If you want to get cheaper rates on your hand. 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. Again, these statistics are an indication of where crimes occur, not a statement about the effectiveness of the law enforcement in the areas they serve. In addition, while incarcerated in Illinois he pleaded guilty in March 1971 to killing Obie Fay Ash, 32, of Cotter, Arkansas. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Melissa and Tara have biology class together on Friday, and then had plans to hang out that evening. In 1973, legislation created the White River Monster Refuge. 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 . "Westill follow up on leads that come in from time to time," he said. Little Rock While the city with highest number of murders period? 100 Wayland Smith Drive , Uniontown, PA 15401 +1(724)437-7300 Currently Open. Do you live in one of the murder capitals of Arkansas? 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. No one noticed the blood splatter on her keys at the time. The most serious crime committed in the state by the Barrow Gang was the murder of Marshal Henry D. Humphrey of Alma (Crawford County), committed while the gang was hiding out in a tourist camp in Fort Smith (Sebastian County) in June 1933. FORT SMITH, Ark. 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. The Oakland County Child Killer. Cornerstone Mountain Retreat, near Jasper, visitors can walk for miles in pristine forests. The cause of death is listed as"homicidal violence.". 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. Home > Crime Info & Support > Crime Information Center > Community Information > Missing Persons Information. Both Rush and Ensey believe police can solve the case. 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. Georgia has now outlived her husband and both of children. Missy's body was nude and placed near a headstone-shaped rock. DNA evidence then connected him to the other crimes. It was only her second night on the job and first night alone. No one else has been. This can be a post about an unsolved homicide, a missing person, an unidentified person, a wrongful conviction, or forensics. Dumping on the Razorback Greenway worries residents, Police: Greenwood teen taken into custody on drug charges, Storm warning fatigue | Alerting Arkansas, Detective believes 1995 murder of Arkansas teen could be tied to another case, Alma Police receive hundreds of tips since 'Still Missing Morgan' documentary aired. 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. But could he have been responsible for another murder? After Vine's arrest, the possibility he killed Witt was considered. "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. Donate. The FBI estimates the national clearance rate for murders is 61 percent. 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. Did The River Valley Killer Kidnap A Teenage Girl From A Bowling Alley Parking Lot And Murder Her? She lived with her parents, who were farmers, about 1.5 miles from the cemetery. Bowling World didnt have security cameras in the parking lot, and though some convenience stores in the vicinity did have cameras, they were too far away from the crime scene to be useful. She was really sweet, everybody liked her, she was friends with everybody.. The graduate of University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, Carol Ann earned her B.A. The massacre inspired the movie "The Town that Dreaded Sundown." Vine's disturbing and vicious rape and killing spree is further explored in theOxygenspecial "Snapped Notorious: The River Valley Killer." Her body was placed near a headstone-like rock. Aaron Smith Found Murdered on Serene Campground, A First Look at the Murder of Aaron Smith. They denied ever suggesting Lamb was involvedbut stood firm in their belief Lamb was incompetent as a criminal investigator. This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Arkansas, USA : home: last updates . Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. 2023 www.news-leader.com. Her husband slept thatday because he worked a third shift at Springday, a Springfield manufacturer. No suspect was ever identified. 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. Both girls were 19 at the time of their death, and both were murdered and found in large forests in Arkansas. Therelationship between family and then-Christian County Sheriff L.E. Melissa's mother, Mary Anne passes away. Melissa is pronounced deceased. Danas father passed away 10 years after his daughter was killed. ", In August, 2005, then News-Leader columnist Mike O'Brien interviewed a Springfield writer who had published a book on the Blades murder:A Body on the Farm: The Disappearance and Murder of Carol Blades.". It's been over 20 years and people are still looking for answers in the murder of Arkansas teenager, Melissa Witt. Rancher Ernest Wilhelm discovered her skeletal remains on his farmtwo miles west of Ponce de Leon. The real mystery is why it took so long for someone to decide "hey maybe we should bury this guy.". "It's better that it not be brought up because the more something like that is bought up, the worse it gets," he said. We have had several people tell us she was not getting along at home. 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()});});}. No suspect was ever identified. 