It just destroyed us.. Since the 1930s, people have been debating the cause of the light. And give us some information about what they actually told the police department back there in 1979, daughter Nikki Ensey told 5NEWS. 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. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks. It simply states where murders occurred most frequently on an absolute and rate basis. Her logic is that since Smith admitted other slayings he would have admitted this one, as well, if he did it. Certain details are withheld due to maintaining the integrity of the case, Sgt. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 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 National Crime Information Center's (NCIC's) Missing Person File was implemented in 1975. December 1, 1994, was a typical day for Missy. We have never come up with anything positive.". RELATED: Details About The Murder Of Arkansas Teen Dana Stidham And Why Police Have Yet To Find Her Killer Alabama. There is no waiting period before a person can be entered into the NCIC Missing Person File. Danas parents continued to drive around, but did not find their daughter. 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. You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website. Love Arkansas? 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. Larry Swearingen was looked at as a person of interest in this case. 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. A family is still looking for answers after a Sebastian County womans murder case remains unsolved 42-years later. In 1979, Lois Ensey was abducted while working at J's Night Owl Grocery off Highway 271 in Fort Smith. Harsent was six months pregnant at the time of her death. 1989 murder of Ronnie Johnson of West Plains, Pokin Around: Inspired by a readers question, an investigation into the 1989 murder of Ronnie Johnson, 'I want justice for my father': An investigation into the 1989 death of Ronnie Johnson, Woman, 15 at the time, disputes account that turkey hunters found Ronnie Johnson's body in the woods, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Over a month after she went missing, her body was found in the Ozark National Forest. Fort Smith shares its status with Greenwood as the county seat of Sebastian County. Her mother said no and before she left the house, she left Missy a note explaining that she loved her and that she would be at a local bowling alley later that afternoon if she wanted to come by and get something to eat. Melissa asked her mom to borrow some money and told her she would pay her back with her next paycheck. A 19 year old college student disappears in a parking lot. A patron had discovered her car keys and turned them in the night Witt disappeared. Kristen said she spent weekends driving to nearby states with her mother and her aunt, Georgia, to see if anyone had seen Dana. There was not one sign of foul play, he said. She was just the kind of daughter people wish they had. For more on Vine's crimes, watch "Snapped Notorious: The River Valley Killer.". 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. Its illegal to hunt "Whitey" within the protected land. No suspect was ever identified. "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. She had been strangled to death and sexually assaulted. More:Pokin Around: Inspired by a readers question, an investigation into the 1989 murder of Ronnie Johnson. is 6.0%). 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. FORT SMITH, Ark. 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. More Economy. Western Arkansas was also on the circuit of back roads Clyde Barrow used to evade lawmen from other states. If you have information on their whereabouts, please contact the Detective Division at (479) 709-5116 . Most accurate 2021 crime rates for Fort Smith, AR. On November 6, 2001, at approximately 11:00 AM, a woman arrived for an appointment at the Hair Gallery, located in Florence, Montana. Melanie ETHIER (1996) - ON Julie FORTIER (Unsolved Murder - 1980) - ON Stefan SCHWARTZ (1960) - B.C. 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 Law enforcement agencies should be contacted without delay. There is a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the people who killed . It was only her second. These are the places in Arkansas where people were killed most often, according to the latest FBI numbers. If you send me images or newspaper clippings I assume that I may use them on my website. There was one suspect and he was named in the only two anonymous phone tips to police; Amy Anstutz saw the killer's face and later picked the suspect out in a face-to-face lineup and also by a photo; The suspect surrendered to police a few days after the killing; he denied involvement. 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. Uncovered is where the most passionate true crime enthusiasts can learn from and teach others. 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 family alleged that the defendant failed to exercise ordinary care to provide for the safety of business. He weighed anestimated150 to 160 pounds. Wanted for Arrest. Arkansas, USA : home: last updates . It was higher than in 97.1% U.S. cities. If you have any updates in any of these cases please contact me. The Arkansas, Texas & Oklahoma Bureau of Vital Records were contacted in an attempt to locate a death certificate for Nona Young. He was shot in the back and, police say, beaten. Any ties went to the larger city. This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Did The River Valley Killer Kidnap A Teenage Girl From A Bowling Alley Parking Lot And Murder Her? 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. In July of 1979, Lois Ensey was abducted while working at J's Night Owl Grocery off Highway 271 in Fort Smith. She was considering studying business at university. Over a month after she went missing, her body was found in the Ozark National Forest. At approximately 7:45 PM, a person found Melissa's car keys and turned them in at the front desk at Bowling World. 6:30/6:40 pm:Witness reports hearing woman in distress in Bowling World Parking. City of Fort Collins Police Services, 2221 Timberline Road, Fort Collins, CO 80525 Phone: 970.221.6540 (non-emergency) . You can download the data here. He chose not to cooperate and therefore remains a suspect in this murder. 