough occurred at the time.
Breakthrough Decades Later
The case stayed inactive until 2021, when the Texas Rangers saw its potential for the Texas DPS Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI). In 2023, DNA from Cady’s hand swabs was re-analyzed, revealing Mary Searight’s DNA and establishing a key forensic link.
On December 12, 2024, Cady, 54, was indicted by a Lamar County grand jury. He had been arrested in February 2024 for an unrelated crime and remained in custody concerning Searight’s death.
Legal Proceedings
As of January 2025, charges are pending against David Paul Cady Jr., and legal proceedings are expected in Lamar County. This indictment represents a significant cold-case development in Texas, highlighting the effectiveness of initiatives like SAKI. Evidence collected years ago can become decisive when revisited with modern forensic science. Mary Searight’s case shows how persistence and advancing technology can finally bring justice.
Victim’s Legacy
Mary Moore Searight had deep roots in Austin, Texas. She was born into a prominent family—her father served as acting Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Later in life, she married and helped manage a ranch. In a lasting act of generosity, she sold 88 acres to the City of Austin and donated an additional 206 acres. That land became the Mary Moore Searight Metropolitan Park, which remains open to the public today.
Remembering the Victim
The brutal killing of an elderly woman on her own property remains a stark reminder of human cruelty—and of the necessity for resolute investigation. Mary Moore Searight’s story offers a measure of closure and recognition that, even after decades, justice can prevail. Her generosity to the community in life—and ultimately justice in death—stand as enduring testaments to her impact.
