Murder of April Lacy

April Dawn Lacy (nicknamed as "Brush Girl") was a previously unidentified American homicide victim who was discovered in 1996 in Decatur, Texas. She was identified in 1998 after her face was reconstructed and dental information was compared between both subjects. Although her body was identified, her murder remains unsolved. The circumstances surrounding April's murder are unknown, although she is believed by police to have run away from home and may have engaged in prostitution.

April ran away from home after an argument with her mother, who refused to converse with her daughter about an unknown reason, presumably due to conflict between her parents. Her mother Jacqueline reported her missing on October 3, 1996, which she claimed was the day the argument took place. Her father, Dale, also reported her missing three months later.

On October 8, 1996 a farmer discovered a young woman's nude body in a pile of dead branches outside Decatur, Texas. When police officers came to the scene, it was presumed that she had been strangled and then dragged, by the arm, to the pile of brush, judging by the position of her body. Her body had decomposed to a point where she was not in a recognizable state, which often causes problems with body identification. Investigators noted that the victim had dyed her hair blond, bit her nails, and was between 5'4" and 5'5" tall at a weight of 110 to 130 pounds. She also lacked any visible identifying features, such as scars or tattoos. A forensic dentist examined her teeth and concluded she was around 14 when she was murdered, although initial reports stated she was between 20 and 40.

April was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on July 2, 1982. She grew up in a poor family who used both drugs and alcohol and was often estranged from them, as she frequently stayed at a friend's house.