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. At that point there was no reason to believe she was abducted. Archive statistics are available upon request. ", 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.". We were together all the time, Kristy said. If you have information on any of the persons . Jenkins. Often in unsolved murders, family members of the victim lose faith in the investigators trying to solve the case so charges can be filed. 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 resides in Western Arkansas' Mountain Frontier but calls NWA home as well. Melissa Witt was killed in Arkansas in 1994. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Missy had gone on home and changed her clothes, according to a neighbor who saw her come and go. They questioned him. Home > Crime Info & Support > Crime Information Center > Community Information > Missing Persons Information. Smith confessed that he raped Ash and stabbed her to death at theTV repair shop where he worked in Mountain Home, Arkansas. "They was just looking for anything to say, they was all upset.". 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. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! But Melissa never came home, and Mary Anne grew worried. The court determined that the events were not foreseeable and the case was ultimately dismissed. Ron Davis, the reporter, interviewed one of them. 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. The police looked at the good samaritan very closely before dismissing him as a suspect. Any ties went to the larger city. The state has a surprising number of bone chilling tales, from cold cases to urban legends. This was on Dec. 3, 1969 12 days before Blades was abducted and killed. DNA evidence then connected him to the other crimes. Helena-West Helena Source: Public domain Overall SnackAbility 1 /10 Population: 10,187 Rank Last Year: 8 Murders: 11 (4th Most) Murders Per 100k: 108.0 (Most) More on Helena-West Helena: Data | Photos 2. Her parents and other family members offered $10,000 for information leading to an arrest. Each of these victims were submitted by families or law enforcement through our submission page. Also known as Missy, she was an honors student at Westark Community College in Fort Smith, Arkansas where she lived with her mother, Mary Ann. Evening:Melissa arrives at Bowling World to have dinner with her mother but never makes it inside. 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 burglar tried to flee out the back but Anstutz confronted him and the two scuffled. The unemployment rate in Fort Smith is 4.6% (U.S. avg. 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. She was our joy. She suffered a gunshot wound to her head. RoadSnacks is reader-supported. Some, however, have since theorized she was the victim of local serial killer Charles Ray Vine, also known as "The River Valley Killer.". Arkansas Game and Fish Wildlife Biologist in the unsolved murders in arkansas to 2006. His sentence in Illinois was lengthened in1977; hewas given another 18 years for trying to escape. Would you dare investigate what clawed monster lives in the deep? Two boys and two girls went missing from their Oakland County communities, northwest of Detroit, Michigan, and all were found dead within 19 days. From mafia to monsters, check out these 10 unsolved mysteries in Arkansas. "We loved him dearly.". Three people died and an officer was stabbed in the neck in an incident in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Sunday. No one else has been. Serial killer Mark Alan Smith was sentenced to 500 years for raping and killing threeIllinois women. Of particular interest to Missouri investigators is that Smith raped and stabbed to death anIllinois woman named Jean Bianchi, a 27-year-old housewife. In 1973, legislation created the White River Monster Refuge. Once inside, the responders found the brutalized bodies of four teenage girls-Amy Ayers, Jennifer Harbison, Sarah Harbison and Eliza Thomas. JC Rider, a retired Fort Smith Police Department detective, said investigators believe Witt was struck in the head and then kidnapped. It simply states where murders occurred most frequently on an absolute and rate basis. The massacre inspired the movie "The Town that Dreaded Sundown." Arkansas law requires all missing persons to be entered immediately. Her mother declined to give it to her. 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. Episode 34 - Arkansas - Who Killed Melissa Witt? More:'I want justice for my father': An investigation into the 1989 death of Ronnie Johnson. The keys were still in the ignition. Above the railroad tracks near Gurdon, a mysterious floating light has been spotted. 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. 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. 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. It was leaking oil badly; there was mud on the windshield; new scratches on both sides;and the antenna on the backwas bent. Although the region has its fair share of beauty and wonder, thats not all youll find there. Because of the lack of leads, her murder is now considered to be a cold case. Her daughters are now 44 and 46. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. We were robbed of her wisdom and just her life in general.. We have had several people tell us she was not getting along at home. Arkansas Death Records Indexes, Obituaries and Cemeteries by County. Records in the Missing Person File are retained indefinitely or until the individual is located or the record is canceled by the entering agency. 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.". 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. "This would have been around 1989 or 1990," McCaster told HuffPost. Georgia said that this was strange behavior from Dana. Arkansas isnt always peaceful forests and serene waterfalls. Amy Anstutz saw the burglar in the house. 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. You may also email information to the Detectives, by clicking on the link. 5 The Florence Salon Murders. If I did, I would certainly honor your most understandable request.. Both tried to interview witnesses, but they could only speak with certain people. Workman was 6 feet tall and 135 pounds. Crime in Arkansas. We aim to deliver infotainment about where you live that your real estate agent won't tell you. Melissa is pronounced deceased. I've stood in the same parking lot where Melissa went missing. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's last year of reporting. She wouldn't let her dad wait on that.. 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.
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