Daughter of 1984 Cold Case Victim Contacts PCN

"We want the world to know," Kristy Mooney told the PCN. "A lot of people lose hope... I really hope that our story gives people hope; not to give up because anything is possible."

On Thursday, June 6, the Phillips County Sheriff's Office, a Texas Ranger, the Montana Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Montana Highway Patrol successfully performed an arrest warrant on Dodson resident Gordon Parsons for a homicide that took place in Refugio, Texas, a small town near Corpus Christi, that has close to 2,700 residents.

Since the arrest on June 6, Parsons has been extradited to Refugio, the place where the body of the victim, Robert Dale Mooney was found. His bond is $2,000,000 pending an extradition hearing, according to the PCSO press release.

Prior to his arrest, Parsons was indicted on February 12, 2024, by the Refugio County Grand Jury, according to the Refugio County Press.

The Refugio County Press also published details of that February 12 indictment that said Mooney was murdered by Parsons and Arnold Ray Huskey. Mooney was struck to death with a hammer.

Mooney was last seen on August 3, 1984, but his body was found on February 5, 1985, in Refugio County, according to The Refugio County Press.

The PCN received a call from Kristy Mooney, Robert's only child on June 19.

She said her family searches on Google for updates in her father's case everyday. Last week, Kristy saw that the PCN was one of only two papers in Montana that had published information about the story.

"We are very excited," Mooney said of the arrest. "I am a little bit overwhelmed. I am very glad that after 40 years, something is being done regarding my dad."

She said that her father and her family, including Robert's mother and his two sisters deserve justice and closure.

"It destroyed my grandmother and it has been a long time coming," Mooney said. "We are very grateful for the Assistant District Attorney (in Refugio County), who has put in so much hard work and for the Texas Rangers in helping us get our justice."

Like many in Phillips County that have reached out to the PCN since the posting of the PSCO press release, Kristy had a reaction to Parsons living in Dodson.

"We were shocked, just for the other crimes that he had committed, that he was even out on parole," Mooney said. "We believe that he was paroled out in 2016."

According to Mooney, Parsons had earned a CDL and was a truck driver.

"Which absolutely blew my mind," Mooney said. "And just to know that after he did what he did to our family, he was just living life and enjoying life so freely. It blew my mind. It actually made me sick to my stomach."

She believes that there will be much more to come from this case and she wants the world to know.

"I feel like our family was felled 40 years ago," Mooney said. "And finally, now, if it wasn't for the district attorney that is handling this now, I don't know if anything would be going on."

She said that her family, which includes Robert's mother, and Robert's sisters are celebrating.

At the moment, the family is still waiting on Huskey to be extradited to Texas for his involvement in the murder.

According to Mooney, Parsons will go in front of the judge on June 27, for his arraignment.

"We won't really know more until next week," Mooney said.

Update at 2:30 p.m.: Per her own research, Mooney believes that Parsons and Huskey escaped from Wyoming's State prison in 1984 and made their way to Zapata, Texas.

Zapata is where they met Robert Mooney.

"Two of my dad's friends had introduced the men to my father," Kristy said. "Mr. Parsons and Mr. Husky had talked about going to Corpus Christi. My dad had let them know that he was going there the following morning to pick up his check and asked if they would drive him there.

"The morning of August 3, my dad's friends brought Mr. Parsons and Mr. Huskey to his house," Kristy continued. "I was there with my dad. The morning of August 3 my dad and the two men went to drop me off with my grandmother. She was the last person to see my dad alive."

The Phillips County News will provide more information when it becomes available.