More Economy. Three people died and an officer was stabbed in the neck in an incident in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Sunday. The burglar tried to flee out the back but Anstutz confronted him and the two scuffled. All charges were dropped in 2005. The police looked at the good samaritan very closely before dismissing him as a suspect. We have never come up with anything positive.". However, she never made it inside. A week later, her body was found some10 miles south of the cemetery and about six miles east of Oldfield, in Christian County. Lawrence, who had medical issues, was feeling ill that day, so he asked Dana if she could pick up his medicine at Phillips Foods store in Bella Vista. The 2019 crime rate in Fort Smith, AR is 559 (City-Data.com crime index), which is 2.1 times higher than the U.S. average. The car shows signs of a struggle. Known as "The Babysitter", this unidentified serial killer is known to have murdered at least four children, possibly more, between 1976 and 1977. An old wives tale is one thing, but once physical evidence gets involved these stories become especially chilling. "We loved him dearly.". Thinking their daughter may have had car trouble, Lawrence and Georgia got in their car and drove around to find Dana. 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 dps.missing.persons@alaska.gov. "I kind of bonded with her. Missy had gone on home and changed her clothes, according to a neighbor who saw her come and go. Blades' husband, Larry, and her parents Louis and Geraldine Horton took issue with the sheriff's comments. The city with highest murder rate in Arkansas? 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. Records in the Missing Person File are retained indefinitely or until the individual is located or the record is canceled by the entering agency. The cause of death is listed as"homicidal violence.". Uncovered is where the most passionate true crime enthusiasts can learn from and teach others. Rose Harsent was stabbed to death on 1 June 1902, in Peasenhall, Suffolk, England by an unknown assailant. More:'I want justice for my father': An investigation into the 1989 death of Ronnie Johnson. Melanie ETHIER (1996) - ON Julie FORTIER (Unsolved Murder - 1980) - ON Stefan SCHWARTZ (1960) - B.C. He was looking for his cattle when he saw a white object in a grove of cedar trees, near a fallen tree;it was the skull of Carol Blades. Her mother declined to give it to her. William Miller is a member of that group. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. 1995 Alma, Arkansas girl's disappearance featured in crime show on Hulu. 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. A pseudo-documentary, The Legend of Boggy Creek, highlights the towns monster lore. The ones they had for checks, they were able to backtrack those people and talk to them about what did you see?, said Pevehouse. Stephen Smith, 19, July 2015 Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old nursing student at the time, was found dead in the middle of the road on July 8, 2015, Bluffton Today reported . Both tried to interview witnesses, but they could only speak with certain people. Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. 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.. About. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. 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. They pointed out that the couple had recently received word they were approved to adopt a child and earlier that day Carol Blades had bought Christmas presents and set up the tree at home. But Melissa never came home, and Mary Anne grew worried. 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. Police ruled Danas death a homicide, but would not confirm the exact cause of death. Danas father passed away 10 years after his daughter was killed. 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. If you are located in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, is the unsolved murders in arkansas a 16.37-carat white diamond found by a law enforcement officer and those fingerprints compared to the unsolved murders in arkansas in Little Rock, with sports, culture and nightlife abounding. A 19 year old college student disappears in a parking lot. Outdoor enthusiasts can try their hand at fly fishing on the North Central Arkansas Speedway in Yellville. ARKANSAS (KNWA/KFTA) In 2020, Fayetteville has had seven homicides/murders; there were five in 2019, according to the Fayetteville police department (FPD). Her car was found in the parking lot, but she was nowhere to be seen. There is a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the people who killed . *While use of the Unidentified Person File is increasing, it is not yet mandated by law to make entries into this file. In 1979, the Fort Smith Police Department and the Sebastian County Sheriffs Office joined together to work on the case. They died never knowing what happened to Dana. Dana's brother died in 2015. Arkansas, USA : home: last updates . Arkansas is famous for many homeowners. 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. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. On July 10, 1995, the News-Leader ran a story by reporter Robert Keyes with the headline "Killing 'solved' but never tried." An unclesaw her mowing at 5:40 p.m.; her absence was noticed at about 6:15 p.m. Making it tougher for investigators to gather evidence. 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. Melissa and Tara have biology class together on Friday, and then had plans to hang out that evening. An autopsy could not determine cause of death; she was not shot and apparently was not raped. 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. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is requesting your assistance in closing these open cases. The rest of Danas family became alarmed when they still had not heard from her that night. If you have any information on the circumstances surrounding Dana Stidhams death, please contact the Benton County Sheriffs Office at (479) 271-1008 or the Bella Vista Police Department at (479) 855-3771 at or via email at info@bellavistaar.gov. 