In 1965 it was 90 percent. 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. The coat was corduroy and possibly fleece-lined. You may also email information to the Detectives, by clicking on the link. Or if youd like more nightmare fuel, read about this haunted Arkansas attraction. We were together all the time, Kristy said. For many years there has been one person of interest that has been interviewed and questioned; he is in prison in Illinois," Cole said, referring to Smith. First-time author Barbara Kemm-Highton spent three years working on herbook. For individuals wishing to review their own record or somebody who they know hasn't been out of the unsolved murders in arkansas as being the unsolved murders in arkansas in Arkansas. Swamp gas, pressurized quartz crystal, and headlight reflections have been possible explanations. 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. December 1, 1994, was a typical day for Missy. A friend of the family found the keys to the Chevy Impala in the field the man ran across. 1. Sergeant Jenkins said there are several people of interest in the case, and that it is still being worked as an active investigation. Arkansas features cultural and social hub of the Arkansas Insurance Department. Evening:Melissa arrives at Bowling World to have dinner with her mother but never makes it inside. A patron had discovered her car keys and turned them in the night Witt disappeared. Steve Whitney, then Christian County sheriff, said it was likely her body was tossed down an embankment, where itcame to rest in water up to her waist. There are fifty states in the unsolved murders in arkansas with the unsolved murders in arkansas of many states on their way to see a lot of perks, and when not to. He said it was likely there was more than one assailant because Workman wasstrong. However, Missy's clothes and personal belongings were missing from the scene and were never found. She always called. Arkansas law requires all missing persons to be entered immediately. Little Rock: 56 | North Little Rock: 23. PDF OPEN UNSOLVED CASES - Larimer County, Colorado Arkansas native, Carol Ann Carson, has written for OnlyInYourState for three years now. Uncovered: Unsolved Arkansas Murders More Cost of Living or Compare Fort Smith's Cost of Living. The unsolved 1989 murder of Ronnie Johnson of West Plainsis but one of many in the Ozarks. FORT SMITH, Ark. Lifestyle is a possibility that may play a role in his death.". Join a singles club and meet with great singles. 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 . The body was discovered by a Conco employee. Fort Smith (Sebastian County) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas No circumstance has a more devastating effect on a family than the unknown whereabouts of a loved one. Love Arkansas? View Cases - Unsolved Homicide - Texas Department Of Public Safety 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. Her body was fully clothed. 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. So, we grew up without her basically our whole lives, said Enseys youngest daughter Nikki Ensey. . No arrests have been made in connection with her death. The Springtime Jonquil Festival In Arkansas Thats Unlike Any Other, Spend A Magical Evening Savoring This Wine And Fondue Experience In Arkansas, Arkansas Oldest Drive-In Theater Is Hiding In A Small Town And Youll Want To Visit, Dine At The Historic Spot In Arkansas Where The Legendary Gangster Al Capone Drank Whiskey, The Legend Of Arkansass Very Own Monster Will Chill You To The Bone, 9 True Arkansas Stories That Are Way Creepier Than The Clown Takeover, The Story Behind This Mysterious Creature In Arkansas Is Both Bizarre And Fascinating, The One Place You Have To Go In Arkansas If Youre Looking For Real Adventure, Naomi Rahim / Moment Collection via Getty Images, Calico Rock Historic District in Calico Rock, The Empress of Little Rock in Little Rock. Shes waited 42 years for answers. The FBI estimates the national clearance rate for murders is 61 percent. Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. On the voice message recording, a lady called and with a really strong Southern accent could be heard saying, Go ahead and tell them what you found, he said. When they find her body, she had been exposed to extreme temperatures, Rush said. "It took them eight days to find her body. ARKANSAS (KNWA/KFTA) In 2020, Fayetteville has had seven homicides/murders; there were five in 2019, according to the Fayetteville police department (FPD). William Gardiner, a preacher of the Primitive Methodist Chapel, was suspected due . Melissa's mother assumed that her daughter was with friends that evening. Arkansas Game and Fish Wildlife Biologist in the unsolved murders in arkansas to 2006. He was active in the area at that time, and he had attacked another teenager in Arkansas. Ten months after Blades vanished, Sheriff Lamb told the publiche doubted there was a crime. You just cant accept that your child is gone. Moody's body was found Nov. 17, 1998, floating in the former Conco Quarryonce at North National Avenue and East Trafficway Street, east of Hammons Field. Cold Case Files: DNA Match Links Multiple Unsolved Murders to - YouTube It is now home to large manufacturing plants; St. Edward Mercy Medical Center and Sparks Regional Medical Center, which provide healthcare to residents beyond the confines of the city; and the . Image. Outreach. 