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. Melissa Witt was abducted from the parking lot of Bowling World in the evening. Jenkins told Dateline. Police showed her a photo of a convicted burglar who was known in the area and, according to news stories, she identified the man as the intruder who killed her husband. One of the bullets severed a major artery and Anstutz died an hour later at Cox Medical Center South. Her daughters are now 44 and 46. The unsolved 1989 murder of Ronnie Johnson of West Plainsis but one of many in the Ozarks. 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,. Although the case may be cold, the Fort Smith police are still welcoming any information concerning the case. A family is still looking for answers after a Sebastian County womans murder case remains unsolved 42-years later. We all watch the news with horror when we hear about a homicide that happens not that far away from us. Arkansas area. 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.". Under the Search tab, select the Card Catalog and look for the title "Fort Smith, Arkansas, Criminal Case Files, 1866-1900." Select "view original image" to be taken to the case file folder. Making it tougher for investigators to gather evidence. Little Rock: 56 | North Little Rock: 23. Gun sales shot up for a time, and sales of alarm systems and guard dogs also rose as the murders went unsolved . Her body was found on September 16, 1989 in Benton County, Arkansas. A homicide can also be cleared if the victim of the crime hinders the prosecution by refusing to testify. He said it was likely there was more than one assailant because Workman wasstrong. Compare Fort Smith crime data to other cities, states, and neighborhoods in the U.S. on NeighborhoodScout. Georgia said that this was strange behavior from Dana. Lifestyle is a possibility that may play a role in his death.". They died never knowing what happened to Dana. 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 . Start browsing the folder's contents at the beginning of the file. Here are a fewother unsolved murders in the Ozarks: In his first year as Douglas County SheriffRoldan Turner had two separate murders to solve Ronnie Johnson and Kelle Ann Workman. Soon after the shooting, the suspect went to prison for two years for other burglary convictions. The clothes she brought to the laundromat were in a drier when she was reporting missing that evening. Photo credit: Kurt Wilson/ Missoulian. Katherine Baker Case Report Number: 90-053018 You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum - Oklahoma City, OK Many conspiracies were prompted by the tragedy, including a (mildly far-fetched) drug smuggling cover-up connected to a former U.S. President. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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 parked her car, and before she would even make it inside the bowling alley, investigators believe Missy was abducted from the parking lot. 1. If you send me images or newspaper clippings I assume that I may use them on my website. Her mother declined to give it to her. A trail of blood was later found in the parking lot. Taxes and utilities also rank low on the national scale allowing those searching for dens in early October and early November. 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. The BridgeWay mental-health hospital, admitting it had wronged a 14-year-old patient who . Dig deeper into the stories you've heard before, and encounter many others you haven't, in ways that actually help. Ive always felt that the phone call was tied to what had happened, Rider said. Melissa Witt was killed in Arkansas in 1994. Kristy told Dateline she and Dana were especially close since they were only a year apart. CBI FOHVAMP . READ MORE 5. The burglar shot Anstutz twice in the abdomen. Did the River Valley Killer Have Other Victims? The News-Leader contacted Kelle Ann Workman's brother, Marc. Most Dangerous Places in Arkansas The 10 Murder Capitals Of Arkansas For 2021 1. IE 11 is not supported. If anyone has information regarding any of the missing persons cases, please contact the Missing Persons Clearinghouse at 907-269-5038 (local), 800-478-9333 (toll free) or email [email protected]. The rate of crime in Fort Smith is 55.87 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. Georgia dreads that outcome. In 1965 it was 90 percent. But as she got ready to go to campus for class, she had a small disagreement with her Mom after asking her if she could borrow money. In Arkansas you also have added to the unsolved murders in arkansas an unusual place to visit. Workman was 6 feet tall and 135 pounds. "He was a brave, strong person," his mother told the News-Leader at the time. 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. Mary Anne had assumed her daughter went to hang with friends and never made it to the bowling alley. 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. 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. The rest of Danas family became alarmed when they still had not heard from her that night. Sergeant Jenkins said Benton County Police issued a Be On the Lookout (BOLO ) at 9:43 p.m. At 6:30 a.m. the next day, Danas car was found in the southbound lane of highway 71, Sgt. MISSING PERSON ENTRY CATEGORIES It's been nearly 30 years since Pam Felkins was kidnapped from her job at an Arkansas video store, raped and then murdered -- but . Example video title will go here for this video. Uncovered is where the most passionate true crime enthusiasts can learn from and teach others. During the school year, Dana had been working after school and on weekends at Harps Food Store in Bella Vista, Arkansas. 