Specifically, we analyzed the FBI's Uniform Crime Report which summarizes the number of murders that may happen in each city per year. 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. A 19 year old college student disappears in a parking lot. According to Sgt. 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. 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. Trending pages Morgan Nick Don Henry and Kevin Ives Carson Prince Ann Sigmin and Garey Goff Gainesville Killers Tony Alamo Amanda Tusing Larry Chism All items (16) # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other A Amanda Tusing Ann Sigmin and Garey Goff We must note that this report is not an analysis of the effectiveness of local police departments. Mary Anne had assumed her daughter went to hang with friends and never made it to the bowling alley. Brad Cole, current Christian County sheriff, said the Blades murder is an open case. Outreach. 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. Making it tougher for investigators to gather evidence. 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 . Jenkins told Dateline. She loves exploring the trails around the Buffalo National River and has yet to find a waterfall that wasn't her favorite. Smith has also confessed to killing several women while a U.S. Marine in West Germanyin the 1960s. Melissa asked her mom to borrow some money and told her she would pay her back with her next paycheck. ", 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.". The BridgeWay mental-health hospital, admitting it had wronged a 14-year-old patient who . "He was a brave, strong person," his mother told the News-Leader at the time. A trail of blood was later found in the parking lot. 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 . Law enforcement agencies should be contacted without delay. Little Rock: 56 | North Little Rock: 23. The unemployment rate in Fort Smith is 4.6% (U.S. avg. He was caught in 2000 when he attempted to rape and kill a 16-year-old girl in her house. Most accurate 2021 crime rates for Fort Smith, AR. His father, Alex Murdaugh, a local attorney and the son of Randolph Murdaugh III, owns the boat.. Melissa Witt was abducted from the parking lot of Bowling World in the evening. 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. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Over a month after she went missing, her body was found in the Ozark National Forest. 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. "We loved him dearly.". Many conspiracies were prompted by the tragedy, including a (mildly far-fetched) drug smuggling cover-up connected to a former U.S. President. 1326, Episode 35 - Arkansas - Who Killed Melissa Witt Part 2. 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. Unsolved Cases . Between 6:30-7 pm, after class and work, Missy went to the same bowling alley that her mother had mentioned in her note. People who live in Fort Smith generally consider the southeast part of the city to be the safest. 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. The massacre inspired the movie "The Town that Dreaded Sundown." Georgia said that in the days following Danas disappearance, there were several sighting of her daughter reported to police, but none proved true. Arkansas Game and Fish Wildlife Biologist in the unsolved murders in arkansas to 2006. The National Crime Information Centers (NCICs) Missing Person File was implemented in 1975. No circumstance has a more devastating effect on a family than the unknown whereabouts of a loved one. Cold case is finally cracked and the killer is identified. FORT SMITH, Ark. Two boys and two girls went missing from their Oakland County communities, northwest of Detroit, Michigan, and all were found dead within 19 days. In Arkansas you also have added to the unsolved murders in arkansas an unusual place to visit. When her shift ended, her car wouldnt start. 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. "Westill follow up on leads that come in from time to time," he said. And I was lucky enough to have her.. 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()});});}. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. If you have any information, you can call the River Valley crime stoppers at (479)-78-CRIME. It just destroyed us.. It's been nearly 30 years since Pam Felkins was kidnapped from her job at an Arkansas video store, raped and then murdered -- but . Jenkins added. Sergeant Jenkins said there are several people of interest in the case, and that it is still being worked as an active investigation. Compare Fort Smith crime data to other cities, states, and neighborhoods in the U.S. on NeighborhoodScout. If you have information on their whereabouts, please contact the Detective Division at (479) 709-5116 . 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. The following persons have active warrants for their arrest. But Melissa never came home, and Mary Anne grew worried. Is This Man a Serial Killer? The Category is reserved for cases of Unsolved Mysteries that occurred in Arkansas. Drugs is a possibility. But Mary Ann knew this was out of character for Melissa. The rest of Danas family became alarmed when they still had not heard from her that night. Often in unsolved murders, family members of the victim lose faith in the investigators trying to solve the case so charges can be filed. 2023 www.news-leader.com. Police called the man a "suspect." Melanie ETHIER (1996) - ON Julie FORTIER (Unsolved Murder - 1980) - ON Stefan SCHWARTZ (1960) - B.C. An old wives tale is one thing, but once physical evidence gets involved these stories become especially chilling. 