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. TV Schedule for MNT (KFSM-TV2) Fort Smith, AR | TV Passport So we knew something happened to her, Danas cousin, Kristy, told Dateline. Larry Swearingen was looked at as a person of interest in this case. She hadthree children. We use data, analytics, and a sense of humor to determine the dirt on places across the country. Four teenagers were camping on the shores of Lake Bodom in Finland on June 5, 1960, when an unknown group or individual murdered three of them with a knife and blunt instrument. But we're certain he got the idea from some of the real life eye witness reports. 6) Morton S. ROSENFELD (79C-083) LCSO-79-5249 DOD: 05/19/1979 . Six people were on board the boat at the time of the crash, including 19-year-old Paul T. Murdaugh. According to the News-Leader story, Kemm-Highton encouraged Geraldine Horton, the mother of Carol Blades, to writeto Smith. The murders remain unsolved. Thinking their daughter may have had car trouble, Lawrence and Georgia got in their car and drove around to find Dana. Unsolved Ozarks murders: Woman was last seen mowing cemetery, man shot by burglar Steve Pokin Springfield News-Leader The unsolved 1989 murder of Ronnie Johnson of West Plains is but one. Drugs is a possibility. PDF National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum - Oklahoma City, OK That would be Helena-West Helena with 108.0 murders per 100,000 people. "Buff" Lamb was openly hostile in the unsolved abduction and murder of Carol Blades, a 20-year-old Nixa housewife. "It was the family that accused me of that," Lamb told the News-Leader in December 1980. But she never made it inside. Interactive map produced by Yutao Chen. In July of 1979, Lois Ensey was abducted while working at J's Night Owl Grocery off Highway 271 in Fort Smith. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. We have never come up with anything positive.". Uncovered is where the most passionate true crime enthusiasts can learn from and teach others. Download the Uncovered Citizen Detective Guide to learn more about how thoughtful and safe online sleuthing. There was no one in the store, and there should have been, said Pevehouse. Danas parents lived in Hiwasse, Arkansas, a 10-minute drive from Centerton, and she visited them often, Georgia said. Help bring awareness to the murder of Melissa Witt in hopes of generating new information that could bring justice to her case, Follow the Melissa Witt Facebook Group to follow the latest updates in the case. When a crime happens, and you dont know who the other party is. When she entered the salon, she first saw the corpse of 62-year-old Dorothy Harris. Tara was sleeping, and her other had to wake her up, but she didn't know where Melissa was. OPEN/ UNSOLVED CASES . Missy kept very busy with classes and her part-time job at a local dental clinic where she worked as a dental assistant. Her husband slept thatday because he worked a third shift at Springday, a Springfield manufacturer. There was not one sign of foul play, he said. They denied ever suggesting Lamb was involvedbut stood firm in their belief Lamb was incompetent as a criminal investigator. Rose Harsent was stabbed to death on 1 June 1902, in Peasenhall, Suffolk, England by an unknown assailant. You Decide. A documentary is being developed to cover Missy's case, and community advocates recently launched a billboard campaign to highlight her unsolved murder. 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. We all watch the news with horror when we hear about a homicide that happens not that far away from us. There could easily be a scientific explanation for this one, but do you really want to risk it to find out? 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. All charges were dropped in 2005. You can also report any information you may have concerning a crime and could receive a . Morning:Melissa goes to classes at Westark Community College, now the University of Arkansas Fort Smith (UAFS). Texarkana Moonlight Murders - Wikipedia I've stood in the same parking lot where Melissa went missing. At that point in the investigation, there was no reason to believe she was abducted. Do you live in one of the murder capitals of Arkansas? Eighteen-year-old Dana Stidham was last seen on July 25, 1989 leaving a grocery store in Bella Visa, Arkansas with medicine for her dad. Each of these victims were submitted by families or law enforcement through our submission page. Case of Missing Person: Nona Jean Young (Coleman) W/F, 02-26-51 . Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Lamb also told the paper it was best that the case be forgotten. 6:30/6:40 pm:Witness reports hearing woman in distress in Bowling World Parking. Her mother declined to give it to her. You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website. The court determined that the events were not foreseeable and the case was ultimately dismissed. Blades was last seen at a Nixa store buying cookieson a cold Monday, Dec. 15, 1969. That humming sound one hears is that of healthy baby bears, nursing to their little heart's content. Diaz is president of the Vallejo chapter of. Wanted for Arrest. It was described in news storiesas "torn up." Mary Anne had assumed her daughter went to hang with friends and never made it to the bowling alley. The police looked at the good samaritan very closely before dismissing him as a suspect. 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. If she was going to be late, she always called.. The legend is that a railroad workers head was severed by an oncoming train. If you're looking at the places in Arkansas with the most murders, and where residents have the highest chances of being killed themselves, this is an accurate list. Melissa Witt was abducted from the parking lot of Bowling World in the evening. True Crime Garage - Melissa Witt Part 2 /// 162, True Crime Garage - Melissa Witt Part 1/// 161, Murder in the Hills, episode 1: The Unsolved Murder of Melissa Witt & The Abduction of Morgan Nick, Local Documentarians Develop New Leads in Melissa Witt Cold Case, 304 // Who Killed Melissa Witt? "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. In 1979, the Fort Smith Police Department and the Sebastian County Sheriffs Office joined together to work on the case. Although not officially a suspect in any Washington . KHBS CNN Three people are dead and a police officer is recovering from being. 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. 5 The Florence Salon Murders. Oct. 18, 1981: An officer in Texas stops Pruett for speeding and locates a .38-caliber revolver and evidence from Larimer County. RoadSnacks is reader-supported. Blades' husband, Larry, and her parents Louis and Geraldine Horton took issue with the sheriff's comments. The body was found on Forest Service Road 1551, located off Franklin County 111, also known as Jethro Road. Any ties went to the larger city. Archive statistics are available upon request. Details About Her Unsolved Murder And Why Police Haven't Caught The Killer. Unsolved Cases . Here's The Most Harrowing Unsolved Murder From Every State 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. Should Smith, now 73, ever be releasedin Illinoishe would face a life sentence in Arkansas. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Therelationship between family and then-Christian County Sheriff L.E. Georgia said they checked all the possible routes that Dana might have taken, and did not see her car anywhere. We were robbed of her wisdom and just her life in general.. This is extremely important in cases involving a possible abduction, suspected foul play or an at-risk situation. Six weeks after the abduction, two hunters in the Ozark National Forest discovered Missy's body on January 13, 199545 miles from her home in Fort Smith. Blades had filled it with gas that day and investigators estimated 8 gallons were used. However, with a period of no less than 90 days of community service. It was only after the car was impounded, some three days later, that it was dusted.". I would like to see if they could maybe come for now. They also tried search warrants and subpoenas for information but had no luck. "They was just looking for anything to say, they was all upset.". His name was never released. Cold Case Spotlight No answers 29 years after murder of Arkansas teen Dana Stidham Eighteen-year-old Dana Stidham was last seen on July 25, 1989 leaving a grocery store in Bella Visa,. She said that in 2003 detectives from Missouri went to Illinois to interview Smith, whodenied ever being in Nixa. Police ruled Danas death a homicide, but would not confirm the exact cause of death. They questioned him. Unsolved Cases - Howard County Sheriff AR Ron Davis, the reporter, interviewed one of them. CBI FOHVAMP . Juan Ignacio Blanco MALE murderers: . Feeling bad, her mother left her a note asking her to join her for a burger later at Bowling World. Jenkins told Dateline. Melissa Witt was killed in Arkansas in 1994. *This list consists of persons who have been reported missing to the Department of Public Safety under undetermined circumstances. It stated: The problems with the case, according to the story, included: Dave Smith, then a sergeant, said: "We have to find someone with firsthand knowledge that he was out there that night.". He said: There are many possibilities in the death of Mr. Moody. She was always smiling and happy, Georgia told Dateline. It simply states where murders occurred most frequently on an absolute and rate basis. 