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. And we have, every time we getany kind of lead whatsoever, run down that lead. Her body was found on September 16, 1989 in Benton County, Arkansas. Melissa is pronounced deceased. On a daily basis, JC. 1. Early in the history of Arkansas and the city, Fort Smith was an important point of contact to the American West. Amy Anstutz saw the burglar in the house. Arkansas area. Your anonymous call could lead to a $1,000 reward. 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. 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. In the summer of 1989, she continued to work at the store while figuring out what she wanted to do, Georgia said. There are currently no cases that match the selected filters. You may also email information to the Detectives, by clicking on the link. Since the 1930s, people have been debating the cause of the light. Sure, that's fiction. There was not one sign of foul play, he said. Connect with Never Forgotten She was our joy. We must note that this report is not an analysis of the effectiveness of local police departments. More Cost of Living or Compare Fort Smith's Cost of Living. The court determined that the events were not foreseeable and the case was ultimately dismissed. The Little Rock and Fort Smith, the unsolved murders in arkansas near Morrilton, and Arkansas is the North Central Arkansas Speedway in Yellville. 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. In December 1977 a man was arrested in connection to the death and questioned. They questioned him. It was described in news storiesas "torn up." There could easily be a scientific explanation for this one, but do you really want to risk it to find out? "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. Mary Ann calls Melissa's best friend, Tara to see if she has heard from Melissa. 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. "It's better that it not be brought up because the more something like that is bought up, the worse it gets," he said. 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. When she entered the salon, she first saw the corpse of 62-year-old Dorothy Harris. 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. Arkansas features cultural and social hub of the Arkansas Insurance Department. Jenkins told Dateline. 18 unsolved slayings in this area in five years. This was on Dec. 3, 1969 12 days before Blades was abducted and killed. She had accidentally left something on, and the battery was dead. Records are retained indefinitely, unless removed by the entering agency. 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. The Fort Smith Police Department investigated her disappearance as a missing person case until they found her body days later off Highway 71 and Treece Road. 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. 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. Join a singles club and meet with great singles. Melissa's memorial service is held at the Grand Avenue Baptist Church followed by a burial at Woodlawn Memorial Cemetary under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home, 10:00 am:Wal-Mart dedicates their missing persons board to Melissa Witt. 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. However, they still have hope. He weighed anestimated150 to 160 pounds. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's last year of reporting. Immediately making identification information available to the public has proven effective in helping to locate missing children as well as missing adults. Wanted for Arrest. Two Hunters Person With Information / Witness, Larry SwearingenPerson With Information / Witness, Travis Dale CrouchPerson With Information / Witness, Unnamed older woman and younger manPerson With Information / Witness, Charles Ray VinesPerson With Information / Witness, Douglas Lawrence LoganPerson With Information / Witness, William Dillard TaylorPerson With Information / Witness, Tara LimbirdFriend / Acquaintance of Victim, Morning:Melissa and her mother have a disagreement over money. 1. Danas parents continued to drive around, but did not find their daughter. In 1979, Lois Ensey was abducted while working at J's Night Owl Grocery off Highway 271 in Fort Smith. Her husband slept thatday because he worked a third shift at Springday, a Springfield manufacturer. Case of Missing Person: Nona Jean Young (Coleman) W/F, 02-26-51 . Chasing Chains, LLC. But she never made it inside. The state has a surprising number of bone chilling tales, from cold cases to urban legends. Timmons already had a kidnapping conviction on his record, having abducted and held an 11-year-old boy in 1976, KYTV reported. For more on Vine's crimes, watch "Snapped Notorious: The River Valley Killer.". He was described as 5 feet 9 or 10 inches tall, a white man with a dark complexion andblack hair combed back. According to Sgt. If you have information on any of the persons . The Category is reserved for cases of Unsolved Mysteries that occurred in Arkansas. More:Pokin Around: Inspired by a readers question, an investigation into the 1989 murder of Ronnie Johnson. 5 The Florence Salon Murders. Kristen said she spent weekends driving to nearby states with her mother and her aunt, Georgia, to see if anyone had seen Dana. 322 S. Main Street, Ste. "They was just looking for anything to say, they was all upset.". Law enforcement agencies should be contacted without delay. Melissa drove a white 1995 Mitsubishi Mirage. In a letter published in the News-Leader they saidthe case should never be forgotten. The News-Leader contacted Kelle Ann Workman's brother, Marc. Any ties went to the larger city. Some, however, have since theorized she was the victim of local serial killer Charles Ray Vine, also known as "The River Valley Killer.". The girl's stepfather found him in the midst of the attack and tried to beat him to death, although a sheriff's deputy arrived and intervened, according to local Fox affiliate station KNWA. Danas parents lived in Hiwasse, Arkansas, a 10-minute drive from Centerton, and she visited them often, Georgia said. Morning:Melissa goes to classes at Westark Community College, now the University of Arkansas Fort Smith (UAFS). in English and will soon be pursing her M.A. The graduate of University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, Carol Ann earned her B.A. When her shift ended, her car wouldnt start. 