Two fugitives rob and shoot a woman in her own garage.

Mug shot of Lance Bedgood

Lance Bedgood

Suspect:

Gender: Male
DOB: 4/16/44
Height: 5’8”
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
Defining Characteristics: Tattoos on his arms and legs and a scar over his left eye

CASE DETAILS

Opal Zacharias smiling and wearing glasses

Opal Zacharias was murdered in 1987

One day in 1987, 64-year-old Opal Zacharias left her home in Houston, Texas, for work. She had no idea that two men waited in her garage. Their plan may have been to simply rob her, but as she struggled, Opal was shot. She died at the scene and authorities could not identify either suspect.

The killing had remained unsolved for over a decade when it was assigned to one of the most successful cold case detectives in America, Roben Talton. Over the years, Detective Talton has repeatedly proven herself with amazing results. She found her career by accident… literally. In June of 2000, she and her partner were chasing a wanted felon at a Texas machine shop:

“We were told he had escaped three different times. So he was a known ‘rabbit.’   And we figured that he would run from us. I tripped and fell chasing him, but the detective that was with me kept after the defendant.   And he did get him.   I did not want this crook to know that I was hurt. And we walked him down to where the unit was.”

hand holding a small black revolver

Was Lance the triggerman?

Detective Talton had chipped her left kneecap and fractured her lower leg in two places. While Talton recovered from her broken leg, she was assigned to the newly created “Cold Warrant Unit.”   The unit was set up to trace and apprehend Harris County’s wanted felons. Many of these criminals had been on the lam for more than a decade.

After ten years working the street, Detective Talton found herself armed with faded warrants and outdated information. But she proved to have a talent for tracking down fugitives:

“By the time I get the warrant, it’s old enough that I feel like these guys have settled down and they think they’re safe. Sometimes I start with just a name, an age range and an old address. I put together past acquaintances, family members, trying to find somebody that could fit. It’s kind of like a game of, ‘catch me if you can.'”

Officer Roben Talton smiling in her police uniform

Roben Talton worked the cold case

Detective Talton’s work has led to the arrest of more than 400 fugitives. But despite her success, Talton is troubled by the cases she hasn’t yet cracked, cases like the killing of Opal Zacharias, which she received in 2001. Charles Padon is Opal’s nephew:

“The gunshot wound apparently entered the thigh and came out the back of the hip. So the shot itself was not a fatal shot. But they had her purse and car keys, and ended up stealing the car and backing over her. And that’s actually what killed her.”

computer program used to track and log information about fugitives

She has a talent for tracking down fugitives

A witness reported seeing one of the suspects flee the scene by climbing over a fence.   Later that day, authorities found Opal’s abandoned car, however, it yielded no clues that would lead to the killers. A year later, a police informant identified the triggerman as Lance Bedgood. He was still at large when Roben Talton got the case:

“While trying to locate Lance Bedgood, I came across some post office boxes. Three, in fact, that are still being looked at today. What we’re assuming is that he’s using three different post offices, basically as a mail drop.”

Detective Talton discovered the mailboxes were registered to three of Bedgood’s relatives and paid for by a fourth.   But that’s as close as she got to nabbing her man.

Bedgood is still at large.


Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season eleven with Robert Stack and in season seven with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu.

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36 Comments

  1. dongatos

    Dude was a junkie and is dead now.

    Reply

  2. Jon wagers

    Ohhh Kim Nash is your mom britni hathorn

    Reply

  3. Kimberlynn

    So I’ve been doing some researching of my own and found a mug shot of a Dennis Bedford arrested in Sumter county, Florida. When I put each mugshot side by side you can see the resemblance in each especially if you look at the nose. They look the same. I wish there was a way to post the pic. Is it possible he assumed a family members identity. That could be why no one has found him.