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. Your chance of being a victim of violent crime in Fort Smith is 1 in 90 and property crime is 1 in 18. And give us some information about what they actually told the police department back there in 1979, daughter Nikki Ensey told 5NEWS. ", More:Woman, 15 at the time, disputes account that turkey hunters found Ronnie Johnson's body in the woods. At approximately 7:45 PM, a person found Melissa's car keys and turned them in at the front desk at Bowling World. We aim to deliver infotainment about where you live that your real estate agent won't tell you. The Missing Person Active/Expired Analysis and the Unidentified Person Active/Expired Analysis reports are available upon request. She wouldn't let her dad wait on that.. Two boys and two girls went missing from their Oakland County communities, northwest of Detroit, Michigan, and all were found dead within 19 days. 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. Fort Smith murder unsolved after 42 years, family still has hope In 1979, Lois Ensey was abducted while working at J's Night Owl Grocery off Highway 271 in Fort Smith. There are currently no cases that match the selected filters. Melissa Witt was abducted from a bowling alley parking lot in Fort Smith, Arkansas in 1994. He was caught in 2000 when he attempted to rape and kill a 16-year-old girl in her house. Bonnie and Clyde - Encyclopedia of Arkansas Mary Ann calls Melissa's best friend, Tara to see if she has heard from Melissa. Home - Project: Cold Case Danas personal belongings, however, were not inside the car. 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. Chasing Chains, LLC. They died never knowing what happened to Dana. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks. 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. 18 unsolved slayings in this area in five years. 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. The Victims: Forty Unsolved Murders Since 1984 Nov 21, 1991 This is a list of 40 unsolved killings in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties since 1984, the year officials say the Green River. Unsolved Ozarks murders include woman last seen mowing cemetery 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. Fort Smith Crime Rates and Statistics - NeighborhoodScout At 9 a.m. the next morning, June 25, 1983, the victim's body was discovered near 2000 E. 22nd Street, hidden in the brush of a semi-secluded area not far from her home. Donate. Get more stories delivered right to your email. "He was a brave, strong person," his mother told the News-Leader at the time. Missing Persons Information - Arkansas Department of Public Safety Both bodies were found in 1989 in different months in different parts of the hugeMark Twain National Forest, an area the size of Delaware. Cold Case - ABI - AST - Alaska Department of Public Safety It simply states where murders occurred most frequently on an absolute and rate basis. The rate of crime in Fort Smith is 55.87 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. City of Fort Collins Police Services, 2221 Timberline Road, Fort Collins, CO 80525 Phone: 970.221.6540 (non-emergency) . Who killed Missy Witt? Faces of Unsolved Homicide - Project: Cold Case Shedid. After Vine's arrest, the possibility he killed Witt was considered. Melissa and Tara have biology class together on Friday, and then had plans to hang out that evening. The Most Terrifying Unsolved Murders In Every State - YourTango She wasidentified by dental records. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Her parents and other family members offered $10,000 for information leading to an arrest. 