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. Mary Anne had assumed her daughter went to hang with friends and never made it to the bowling alley. It simply states where murders occurred most frequently on an absolute and rate basis. Georgia said that this was strange behavior from Dana. Sergeant Jenkins said there are several people of interest in the case, and that it is still being worked as an active investigation. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! "Westill follow up on leads that come in from time to time," he said. Three people in a vehicle spotted the Blades' car as it pulled off of northbound Highway 160 onto the shoulder; a man, possibly the killer,exited the passenger side. The 1998 murder of John Alan Moody is one of 10 unsolved cold cases listed on the Springfield Police Department website. Juan Ignacio Blanco MALE murderers: . Book 2), Oklahoma Author Looking For Answers To Arkansas Cold Case. 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. Turner retired from law enforcement in 2020 after nearly 24 years with the Ozark Police Department. Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Fort Smith Police Department. 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.". His sentence in Illinois was lengthened in1977; hewas given another 18 years for trying to escape. Home > Crime Info & Support > Crime Information Center > Community Information > Missing Persons Information. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. 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. The Social Security Administration records do not . Brad Cole, current Christian County sheriff, said the Blades murder is an open case. I don't want to go to my grave not knowing, she told Dateline. READ MORE 5. The rate of crime in Fort Smith is 55.87 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. The Oakland County Child Killer. A retired detective and an Arkansas woman are working to solve Melissa Witt's murder Watch on Source: 5NEWS When she was discovered 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. Outreach. He may have been lost at times, but who of us has not been lost? Melissas friends and family begin to hand out missing person flyers throughout the River Valley area. Lamb also told the paper it was best that the case be forgotten. Blades had filled it with gas that day and investigators estimated 8 gallons were used. In July of 1979, Lois Ensey was abducted while working at J's Night Owl Grocery off Highway 271 in Fort Smith. Cold case is finally cracked and the killer is identified. The light is the ghosts lantern used to search for his head. Oct. 18, 1981: An officer in Texas stops Pruett for speeding and locates a .38-caliber revolver and evidence from Larimer County. Family members bristled at those comments. 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. FORT SMITH, Ark. Would you dare investigate what clawed monster lives in the deep? Both Rush and Ensey believe police can solve the case. She resides in Western Arkansas' Mountain Frontier but calls NWA home as well. She was considering studying business at university. They called around to family members and Danas friends, but no one had heard from her that day. If you have any possible . Rancher Ernest Wilhelm discovered her skeletal remains on his farmtwo miles west of Ponce de Leon. Ive always felt that the phone call was tied to what had happened, Rider said. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. 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Next 10 CitiesHow we calculated the murder capitals of ArkansasWhile 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. Contact. Anstuz was a carpenter at Killian Construction in Springfield. Went to the store, and people said that she had been there and bought what she needed and left, Georgia said. They denied ever suggesting Lamb was involvedbut stood firm in their belief Lamb was incompetent as a criminal investigator. 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. Sheapparently died within hours of when she vanished, probably in the early hours of Saturday, July 1, 1989. No one has ever been charged. All rights reserved. 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 . You can also report any information you may have concerning a crime and could receive a . FORT SMITH, Ark. Chester Simons and Deborah Popp were found fatally shot in bed and police determined that Popp was shot by Simons, who then died by suicide, according to Fort Myers Police Department. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks. A patron had discovered her car keys and turned them in the night Witt disappeared. She said that in 2003 detectives from Missouri went to Illinois to interview Smith, whodenied ever being in Nixa. Some of that gas, but not all,could be accounted for by a trip Blades made to Kmart in Springfield to buypresents. It just destroyed us.. Georgia has now outlived her husband and both of children. No circumstance has a more devastating effect on a family than the unknown whereabouts of a loved one. Shedid. If you need a pleasant palate cleanser, try touring this cider mill. She was a 1967 graduate of Nixa High and her maiden name was Horton. These are the places in Arkansas where people were killed most often, according to the latest FBI numbers. 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. Two people witness Melissa's abduction. It was only after the car was impounded, some three days later, that it was dusted.". Soon after the shooting, the suspect went to prison for two years for other burglary convictions. Larry Swearingen was looked at as a person of interest in this case. Her clothing was missing from the crime scene, including her jeans, undergarments, purse, one earring, and her Mickey Mouse watch. 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. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Tragically, we'll never know who murdered these young men. Tara Strozier, a 40-year-old from Fort Smith, Arkansas, was last seen alive about 20 miles away across state lines in Cameron, Oklahoma, on July 17, according to the Fort Smith Police Department .