missing person case

By Lew K. Cohn and Christi Bertelson

Copyright 2017 Highland Lakes Newspapers

A burned body found in the charred remains of a vehicle in Burnet County last June has been identified by the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office as that of a San Antonio man allegedly under investigation for child pornography.

Brian Lee Magee, 52, of San Antonio, died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries in a manner consistent with suicide, according to a Travis County medical examiner's report obtained by The Highlander.

A passerby found Magee's body not moving and unresponsive in a vehicle filled with smoke in the 3800 block of County Road 202 in Lake Victor in Precinct 2 at around 8 p.m. June 20, 2016. The vehicle initially did not appear damaged by fire, but flashed over, causing it to be engulfed with flames, according to the report.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Hill County Sheriff’s Office are asking for the public’s help in locating John Terry, who disappeared in 2014 in Hillsboro. Authorities suspect foul play.

Terry, 30 and the father of two young boys, was last seen leaving the Walmart Supercenter in Hillsboro at approximately 6:34 p.m. on Oct. 17, 2014.  One day later, his 2014 Jeep Compass was found abandoned on County Road 2346 in Abbott, about 25 miles from his house.

Abbott High School was having their homecoming the night Terry was last seen. At the time of Terry’s disappearance, he was wearing a black  tee shirt, blue jeans, tan work boots and a blue Dallas Cowboys ball cap featuring a “D” in white embroidery.