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. You can download the data here. Sure, that's fiction. The murders of Greg Collins, Daniel Bearden, James Milan, Jordan Kettleson, and Mike Samples remain unsolved. I wanted a better life for him than I had. Dana's brother died in 2015. On Christmas Day, 1970 a year and 10 days after Blades disappeared her body was found in Stone County, 12 miles away. Sloane McCaster, a member of Websleuths, an Internet forum of armchair detectives who look into unsolved crimes, met Mercedes at a club in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The hunt for answers continues to this day, as the case remains open,THV11 KTHV reported. Records are retained indefinitely, unless removed by the entering agency. On December 6, 1991, Austin, Texas was shell-shocked by a vicious crime. Sheriff Lamb, who died at age 77 in 2001, was a former rodeo performer who as sheriff wasknown for straight talk and at times for roughing up those in custody. Records in the Missing Person File are retained indefinitely or until the individual is located or the record is canceled by the entering agency. Smith was also questioned in the 1983 unsolved murder of a 14-year-old girl in Idaho. Sort All Cases By: Company Area | Male | Female | County | Year | Last Name Results: 13 Record (s) Found. Kemm-Highton saidin August she does not believe Smith killed Blades. She suffered a gunshot wound to her head. Her death differed from the attacks on the other three women, though: She was not beaten in the same way. About. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Lois Ensey left behind a husband and two daughters ages two and four. Crime in Arkansas. While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in a state are the most dangerous, we didn't want to rely on speculation and opinion. Oklahoma men charged in alleged torture, murder of missing mom from An old wives tale is one thing, but once physical evidence gets involved these stories become especially chilling. Although the region has its fair share of beauty and wonder, thats not all youll find there. Timmons already had a kidnapping conviction on his record, having abducted and held an 11-year-old boy in 1976, KYTV reported. Its time she gets answers, Patti Rush, president of REVAMP in Fort Smith, said while referring to the daughter of the missing woman. But one suspect is alive and living in an Illinois prison. Both cases remain unsolved. In a May 13, 1990, News-Leader story, Whitney said: I dont think this was a planned-out deal, other than they saw her and made a quick plan, he says. She was 75 years old. If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already. She lived with her parents, who were farmers, about 1.5 miles from the cemetery. 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. in English and will soon be pursing her M.A. Missy's body was nude and placed near a headstone-shaped rock. An FBI profiler also concluded Vine was not the killer, Rider said, according to Today In Fort Smith. From mafia to monsters, check out these 10 unsolved mysteries in Arkansas. Online Arkansas Death Indexes, Records & Obituaries Compare Fort Smith crime data to other cities, states, and neighborhoods in the U.S. on NeighborhoodScout. A kind stranger came along and gave her a jump start. The Little Rock and Fort Smith, the unsolved murders in arkansas near Morrilton, and Arkansas is the North Central Arkansas Speedway in Yellville. Arkansas Crime Information Center. The FBI considers eyewitness identification notoriously unreliable, the story stated. There are fifty states in the unsolved murders in arkansas near future, information on Arkansas construction project? There were no signs of struggle. Jane BERNARD (Unsolved Murder - 1966) - ON Lucas SHORTREED (Unsolved - 2008) - ON Tammy LAMONDIN (1999) - ON Marguerite CARDWELL (1973) - AB Bowmanville Jane Doe (2006) - ON Kimberly MCANDREW (1989) - NS Le Roi Francis LA FRANCE (1964) - B.C. There were no records found of her death. She says her mothers abduction and murder affected the entire family. With over 600,000 acres of lakes and 9,700 miles of hiking trails. I dont recall exactly what the male voice said, but it was something like, I cant. And then he hung up the phone., 9:40 am:Melissa's body is found by two trappers in the Ozark National Forest. Manage Settings Dana agreed to run out for her father and left the home to make the four-mile drive in her grey Dodge Omni around 3:00 p.m. Georgia said she got home after work around 4:00 p.m., and Lawrence told her Dana had not yet returned. Lawrence Timmons, 65, was indicted for Smith's murder while he was in jail on unrelated charges, a Lawrence County Sheriff's Office release stated. Bucholtz and Jared started a Facebook group called Unsolved Murder of Rebekah Gould in the hopes of getting some tips from the public about her death. The following persons have active warrants for their arrest. While a murder just blocks or even a couple of towns away from your house would make anyone uneasy, in the long run, most likely, where you live is relatively safe. At that point there was no reason to believe she was abducted. Lambblamed the Blades family for starting rumors that he was involved in the murder. 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. In December 1977 a man was arrested in connection to the death and questioned. Georgia dreads that outcome. The Social Security Administration records do not . Man arrested in 2004 Arkansas murder case - KHBS