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 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 . Serial killer Mark Alan Smith was sentenced to 500 years for raping and killing threeIllinois women. 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. She hadthree children. It was only her second. 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. Melissa and Tara have biology class together on Friday, and then had plans to hang out that evening. As time passes on, I am afraid my sons murderer or murderers will not be found.. Melissa is pronounced deceased. That humming sound one hears is that of healthy baby bears, nursing to their little heart's content. You may also email information to the Detectives, by clicking on the link. There were no records found of her death. Faces of Unsolved Homicide - Project: Cold Case. A pseudo-documentary, The Legend of Boggy Creek, highlights the towns monster lore. His sentence in Illinois was lengthened in1977; hewas given another 18 years for trying to escape. The family alleged that the defendant failed to exercise ordinary care to provide for the safety of business. Arkansas area. Between 6:30-7 pm, after class and work, Missy went to the same bowling alley that her mother had mentioned in her note. A family is still looking for answers after a Sebastian County womans murder case remains unsolved 42-years later. Paul Anstutz, 26, and his wife Amy, 30, returned home on a Thursday night, Oct. 8, 1992, and surprised a burglar in their homeat 2546 S. Glenwood Terrace, in the Brentwood Terrace subdivision. in Library Science. In the weeks that followed, Danas friends and family spent their time searching on foot and by car, and handing out missing flyers of Dana. This is extremely important in cases involving a possible abduction, suspected foul play or an at-risk situation. 1326, Episode 35 - Arkansas - Who Killed Melissa Witt Part 2. When a crime happens, and you dont know who the other party is. An FBI profiler also concluded Vine was not the killer, Rider said, according to Today In Fort Smith. There could easily be a scientific explanation for this one, but do you really want to risk it to find out? 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. Records are retained indefinitely, unless removed by the entering agency. 6) Morton S. ROSENFELD (79C-083) LCSO-79-5249 DOD: 05/19/1979 . This can be a post about an unsolved homicide, a missing person, an unidentified person, a wrongful conviction, or forensics. 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. She suffered a gunshot wound to her head. 1995 Alma, Arkansas girl's disappearance featured in crime show on Hulu. Double murder of Hot Springs mom, 5-year-old son remains unsolved Little Rock police urging people to be cautious of phone scam Police make arrest in fatal hit-and-run of Benton 13-year-old More Cost of Living or Compare Fort Smith's Cost of Living. She parked her car, and before she would even make it inside the bowling alley, investigators believe Missy was abducted from the parking lot. Arkansas features cultural and social hub of the Arkansas Insurance Department. Example video title will go here for this video. 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. That caused him to jerk the coat down. 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. More Economy. A kind stranger came along and gave her a jump start. It is our seventh time ranking the most places with the most murders per capita in Arkansas and is updated for 2021. I always wanted my son to be aman of his word. Dana's brother died in 2015. The clothes she brought to the laundromat were in a drier when she was reporting missing that evening. All rights reserved. WEATHER & CLIMATE Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's last year of reporting. During the school year, Dana had been working after school and on weekends at Harps Food Store in Bella Vista, Arkansas. We have had several people tell us she was not getting along at home. The suspect had an alibiand police could not disprove it; The widow's eyewitness account didn't persuade Greene County prosecutors to file charges. Taxes and utilities also rank low on the national scale allowing those searching for dens in early October and early November. 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. ARKANSAS (KNWA/KFTA) There are at least four unsolved missing person cases in North Central Arkansas since 1991, and all are women. City of Fort Collins Police Services, 2221 Timberline Road, Fort Collins, CO 80525 Phone: 970.221.6540 (non-emergency) . Although not officially a suspect in any Washington . Certain details are withheld due to maintaining the integrity of the case, Sgt. If you need a pleasant palate cleanser, try touring this cider mill. Melissa Witt was abducted from a bowling alley parking lot in Fort Smith, Arkansas in 1994. Her body was placed near a headstone-like rock. She said that in 2003 detectives from Missouri went to Illinois to interview Smith, whodenied ever being in Nixa. 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. 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. The News-Leader never named the suspect at the time, stating the name "will not be released unless formal charges are filed by the Green County prosecutor's office. Unsolved Murders. With over 600,000 acres of lakes and 9,700 miles of hiking trails. 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. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Ashley County Obituaries, 1965-present from the Ashley County Ledger - also includes cemetery listings. "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. If you have any information, you can call the River Valley crime stoppers at (479)-78-CRIME. You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website. She had been strangled to death and sexually assaulted. No circumstance has a more devastating effect on a family than the unknown whereabouts of a loved one. 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. Both bodies were found in 1989 in different months in different parts of the hugeMark Twain National Forest, an area the size of Delaware. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Records in the Missing Person File are retained indefinitely or until the individual is located or the record is canceled by the entering agency. DNA evidence then connected him to the other crimes. A week later, her body was found some10 miles south of the cemetery and about six miles east of Oldfield, in Christian County. 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. Danas father passed away 10 years after his daughter was killed. Blades was 5-foot-2 and 115 pounds. Rose Harsent, victim of the Peasenhall murder. A patron had discovered her car keys and turned them in the night Witt disappeared. Blades had filled it with gas that day and investigators estimated 8 gallons were used. And we have, every time we getany kind of lead whatsoever, run down that lead. If she was going to be late, she always called.. The following persons have active warrants for their arrest. I don't want to go to my grave not knowing, she told Dateline. The keys were still in the ignition. 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. Cold case is finally cracked and the killer is identified. SHARES. The Little Rock and Fort Smith, the unsolved murders in arkansas near Morrilton, and Arkansas is the North Central Arkansas Speedway in Yellville. An autopsy could not determine cause of death; she was not shot and apparently was not raped. Workman was 6 feet tall and 135 pounds. 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. So, we grew up without her basically our whole lives, said Enseys youngest daughter Nikki Ensey. A homicide is considered cleared if at least one person has been arrested, formally charged and handed over to a court of law for trial. Details About Her Unsolved Murder And Why Police Haven't Caught The Killer. 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. Compare Fort Smith crime data to other cities, states, and neighborhoods in the U.S. on NeighborhoodScout. Manage Settings FORT SMITH, Ark. 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. But he was never charged in connection withAnstutz's murder. Should Smith, now 73, ever be releasedin Illinoishe would face a life sentence in Arkansas. According to private investigators, it was her second night on the job and her first time working solo. Arkansas law requires all missing persons to be entered immediately. Outreach. 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. Jenkins told Dateline. 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. Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. Lois Ensey left behind a husband and two daughters ages two and four. 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. Feeling bad, her mother left her a note asking her to join her for a burger later at Bowling World. This was on Dec. 3, 1969 12 days before Blades was abducted and killed. "I kind of bonded with her. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. She was considering studying business at university. Join a singles club and meet with great singles. Kemm-Highton saidin August she does not believe Smith killed Blades. Our Cases. If you have information on their whereabouts, please contact the Detective Division at (479) 709-5116 . He said it was likely there was more than one assailant because Workman wasstrong. Smith was also questioned in the 1983 unsolved murder of a 14-year-old girl in Idaho. It just destroyed us.. He said: There are many possibilities in the death of Mr. Moody. The rest of Danas family became alarmed when they still had not heard from her that night. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. COST OF LIVING Compared to the rest of the country, Fort Smith's cost of living is 25.0% lower than the U.S. average. She was our joy. A 1995 News-Leader story mentioned by name two suspects brothers who lived near the cemetery. Known as "The Babysitter", this unidentified serial killer is known to have murdered at least four children, possibly more, between 1976 and 1977. Its time she gets answers, Patti Rush, president of REVAMP in Fort Smith, said while referring to the daughter of the missing woman. 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. 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.. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Jenkins told Dateline. 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. Vine's disturbing and vicious rape and killing spree is further explored in theOxygenspecial "Snapped Notorious: The River Valley Killer." No suspect was ever identified. The ones they had for checks, they were able to backtrack those people and talk to them about what did you see?, said Pevehouse. The burglar shot Anstutz twice in the abdomen. Moody's father Jim wrote a letter about his son that he gave to the media.