    Reply

  4. Sam

    I’m only 13 so I may be wrong, please forgive me, but I found something. I checked his background and possible addresses and stuff like that, I I found that almost everything is pointing to Pine mountain GA. Please see if he’s their. He is only about an hour away from where me and all my friends are. This scared me more. I hope this helped you. Please catch this guy!

    Reply

  5. maybe?

    that is an age progressed pic of James F. Hoover of Tn. Looks just like him

    Reply

  6. rob main

    he’s out there and im sure will find him.it was gonna take some time

    Reply

  7. wayne

    i need desperately to contact Detective Robin Talton. i cannot get the fbi,houston pd, texas rangers to help capture this killer. Hoping she will help. I know the kilers name!, plus i know another killer that no one will do anything about! please help me contact her! hawkshaw333@gmail.com

    Reply

  8. ###

    had the displeasure of knowing this P.O.S. good riddance.

    Reply

  9. anon

    I too. watch Justice tv and the age progressed photo looks a lot like a homeless man that frequents the library in Bowling Green, KY.

    Reply

  10. js4anonimity

    I have seen his age progressed face MANY times on Justice tv and it looks just like the guy that killed his grandson in tn.

    Reply

  11. Monica

    So sicka seeing his face on my tv

    Reply

  12. casey c

    i posted something on here a week ago i will check back again in a week my use of a computer is limited to a small time frame. to lance or his family if you are watching these posts and i would be if i were on the run. i know something that you want to know and i think it might be of value to you or those who care about you. if you or a family member that i can verify contact me. i will give you my e-mail addy and communicate with you or that person directly. dude i know something or someone about your past that can hurt you today or very soon your time to respond to me is running out fast. this is up to you contact me or not i dont care your freedom is at risk not mine. i will check back in one week make your choice by then contact me or not i dont care. i cant say what i want to say on here they watch these posts. if i say what i want to say they would never post it so have someone who can put us together or get you a message contact me k.

    Reply

  13. casey

    if lance bedgood had any balls he would contact me i have tried a few times to contact hm so if you are out there lance i know a few things i thought you might like to talk about if you find this post then reply or have someone that you know reply and i will send them my e-maill addy so that we can talk its up to you if you dont want to know what i know then ignore this post but if you do want to know what i know then contact me it is in your best interest to do so ttyl

    Reply

  14. Grace

    He looks like he’s on drugs. His skin is in awful condition as well as his teeth, and his eyes are sunken in.

    Reply

  15. jon wagers

    Britni hathorn is opal zacharias niece dixie your mom

    Reply

  16. jon wagers

    Who played opal zacharias on unsolved mysteries

    Reply

  17. jon wagers

    Who played opal zacharias on unsolved mysteries the first woman wear a green turtleneck sweater and white dress pants with white house and white van the second woman wear a baby blue color dress blouse and dark tan dress pants it was a case edit of opal zacharias

    Reply

  18. jon wagers

    Tina snell sauberan
    Is lance marshall bedgood real your father and britni hathorn opal zacharias is really your great aunt

    Reply

  19. jon wagers

    Anyone else related to lance marshall bedgood

    Reply

  20. Britni Hathorn

    Opal Lee Zacharias is my great aunt. She was murdered when I was 7yrs old. We spent a lot of time with her when we were younger. I still remember the day we got the news. It’s a shame that the two pieces of crap that murdered her are still free!

    Reply

  21. unknown trucker

    He looks like someone I saw at the Walcott io petro truck stop…. I’d check out the trucking industry

    Reply

  22. jon wagers

    Can we be given more information on the murder of opal zacharias

    Reply

  23. jon wagers

    Lance bedgood who killed opal zacharias

    Reply

  24. tina snell sauberan

    im also looking for lance he is suppose to be my father

    Reply

  25. jon wagers

    Opal zacharias and her husband herbert had followed their routine Friday morning she was about to join him when she was attacked the crime unfolded on the morning of march
    6 1987

    Reply

  26. jon wagers

    I think it said that opal zacharias life was taken march 6 1987

    Reply

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