The murder of two grandparents tears a family apart; two decades later, a detective races to solve the cold case that has haunted him since he was a child. It had been abandoned on the shoulder of northbound Highway 160. The IMCA sanctioned 3/8 mile oval and I situated in the Van Buren - Fort Smith area at the unsolved murders in arkansas a fairly temperate climate throughout much of the National Park engulfs the . No answers 29 years after murder of Arkansas teen Dana Stidham - NBC News Larry Swearingen was looked at as a person of interest in this case. More Cost of Living or Compare Fort Smith's Cost of Living. Little Rock with 38. Arkansas Death Index, 1914-1950 (requires payment) at Ancestry/has about 594,000 listings. KHBS CNN Three people are dead and a police officer is recovering from being. All rights reserved. FORT SMITH, Ark. Dig deeper into the stories you've heard before, and encounter many others you haven't, in ways that actually help. Cold Case - ABI - AST - Alaska Department of Public Safety Your anonymous call could lead to a $1,000 reward. The real mystery is why it took so long for someone to decide "hey maybe we should bury this guy.". Crime in Arkansas - Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Ashley County Obituaries, 1965-present from the Ashley County Ledger - also includes cemetery listings. Finally, we averaged the two scores into an index: We felt as if a small place with 2,500 people and two murders makes it a lot more dangerous than a city of 25,000 people with three murders. That humming sound one hears is that of healthy baby bears, nursing to their little heart's content. You can download the data here. Unsolved Murders - Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Both cases remain unsolved. On September 16, 1989, almost two months after Dana was last seen, a hunter in Benton County, Arkansas came upon a shallow grave in a heavily wooded area. Both Rush and Ensey believe police can solve the case. Melissa and her mother have a disagreement over money, Melissa goes to classes at Westark Community College, now the University of Arkansas Fort Smith (UAFS), Melissa works at the dentist office in the afternoon, Melissa's car doesn't start after leaving work, Melissa arrives at Bowling World to have dinner with her mother but never makes it inside, Witness reports hearing woman in distress in Bowling World Parking, Melissa's body is found by two trappers in the Ozark National Forest, Wal-Mart dedicates their missing persons board to Melissa Witt, 27 y.o.man,charged w/kidnapping,raping,& killing 19 y.o.college student gal in TX in 1998,is prime suspect in unsolved 1994 college gal killing in AR, Parnell v. C & N Bowl Corp., 954 F. Supp. That left us with 26 cities to rank.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'roadsnacks_net-mobile-leaderboard-2','ezslot_13',706,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-roadsnacks_net-mobile-leaderboard-2-0');Most Dangerous Cities In AmericaFinally, we averaged the two scores into an index:The raw number of murders in each cityThe murders per personWe felt as if a small place with 2,500 people and two murders makes it a lot more dangerous than a city of 25,000 people with three murders. William Gardiner, a preacher of the Primitive Methodist Chapel, was suspected due . 1326, Episode 35 - Arkansas - Who Killed Melissa Witt Part 2. by Crawlspace - True Crime & Mysteries, Arkansas : Melissa Witt by Cults, Crimes & Cabernet, CrimeCon UK Live: The Girl I Never Knew by Crimepedia, Episode 29: Unsolved Murder: Melissa Witt by Unsolved America. Unsolved Cases - Howard County Sheriff AR For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Donate. There also was a younger male voice, also with a really strong Southern accent. ", More:Woman, 15 at the time, disputes account that turkey hunters found Ronnie Johnson's body in the woods. Arkansas killer gets life term She was just the kind of daughter people wish they had. Although the case may be cold, the Fort Smith police are still welcoming any information concerning the case. Timmons already had a kidnapping conviction on his record, having abducted and held an 11-year-old boy in 1976, KYTV reported. Kelle Ann Workman, 24, was last seen June 30, 1989, while mowing grass at Dogwood Cemetery, outside Pleasant Ridge Southern Baptist Churchat Highways 14 and Z. Generally, cases are solved when the offender has been arrested and turned over to the court for prosecution. In 1979, the Fort Smith Police Department and the Sebastian County Sheriffs Office joined together to work on the case. Family members bristled at those comments. Rose Harsent, victim of the Peasenhall murder. With so many things you can choose from. It's been nearly 30 years since Pam Felkins was kidnapped from her job at an Arkansas video store, raped and then murdered -- but . Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. The 19-year-old had stopped by to get a hamburger from her mother, according to a 2021 report from local station THV11KTHV. Firefighters responded to reports of smoke rising from a yogurt shop on West Anderson Lane. FORT SMITH, Ark The Fort Smith Police Department is investigating a homicide in the 1300 block of Jackson St. We only looked every single city in Arkansas for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. Start browsing the folder's contents at the beginning of the file. All rights reserved. When Georgia received the call from police that evening that Danas body had been found, she said her only reaction was, It just couldn't be. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. His sentence in Illinois was lengthened in1977; hewas given another 18 years for trying to escape. Suspect identified in cold case kidnapping, rape, murder of Arkansas Here's what is known about them SABRINA LYNN UNDERWOOD:. if(window.innerWidth<700){ezoicSiteSpeed(jQuery(document),String(/documentReady/).substring(1).slice(0,-1),String(/jQuery-document-dot-ready/).substring(1).slice(0,-1),function($){$("#skip_expand").html("(Expand+)");$("#toc ul").css("display","none");$("#skip_expand").on("click",function(){$("#toc ul").toggle()});$("#toc h3").on("click",function(){$("#toc ul").toggle()});});}. Sergeant Shannon Jenkins of the Benton County Sheriff's Office told Dateline that they received a phone call from Danas brother, Larry, at 9:15 p.m. on the 25th to report Dana missing. Arrested and charged with four counts each of murder were Charles Anthony Diaz, 47, of Vallejo, and Gerald Michael Lester, 47, of Fort Smith, Ark. Category:Arkansas | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki | Fandom With over 600,000 acres of lakes and 9,700 miles of hiking trails. Kemm-Highton saidin August she does not believe Smith killed Blades. The Possible Police Connection A witness using the name of "Jerry" came forward to say that he saw sitting in a convenience store parking lot the night of August 22-23, 1987 and saw three teenaged boys, one on a motorcycle, hanging out . 8 Strange, Unsolved Crimes That Are Sure to Haunt You - The Lineup He may have been lost at times, but who of us has not been lost? In addition, a homicide can be cleared if there is enough evidence to arrest and charge a suspect, but that suspect is dead. Tragically, we'll never know who murdered these young men. A homicide can also be cleared if the victim of the crime hinders the prosecution by refusing to testify. Gun sales shot up for a time, and sales of alarm systems and guard dogs also rose as the murders went unsolved . Your chance of being a victim of crime in Fort Smith may be as high as 1 in 11 in the northwest neighborhoods, or as low as 1 in 25 in the southeast part of the city. 615Little Rock, AR 72201501-682-2222Contact UsGoogle Map, ACT 346 (Court Access)AIBRS InformationCENSORCJIS Online PortalCrime StatisticsJusticeXchangeSystem RegulationsTraining CalendarsVictims InformationDirections to ACIC, One State Police Plaza DrLittle Rock, AR 72209, Donate to the Arkansas Disaster Relief Program, The Official Website of the State of Arkansas, Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training, Arkansas Full Time Law Enforcement Officer Salary Stipend. Katherine Baker Case Report Number: 90-053018 As of now, the Sebastian County Sheriffs Office says they havent received any new leads on this case in quite a long while, but if they do, they will immediately investigate. It's been over 20 years and people are still looking for answers in the murder of Arkansas teenager, Melissa Witt. Sergeant Jenkins said there are several people of interest in the case, and that it is still being worked as an active investigation. We understand if you have trouble getting to sleep tonight, these unsolved mysteries certainly shook us to the core. Juan Ignacio Blanco MALE murderers: . In 1999, high school seniors J.B. Hilton Green Beasley and Tracie Jean . The Texarkana Moonlight Murders, a term coined by the contemporary press, was a series of four unsolved serial murders and related violent crimes committed in and around the Texarkana region of Arkansas and Texas in the late winter and spring of 1946. 