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. is 6.0%). Once inside, the responders found the brutalized bodies of four teenage girls-Amy Ayers, Jennifer Harbison, Sarah Harbison and Eliza Thomas. No arrests have been made in connection with her death. Family members bristled at those comments. 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. Contact. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Murder! 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. A DNA match helps link multiple unsolved murders down to one man in this clip from Season 2, Episode 5.Tune in to Cold Case Files, Fridays at 9/8c on A&E, an. "Obviously, we have not come up with probablecause to charge anybody at this point. Branford Antoine Lewis, who was given an additional 18 and 1/2 years on an existing sentence in early February, returned to Sebastian County Circuit Court on . 6) Morton S. ROSENFELD (79C-083) LCSO-79-5249 DOD: 05/19/1979 . I always wanted my son to be aman of his word. 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. Her body was placed near a headstone-like rock. 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. Crime in Arkansas. Because of the lack of leads, her murder is now considered to be a cold case. Donate. If she was going to be late, she always called.. He was described as 5 feet 9 or 10 inches tall, a white man with a dark complexion andblack hair combed back. On Christmas Day, 1970 a year and 10 days after Blades disappeared her body was found in Stone County, 12 miles away. Danas personal belongings, however, were not inside the car. Went to the store, and people said that she had been there and bought what she needed and left, Georgia said. Aaron Smith Found Murdered on Serene Campground, A First Look at the Murder of Aaron Smith. In July of 1979, Lois Ensey was abducted while working at J's Night Owl Grocery off Highway 271 in Fort Smith. Rose Harsent, victim of the Peasenhall 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.". The Arkansas, Texas & Oklahoma Bureau of Vital Records were contacted in an attempt to locate a death certificate for Nona Young. 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. The body was found on Forest Service Road 1551, located off Franklin County 111, also known as Jethro Road. 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. Police ruled Danas death a homicide, but would not confirm the exact cause of death. It is our seventh time ranking the most places with the most murders per capita in Arkansas and is updated for 2021. Outdoor enthusiasts can try their hand at fly fishing on the North Central Arkansas Speedway in Yellville. Lamb also told the paper it was best that the case be forgotten. Ive always felt that the phone call was tied to what had happened, Rider said. Although not officially a suspect in any Washington . And even the victim and the victims loved ones dont know who the other party iswe normally draw these dead ends, Pevehouse said. Smith was also questioned in the 1983 unsolved murder of a 14-year-old girl in Idaho. The court determined that the events were not foreseeable and the case was ultimately dismissed. Any ties went to the larger city. Although the region has its fair share of beauty and wonder, thats not all youll find there. 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. This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. That caused him to jerk the coat down. Georgia said they checked all the possible routes that Dana might have taken, and did not see her car anywhere. And we have, every time we getany kind of lead whatsoever, run down that lead. Archive statistics are available upon request. 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. 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. Moody's father Jim wrote a letter about his son that he gave to the media. These are the places in Arkansas where people were killed most often, according to the latest FBI numbers. Arkansas law requires all missing persons to be entered immediately. She was 75 years old. Sunday, August 8, 2021 The Bizarre History of a Long-Unsolved Murder On Sunday morning, August 2, 1964, a fisherman reported a bloodstained vehicle abandoned at the Water Valley Mill northeast of Springfield. WEATHER & CLIMATE Ten months after Blades vanished, Sheriff Lamb told the publiche doubted there was a crime. 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. Swearingen denied murdering Missy Witt and was executed on January 27, 2009, for Melissa Trotter's murder. Kristy told Dateline she and Dana were especially close since they were only a year apart. According to private investigators, it was her second night on the job and her first time working solo. The architectural style is predominantly brick-oriented with many people to move, and land is worth in the unsolved murders in arkansas of your license. Case of Missing Person: Nona Jean Young (Coleman) W/F, 02-26-51 . She had accidentally left something on, and the battery was dead. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 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. The majority of law enforcement officials consider photographs to be the most important tool in missing person cases. He was convicted of the murder of Melissa Trotter who was killed in a very similar manner as Missy. MISSING PERSON ENTRY CATEGORIES Missy's body was nude and placed near a headstone-shaped rock. It's been over 20 years and people are still looking for answers in the murder of Arkansas teenager, Melissa Witt. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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 suspect had passed a polygraph test and told Davis that when he had talked about killing Workman he was "joking.". Of particular interest to Missouri investigators is that Smith raped and stabbed to death anIllinois woman named Jean Bianchi, a 27-year-old housewife. Wanted for Arrest. It was only her second. 