El Paso Herald-Post
Thursday, October 10, 1946
pg. 16

KILLED IN ACCIDENT
Denison, October 10 - Melba Sawyer, 12-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M.H. Sawyer was dead today of injuries suffered when she was struck by a car near Denison.


The Waco News-Tribune
Thursday, October 10, 1946
pg. 1

KILLED BY AUTO
Denison, October 9  (AP) - Melba Sawyer, 12,  was killed today when struck by an automobile 2 miles southeast of Denison.  Driver of the automobile is being sought.  The victim was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M.H. Sawyer.


Borger News-Herald
Friday, October 11, 1946
pg. 6

DENISON POLICE SEEK HIT-AND-RUN DRIVER
Denison, Texas, October 11 (AP) - Denison police continued their search today for the hit-and-run driver whose car struck and fatally injured 12-year-old Melba Sawyer, 2 miles south of Denison late Tuesday.
Walking with a friend, June Perry of route 1 Denison, on their way to pick up milk, the girls were struck by a car on the shoulder of the Bells highway.  The Perry girl was only slightly bruised.


The Bonham Daily Favorite
Thursday, October 17, 1946
pg.6

PAINT FLAKES MAY BE CLUE IN DEATH
Denison (spl) - A possible clue in the hit-and-run death Wednesday of 12-year-old Martha [sic] Sawyer on the Bells highway...tests by the state department of public safety at Austin.
Sample of paint obtained from a blue sedan at Sherman and flakes of paint found on the dress worn by the girl are being compared in the Austin laboratory.


The Denison Press
Tuesday, December 23, 1947
pg. 1

TWO MURDERS OF OLD YEAR STILL TO BE UNRAVELED
The end of the old year 1947 will run down the curtain on 2 unsolved murders in Grayson County - that of Mrs. N.O. Kreager and the little child, Melba Sawyer, run down by a hit-and-run driver out near Webb City on the Denison-Bells highway.
Although officers have followed every clue and spent many hours and long nights working at the job, still nothing has as yet come up.
"But some day it will come out," stated a deputy when asked about the cases.  The officer, Constable Fred Hicks, declared that it was his amibition to fathom the case of the young girl, who was left dying on the highway one night as she was on her way home.  So far, not the least sign has turned up, although the clothing of the child was closely examined for paint from the machine, and the ground searched inch by inch to see if any broken glass could be found.
Had such turned up, the constable said, the laboratory department of the State of Texas at Austin would be able to tell the make and year of the car and other details enough to aid materially in locating the guilty party.  Texas claims aa fine a laboratory for running down details in connection with clues of any state in the nation and its findings form the nemesis for the wrong doer.
All that the local officers need is a piece of string, glass, clothing, paint or any other physical object from the scene and they will make it lead to the guilty man.
Criminals always return to the place where their crime was committed, and generally at the hour the crime was perpetrated, to see if the place is still there.  They seem drawn by a foolish thought that they were clever and are able to outwit the law, or for some other reason.  While they are doing this, some officer is also making periodical visits to the scene awaiting the arrival of his man.  He knows the habits of the criminal, and is generally able to get his man.
That's why many nights see some of the members of our county and city officers at the scene where the crime was committed and why our officers spend sleepless hours just waiting.
Some of our citizens have been asking why these cases have not been solved.  They will be solved.
Time is a great collector and bringer of justice.
Both the woman so brutally murdered and dropped in a lone well, and the little girl run down by the killer, will be avenged.  Our officers are still on the case and are anxious to clear up the mystery involved as we are eager to sit in the jury box and bring in the verdict all feel should be given.

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