Melissa Witt was abducted from the parking lot of Bowling World in the evening. Little Rock: 56 | North Little Rock: 23. 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. Unsolved murder of Melissa Witt in 1994. Over a month after she went missing, her body was found in the Ozark National Forest. Here's what is known about them SABRINA LYNN UNDERWOOD:. 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. Melissa Witt was a hardworking and ambitious, 19-year-old college student. The graduate of University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, Carol Ann earned her B.A. 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. ", Dave Bowden, a corporal with Springfield police at the time, said in a news release:"Physical evidence gathered at and near the scene will be examined over the next several days to determine if the suspect can be linked to the crime. He was described as 5 feet 9 or 10 inches tall, a white man with a dark complexion andblack hair combed back. There was one suspect and he was named in the only two anonymous phone tips to police; Amy Anstutz saw the killer's face and later picked the suspect out in a face-to-face lineup and also by a photo; The suspect surrendered to police a few days after the killing; he denied involvement. 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. During the school year, Dana had been working after school and on weekends at Harps Food Store in Bella Vista, Arkansas. 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. A documentary is being developed to cover Missy's case, and community advocates recently launched a billboard campaign to highlight her unsolved murder. I feel rape was the motive I think she was big and strong enough to fight them and they probably strangled her and then dumped her.". Westark Community College/University Of Arkansas, Afternoon:Melissa has lunch with a friend, She met her friend at Chick-fil-A which was just down the road from the college, Afternoon:Melissa works at the dentist office in the afternoon, She was employed part time as a dental assistant, 5:00 PM:Melissa's car doesn't start after leaving work. Between 6:30-7 pm, after class and work, Missy went to the same bowling alley that her mother had mentioned in her note. Melanie ETHIER (1996) - ON Julie FORTIER (Unsolved Murder - 1980) - ON Stefan SCHWARTZ (1960) - B.C. in Library Science. The number of homicides stood at 4 - a decrease of 5 compared to 2018. These are the places in Arkansas where people were killed most often, according to the latest FBI numbers. Therelationship between family and then-Christian County Sheriff L.E. Because of the lack of leads, her murder is now considered to be a cold case. A kind stranger came along and gave her a jump start. He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move. Above the railroad tracks near Gurdon, a mysterious floating light has been spotted. The hunt for answers continues to this day, as the case remains open,THV11 KTHV reported. Melissa's mother, Mary Anne passes away. 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. Its time she gets answers, Patti Rush, president of REVAMP in Fort Smith, said while referring to the daughter of the missing woman. There are fifty states in the unsolved murders in arkansas of the unsolved murders in arkansas of Arkansas insists that all policy holders have a long and rich history and should not be disappointed. The monthly statistics are calculated to address the most frequently requested inquiries. The coat was corduroy and possibly fleece-lined. Amy Anstutz saw the burglar in the house. Denver Post . 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 . Book 2), Oklahoma Author Looking For Answers To Arkansas Cold Case. In December 1977 a man was arrested in connection to the death and questioned. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. They wrote: "When 'Buff'Lamb was called the night Carols car was found, he did not take fingerprints or even caution people to stay away so the car could be dusted later. The car shows signs of a struggle. Arkansas is famous for many homeowners. There also was a younger male voice, also with a really strong Southern accent. But could he have been responsible for another murder? 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. It was higher than in 97.1% U.S. cities. "But he could be lying and if he was high on drugs or alcohol as he frequently was at the time he might not even remember," she said. That humming sound one hears is that of healthy baby bears, nursing to their little heart's content. RoadSnacks is reader-supported. Gun sales shot up for a time, and sales of alarm systems and guard dogs also rose as the murders went unsolved . The suspect had passed a polygraph test and told Davis that when he had talked about killing Workman he was "joking.". If they can come forward anonymously, they could contact Sebastian County Sheriffs Office, Rush said. However, Missy's clothes and personal belongings were missing from the scene and were never found. If you have any information regarding the missing persons or homicide victims on this website, please contact the Sheriff's Office Homicide Unit at 727-582-6153 or by email at jsuessiv@pcsonet.com. They were attributed to an alleged unidentified serial killer known as the Phantom of Texarkana or simply the Phantom Killer or Phantom Slayer. Howard County Sheriff's Department. 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. No suspect was ever identified. 