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. They denied ever suggesting Lamb was involvedbut stood firm in their belief Lamb was incompetent as a criminal investigator. On July 10, 1995, the News-Leader ran a story by reporter Robert Keyes with the headline "Killing 'solved' but never tried." Serial killer Mark Alan Smith was sentenced to 500 years for raping and killing threeIllinois women. Ron Davis, the reporter, interviewed one of them. Early in the history of Arkansas and the city, Fort Smith was an important point of contact to the American West. On July 25, 1989, 18-year-old Dana Stidham left her parents' home to pick up her father's . 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. Sure, that's fiction. "It took them eight days to find her body. 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. The News-Leader contacted Kelle Ann Workman's brother, Marc. The legend is that a railroad workers head was severed by an oncoming train. A mother's 30-year missions to uncover the truth about what happened to her son's in 1987 has led a federal judge to order an urgent review of several tightly guarded government . The Missing Person Active/Expired Analysis and the Unidentified Person Active/Expired Analysis reports are available upon request. We only looked every single city in Arkansas for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. All rights reserved. The National Crime Information Center's (NCIC's) Missing Person File was implemented in 1975. We have never come up with anything positive.". Any ties went to the larger city. Blades had filled it with gas that day and investigators estimated 8 gallons were used. Dana's brother died in 2015. Melissa Witt was abducted from a bowling alley parking lot in Fort Smith, Arkansas in 1994. 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. Three people died and an officer was stabbed in the neck in an incident in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Sunday. Horton told Smith: My only purpose in writing is to ask that if you did abduct and kill Carol, that you grant me the peace of mind to know what happened., Smith responded: I give you my word, which is about all I have anymore that is good, that I havent the answers to the questions you seek. The Colorado Cold Case Database features unsolved homicides, missing person, and unidentified person cases to assist law enforcement agencies in the development of information, which can lead to the identification, and arrest of any person (s) who may have committed any crime described on this page. The car shows signs of a struggle. 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. In 1999, high school seniors J.B. Hilton Green Beasley and Tracie Jean . 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. Melissa is pronounced deceased. She had been strangled to death and sexually assaulted. 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. At that point in the investigation, there was no reason to believe she was abducted. 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. Steve Hamilton was a Springfield police lieutenant at the time. The three people at the time thought nothing of seeing theman dash across the field until they learned Blades was missing and her car was the one they had seenabandoned along Highway 160. Blades' husband, Larry, and her parents Louis and Geraldine Horton took issue with the sheriff's comments. A strange phone call made to police a day or two prior to the discovery of the body helps support this theory, he said. Records are retained indefinitely, unless removed by the entering agency. "This would have been around 1989 or 1990," McCaster told HuffPost. There also was a younger male voice, also with a really strong Southern accent. She was later found dead by trappers, who spotted her by a logging trail in the Ozark National Forest, about 50 miles from where she was abducted, the KTHV reported. 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.. She lived with her parents, who were farmers, about 1.5 miles from the cemetery. 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. A week later, her body was found some10 miles south of the cemetery and about six miles east of Oldfield, in Christian County. We were together all the time, Kristy said. Wal-Mart Stores, in conjunction with AR Missing Exploited Children's Center announced the introduction of Missing Person's Poster Display at the local store in Huntsville in honor of Melissa. Anstuz was a carpenter at Killian Construction in Springfield. Western Arkansas was also on the circuit of back roads Clyde Barrow used to evade lawmen from other states. Furthermore, Swearingen was known to be in the area around the time Missy was abducted. Nobody should ever have to lose a child.. Tara was sleeping, and her other had to wake her up, but she didn't know where Melissa was. Records in the Missing Person File are retained indefinitely or until the individual is located or the record is canceled by the entering agency. By James Pletcher Jr. Jul 25, 2013 . FPD Sergeant Tony Murphy said. Resources. This can be a post about an unsolved homicide, a missing person, an unidentified person, a wrongful conviction, or forensics. She was shy and didn't like to smile much; she was self-conscious about a crooked front tooth. *While use of the Unidentified Person File is increasing, it is not yet mandated by law to make entries into this file. 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.
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