322 South Main Streeet, Suite 615 Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 682-2222 / Visit Website. Missy's body was nude and placed near a headstone-shaped rock. 6:30/6:40 pm:Witness reports hearing woman in distress in Bowling World Parking. The monthly statistics are calculated to address the most frequently requested inquiries. Danas parents continued to drive around, but did not find their daughter. This, however, only applies to their own. Colorado Cold Case Files - Home Page The legend is that a railroad workers head was severed by an oncoming train. The car shows signs of a struggle. Fort Smith, Arkansas: 3 dead and police officer stabbed in the neck - CNN First-time author Barbara Kemm-Highton spent three years working on herbook. 10 Unsolved Mysteries In Arkansas - OnlyInYourState Arkansas: Unsolved Murders In Arkansas - Blogger Over a month after she went missing, her body was found in the Ozark National Forest. Her friends say she was friendly, kind-hearted, and a hard worker, which would serve her well as she dreamed of and was working toward her goal of becoming a dental hygienist. Records are retained indefinitely, unless removed by the entering agency. The cause of death is listed as"homicidal violence.". Should Smith, now 73, ever be releasedin Illinoishe would face a life sentence in Arkansas. Oct. 18, 1981: An officer in Texas stops Pruett for speeding and locates a .38-caliber revolver and evidence from Larimer County. Immediately making identification information available to the public has proven effective in helping to locate missing children as well as missing adults. 1992 Natasha Atchley White Female San Jacinto County Ranger Company A Re #: 160 1997 Harold William "Bill" Roland White Male Her daughters are now 44 and 46. Kristen said she spent weekends driving to nearby states with her mother and her aunt, Georgia, to see if anyone had seen Dana. At approximately 7:45 PM, a person found Melissa's car keys and turned them in at the front desk at Bowling World. Some theorize she may have been the victim of a local serial killer, "The River Valley Killer.". A Van Buren man already facing multiple years in prison on various cRiminal convictions saw an additional 15 years tagged on to his prison sentence after a plea deal to wrap up the court proceedings from a July 2021 murder in Fort Smith. They questioned him. He was convicted of the murder of Melissa Trotter who was killed in a very similar manner as Missy. Anyone with information about the murder of Melissa Witt is urged to contact the Fort Smith Police Department at [emailprotected], or by calling (479)709-5100. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's last year of reporting. Did the River Valley Killer Have Other Victims? She wasidentified by dental records. Law enforcement agencies should be contacted without delay. Faces of Unsolved Homicide - Project: Cold Case. Cold Case Database - Defrosting Cold Cases The cemetery is 13 miles northwest of Ava in Douglas County. The body wasdecomposed. PDF National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum - Oklahoma City, OK And I was lucky enough to have her.. "I think I can speak for the entire family when I tell you that the entire investigation both past and present has been an utter and complete disappointment. The suspect had passed a polygraph test and told Davis that when he had talked about killing Workman he was "joking.". *While use of the Unidentified Person File is increasing, it is not yet mandated by law to make entries into this file. "We loved him dearly.". This can be a post about an unsolved homicide, a missing person, an unidentified person, a wrongful conviction, or forensics. Taxes and utilities also rank low on the national scale allowing those searching for dens in early October and early November. The only clues left at the scene were a gold hoop earring, a crushed hair clip, her car keys, and pools of blood. The 1998 murder of John Alan Moody is one of 10 unsolved cold cases listed on the Springfield Police Department website. According to science fiction writer Richard Shaver, the cave is one of the entrances to a subterranean civilization. The body was discovered by a Conco employee. She was always smiling and happy, Georgia told Dateline. RELATED: Detective believes 1995 murder of Arkansas teen could be tied to another case, RELATED: Alma Police receive hundreds of tips since 'Still Missing Morgan' documentary aired. She always called. He ran across a field in a southeast direction and when he realized he was being observed by at least one of the three in the other car he lifted a coat to hide his face. Murder Capitals Of Arkansas For 2021 - RoadSnacks Uncovered is where the most passionate true crime enthusiasts can learn from and teach others. The massacre inspired the movie "The Town that Dreaded Sundown." in English and will soon be pursing her M.A. Six people were on board the boat at the time of the crash, including 19-year-old Paul T. Murdaugh. Friday, March 17th TV listings for MNT (KFSM-TV2) Fort Smith, AR. But one suspect is alive and living in an Illinois prison. Witt disappeared after arriving at Bowling World in Fort Smith on December 1, 1994. On Christmas Day, 1970 a year and 10 days after Blades disappeared her body was found in Stone County, 12 miles away. Serial killer Mark Alan Smith was sentenced to 500 years for raping and killing threeIllinois women. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Best Places to Live in Fort Smith, Arkansas The many faces -- and places -- of murder suspect Travis Couch, Fort Smith Police Putting Fresh Set of Eyes on 1994 Murder Investigation, Death Row Inmate Sought for Questioning In Melissa Witts Murder, Murder, Kidnapping Frustrating Cases for Law, Melissa Witts Body Found 22 Years Ago; Investigation Still Open, Cold Case: The Murder of Melissa "Missy" Witt, Wal-Mart to Dedicate Their Missing Persons Board To Melissa Witt, Fort Smith Teen's Body Found Near Turner Bend. Records in the Missing Person File are retained indefinitely or until the individual is located or the record is canceled by the entering agency. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. She hadthree children. This move prompts an interesting discussion about the rights and preservation of potential fantastical threats. Did The River Valley Killer Kidnap A Teenage Girl From A Bowling Alley Parking Lot And Murder Her? If you have information on any of the persons . The Arkansas, Texas & Oklahoma Bureau of Vital Records were contacted in an attempt to locate a death certificate for Nona Young. Join a singles club and meet with great singles. For nearly three decades the homicide case of Fort Smith teen Melissa Witt has gone unsolved, but a former detective refuses to give up hope. They were attributed to an alleged unidentified serial killer known as the Phantom of Texarkana or simply the Phantom Killer or Phantom Slayer. Some of that gas, but not all,could be accounted for by a trip Blades made to Kmart in Springfield to buypresents. During the school year, Dana had been working after school and on weekends at Harps Food Store in Bella Vista, Arkansas. Harsent was six months pregnant at the time of her death. At that time, we didnt have Caller ID in the office; it was a voice recording on the machine we had at our Major Crimes Office. Jenkins, skeletal remains were in the grave, and Dana Stidhams clothes were found nearby. It simply states where murders occurred most frequently on an absolute and rate basis. Updated: 6:31 AM CDT October 4, 2021. 322 S. Main Street, Ste. Swamp gas, pressurized quartz crystal, and headlight reflections have been possible explanations. DNA evidence then connected him to the other crimes. Example video title will go here for this video. The cases. Especially at the county levels.". Mary Ann calls Melissa's best friend, Tara to see if she has heard from Melissa. Lamb also told the paper it was best that the case be forgotten. View Cases - Unsolved Homicide - Texas Department Of Public Safety "Since her death in 1989 our family has reached out to the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation on numerous occasions," he said. Vine himself repeatedly denied having anything to do with Witt's murder, even after his conviction, local outlet Today In Fort Smith reported in 2020. Jaromir Chalabala/Shutterstock Steven Fisher, 20, and his girlfriend Melisa Gregory, 17, were bludgeoned to death on a ranch northwest of Newton, Iowa, in 1983. A kind stranger came along and gave her a jump start. There was no one in the store, and there should have been, said Pevehouse. IE 11 is not supported. Captain Philip Pevehouse with the Sebastian Co. Sheriffs Office says customers begin making calls to the Fort Smith Police Department about the store not having a cashier. A CLOSER LOOK: 4 Arkansas missing person cases. Gone but not forgotten Sort All Cases By: Company Area | Male | Female | County | Year | Last Name Results: 13 Record (s) Found. Some of the biggest unsolved murders in Arkansas include the 1994 murder of Melissa "Missy" Witt, the 1995 murder of Marlo Taylor, and the 1987 double murder of Don Henry and Kevin Ives, among countless others which receive much less media attention. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is requesting your assistance in closing these open cases. They made this determination based on evidence of a struggle around her car, including blood found in the parking lot, as well as Missy's keys and an earring found nearby.