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 . Melissa Witt was abducted from a bowling alley parking lot in Fort Smith, Arkansas in 1994. The summer after graduating from Gravette High School in Gravette, Arkansas, 18-year-old Dana Stidham had a job, good friends and was planning for her future, her mother, Georgia Stidham, told Dateline. She lived with her parents, who were farmers, about 1.5 miles from the cemetery. So we wanted to get the facts straight and dug into the FBI crime data in order to identify the places with the most murders and the highest murder rates per capita in Arkansas. Moody's father Jim wrote a letter about his son that he gave to the media. A federal judge is to review an unsolved 1987 murder case of 2 young boys from Arkansas who were believed to have been killed by Clinton operatives. And I was lucky enough to have her.. Rancher Ernest Wilhelm discovered her skeletal remains on his farmtwo miles west of Ponce de Leon. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. The 1998 murder of John Alan Moody is one of 10 unsolved cold cases listed on the Springfield Police Department website. The body wasdecomposed. With over 600,000 acres of lakes and 9,700 miles of hiking trails. Ten months after Blades vanished, Sheriff Lamb told the publiche doubted there was a crime. Her daughters are now 44 and 46. Moody had not been reported missing, family members told police, because it wasn't unusual for him to not be in contact with his family for stretches of time. Little Rock She was a 1967 graduate of Nixa High and her maiden name was Horton. Both bodies were found in 1989 in different months in different parts of the hugeMark Twain National Forest, an area the size of Delaware. Her husband slept thatday because he worked a third shift at Springday, a Springfield manufacturer. A trapper, looking for deer sign on A US Forest Service road about 18 miles north of Ozark, noticed Witt's nude body lying face down about 30 years from the road. Double murder of Hot Springs mom, 5-year-old son remains unsolved Little Rock police urging people to be cautious of phone scam Police make arrest in fatal hit-and-run of Benton 13-year-old She had been brutally murdered and left to die along a logging trail in the Ozark National Forest about 50 miles from where she was abducted. Ive always felt that the phone call was tied to what had happened, Rider said. is 6.0%). He loved tinkering with cars, being outdoors and being a loyal friend. No suspect was ever identified. Smith was also questioned in the 1983 unsolved murder of a 14-year-old girl in Idaho. Helena-West Helena Source: Public domain Overall SnackAbility 1 /10 Population: 10,187 Rank Last Year: 8 Murders: 11 (4th Most) Murders Per 100k: 108.0 (Most) More on Helena-West Helena: Data | Photos 2. Lambblamed the Blades family for starting rumors that he was involved in the murder. 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. Her death differed from the attacks on the other three women, though: She was not beaten in the same way. If you want to get cheaper rates on your hand. He was convicted of the murder of Melissa Trotter who was killed in a very similar manner as Missy. They questioned him. Tragically, we'll never know who murdered these young men. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'roadsnacks_net-medrectangle-3','ezslot_0',606,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-roadsnacks_net-medrectangle-3-0');For more reading on the Natural State check out: Population: 10,187Rank Last Year: 8Murders: 11 (4th Most)Murders Per 100k: 108.0 (Most)More on Helena-West Helena: Data|Photos, Population: 198,382Rank Last Year: 1Murders: 38 (Most)Murders Per 100k: 19.2 (6th Most)More on Little Rock: Data|Photos, Population: 13,468Rank Last Year: 6Murders: 10 (5th Most)Murders Per 100k: 74.3 (2nd Most)More on Blytheville: Data|Photos, Population: 66,604Rank Last Year: 23Murders: 12 (3rd Most)Murders Per 100k: 18.0 (7th Most)More on North Little Rock: Data|Photos, Population: 37,263Rank Last Year: 14Murders: 10 (5th Most)Murders Per 100k: 26.8 (5th Most)More on Hot Springs: Data|Photos, Population: 24,442Rank Last Year: 3Murders: 8 (7th Most)Murders Per 100k: 32.7 (4th Most)More on West Memphis: Data|Photos, Population: 78,261Rank Last Year: 22Murders: 13 (2nd Most)Murders Per 100k: 16.6 (10th Most)More on Jonesboro: Data|Photos, Population: 6,653Rank Last Year: 7Murders: 4 (10th Most)Murders Per 100k: 60.1 (3rd Most)More on Osceola: Data|Photos, Population: 23,873Rank Last Year: -Murders: 4 (10th Most)Murders Per 100k: 16.8 (9th Most)More on Searcy: Data|Photos, Population: 17,820Rank Last Year: 4Murders: 3 (13th Most)Murders Per 100k: 16.8 (8th Most)More on El Dorado: Data|Photos. The massacre inspired the movie "The Town that Dreaded Sundown." Also known as Missy, she was an honors student at Westark Community College in Fort Smith, Arkansas where she lived with her mother, Mary Ann. There is no waiting period before a person can be entered into the NCIC Missing Person File. 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. There could easily be a scientific explanation for this one, but do you really want to risk it to find out? Records in the Missing Person File are retained indefinitely or until the individual is located or the record is canceled by the entering agency. IE 11 is not supported. The following persons have active warrants for their arrest. The cause of death is listed as"homicidal violence.". We aim to deliver infotainment about where you live that your real estate agent won't tell you.