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 1995 News-Leader story mentioned by name two suspects brothers who lived near the cemetery. The 19-year-old had stopped by to get a hamburger from her mother, according to a 2021 report from local station THV11KTHV. With over 600,000 acres of lakes and 9,700 miles of hiking trails. Fort Smith shares its status with Greenwood as the county seat of Sebastian County. By James Pletcher Jr. Jul 25, 2013 . Recent job growth is Negative. This was on Dec. 3, 1969 12 days before Blades was abducted and killed. No one has ever been charged. It simply states where murders occurred most frequently on an absolute and rate basis. More Economy. Police learn the key witness in the stabbing death of a beloved aunt was an imposter; a return to the crime scene reveals a . A week later, her body was found some10 miles south of the cemetery and about six miles east of Oldfield, in Christian County. For more on Vine's crimes, watch "Snapped Notorious: The River Valley Killer.". What haunted locations can I visit in Arkansas? Your anonymous call could lead to a $1,000 reward. Specifically, we analyzed the FBI's Uniform Crime Report which summarizes the number of murders that may happen in each city per year.We only looked every single city in Arkansas for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. This is extremely important in cases involving a possible abduction, suspected foul play or an at-risk situation. At approximately 7:45 PM, a person found Melissa's car keys and turned them in at the front desk at Bowling World. This, however, only applies to their own. We aim to deliver infotainment about where you live that your real estate agent won't tell you. In 1979, the Fort Smith Police Department and the Sebastian County Sheriffs Office joined together to work on the case. He loved tinkering with cars, being outdoors and being a loyal friend. The burlap sack also reminds us of the Scarecrow character in the Batman stories, a chilling psychopath who drugged and murdered townspeople while wearing a burlap sack over his head. Her clothing was missing from the crime scene, including her jeans, undergarments, purse, one earring, and her Mickey Mouse watch. However, she never made it inside. BOONE COUNTY, Ky. - Cold case detectives at the Boone County Sheriff's Office in Kentucky are investigating any possible connection between an unsolved double murder in 2011 and the 2017 . Over a month after she went missing, her body was found in the Ozark National Forest. Diaz is president of the Vallejo chapter of. 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. OPEN/ UNSOLVED CASES . Should Smith, now 73, ever be releasedin Illinoishe would face a life sentence in Arkansas. A patron had discovered her car keys and turned them in the night Witt disappeared. 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. Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Fort Smith Police Department. 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. Archive statistics are available upon request. 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 unsolved murders in arkansas. I wanted a better life for him than I had. Missy had gone on home and changed her clothes, according to a neighbor who saw her come and go. She was very sweet, but timid and scared to death of her boyfriend. Lamb also told the paper it was best that the case be forgotten. They were attributed to an alleged unidentified serial killer known as the Phantom of Texarkana or simply the Phantom Killer or Phantom Slayer. The murders remain unsolved. On July 25, 1989, Dana went over to her parents house to do some laundry, Georgia said. You can visit his grave at Graceland Cemetery in Pine Bluff, but we can't promise it will reveal any clues about his mysterious demise. Spiro man shot by law officers in eastern Oklahoma Fort Smith gunsmith arrested in Austin, Texas on federal charge FBI continues manhunt for Fort Smith fugitive Police release name of man shot and killed Friday in north Fort Smith Fort Smith man with ties to Pakistan . Arkansas Crime Information Center. I've stood in the same parking lot where Melissa went missing. Ten months after Blades vanished, Sheriff Lamb told the publiche doubted there was a crime. It was leaking oil badly; there was mud on the windshield; new scratches on both sides;and the antenna on the backwas bent. 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. A pseudo-documentary, The Legend of Boggy Creek, highlights the towns monster lore. Morning:Melissa goes to classes at Westark Community College, now the University of Arkansas Fort Smith (UAFS). Her keys had been picked up and turned into the front desk of the bowling alley; they were found to have traces of blood on them. There are currently no cases that match the selected filters. There was no one in the store, and there should have been, said Pevehouse. Who Killed Dana Stidham? Contact. Evening:Melissa arrives at Bowling World to have dinner with her mother but never makes it inside. Three years after her murder, Melissa's family, the Parnells' filed a suit against the C N Bowl Corp. Denver Post . Here's what is known about them SABRINA LYNN UNDERWOOD:. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Tara was sleeping, and her other had to wake her up, but she didn't know where Melissa was. Blades' husband, Larry, and her parents Louis and Geraldine Horton took issue with the sheriff's comments. 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 jobs have decreased by 1.6%. WEATHER & CLIMATE Jenkins, skeletal remains were in the grave, and Dana Stidhams clothes were found nearby. Generally, cases are solved when the offender has been arrested and turned over to the court for prosecution.