These are the three cases that remain unsolved. In recent years, sightings have been sporadic. See more ideas about murder mysteries, murder, mystery. Speculation began to rise, with many residents wondering if the boys had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, the boys parents didnt agree with that conclusionthey were certain their sons died of foul play. 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, Arkansas with medicine for. The 2019 crime rate in Hot Springs, AR is 620 (City-Data.com crime index), which is 2.3 times higher than the U.S. average. Arkansas Cold Cases. When police found a 21-year-old female brutally murdered in her hotel room, the mystery was just beginning. Honor or memorial gifts are an everlasting way to pay tribute to someone who has touched your life. Within hours, she had organized a search party. The idea that someone could complete disappear in the digital age seems rather implausible, but thats exactly what John Glasgow did in 2008. The billboard advertises a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the 15-year-old case. Remembering Ella reveals the truth behind an atrocity that has been a staple of local folklore for more than a century and still intrigues true crime sleuths and historians across America. Former Saline County prosecuting attorney Dan Harmon investigated the case and presented evidence to the grand jury. . jerrysgirl67. Article continues below advertisement. Who had covered them with it and why? Then things got weirder. Police quickly orchestrated an intense investigation. Adding to the creepiness of the case, some self-proclaimed web-sleuths have tenuously linked the Phantom with San Franciscos notorious Zodiac Killer. The second attack came about a month after Hollis and Larey were assaulted. Featuring both well-known and more obscure cases spanning across the 20th and 21st century, Unsolved Murders combines page-turning text . Police who searched the scene later denied that Stephen had told them about the tarp. Thurman Abernathy, had gotten her pregnant. In April, Paul Martin, 16, and Betty Jo Booker, 15, were found murdered after a high school dance. In August 2016, Linda sued the United States over Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. NeverForgotten.ar.gov, launched in 2016 and hosted by Arkansas Crime Information Center, enables the public to access information on missing persons cases with an easy-to-use searchable database. The unit is made up of retired North Little Rock Police officers who have agreed to volunteer their expertise in helping solve these cases. In recent years, more designs have been popping up in southern areas of the state as well. Ryals said over the years, DNA tests were performed on "numerous persons of interests" with negative results. Rumors began to circulate that the man she had been having an affair with, Sgt. At the time, Edwards had been missing for months. Simply go tokrogercommunityrewards.com, click Create an Account to sign in, and selectCALS Foundationas your organization to support. (Faulkner County Sheriff's Office). A reporter from the local paper thought enough of the incident to file a story, earning the attention of low-budget filmmakers, who turned the encounter into a clumsy horror movie that propelled the creature to national stardom. Harmon dropped all charges against Abernathy, who had recently been promoted to lieutenant. The officers later returned to the scene without the boys. The Gurdon Light was first spotted in the early 1930s, following the murder of a railroad foreman. Arkansans who have missing loved ones should share as much information as possible, especially the most recent available photographs with their local law enforcement agency. He also drove a mustard yellow, long-wheel base Ford pickup, a small gray car, and a Ford LTD. Edward Keith Renegar was convicted of kidnapping a "young, small frame lady" in n Cleburne County, Ark. Arkansas911news said the bodies were dismembered and chopped up. 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. Upon a close examination of the crime scene, police discovered that each victim had been struck in the head with some kind of blunt object. He believes that Kevin and Don stumbled on either drug traffickers or a drug lab that manufactured methamphetamine and that they were killed as a result. Sports reporter by day, internet sleuth at night, keep up with Brandon at On Campus Sports, Highlands Today, or on Twitter. "As far as an investigating technique, it was a very good one but it actually just wasn't enough," Director of Arkansas State Crime Laboratory Kermit Channel told FOX16. She wanted to keep the baby, he didnt. USA TODAY contacted the Hot Springs Police Department about the claimand was referred to the National Park Service. It is not known if the boys were Kevin and Don. Leave your legacy with a planned gift that can help ensure quality materials, programming, and services for our libraries. They talked for about fifteen minutes before he left. The idea was born in late 2003 by Captain Charles Mask (ret.) He said that he and Kevin were going to go out hunting. Police ruled their deaths accidental, with the state medical examiner declaring that they were under the influence of marijuana and had passed out on the tracks. 2023 Central Arkansas Library System. Don was a natural comedian and Kevin was his best audience. A composite photo of a potential suspect based on DNA was released earlier this year. It ranks as one of the most remembered cases in the entire series. AR 72336. Over a month after she went missing, her body was found in the Ozark National Forest. SEARCY, Ark. They traveled to Petit Jean Mountain, the location of his last cell phone signal, and found his SUV parked outside the Mather Lodge. We have many On December 30, 2000, a gruesome murder occurred in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo, Japan. Give a donation in someones name to mark a special occasion, honor a friend or colleague or remember a beloved family member. Feb 25, 2019 - Explore AY Magazine's board "Arkansas Murder Mysteries", followed by 987 people on Pinterest. by Janie Jones | Mar 25, 2022 Murder Mystery: The Moab Murders, Pt. He determined that tears in Don's t-shirt fabric indicated that he had been stabbed in the back with a large knife and that Kevin had apparently been struck in the head with a rifle butt, possibly Don's (the wound to his cheek matched the shape of the rifle butt). Don and Kevin's parents, however, could . After serving a 10-month sentence in north Arkansas, he was released from prison in May of 1995. Watch Video: Ark. Post Sep 03, 2007 #1 2007-09-03T19:31. . Local gun shops enjoyed a flurry of business, as people flocked to buy up firearms to defend themselves against a possible attack. When traveling through southwest Arkansas, we advise sticking to the main roads. Authorities charged a neighbor, Odus Davidson, with the crime, as mob violence loomed. In October 1988, shortly after the broadcast, the results were released. They had also been shot to death. It started as a normal Saturday night on August 22, 1987 in Bryant, Arkansas. The number of homicides stood at 10 - an increase of 4 compared to 2018. Kevins father, Larry, could not believe that his son was knocked out on marijuana or into any kind of heavy drugs. Yet the true story behind the "Texarkana Moonlight Murders" is as chilling as anything seen on the silver screenand made all the more unsettling because the case remains unsolved nearly 70 years later. He had apparently passed away the night before. Arkansas cold case from 1990 finally solved, Faulkner County Sheriff's Office revealed. One of them would shine a light in the animals eyes, transfixing the prey while the other fired. However, he repeatedly received resistance from authorities, who seemed unwilling to cooperate or change their opinions about the case. Location: Alexander, Arkansas SUBSCRIBE TO FOX NEWS FIRST -- YOUR BRIEFING ON ALL THE STORIES TO START THE DAY. When police officer Danny Allen stopped to question him, the man opened fire. The trains engineer didnt see the boys in time to stop. The claim that there is an active serial killer in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is FALSE, based on our research. The CALS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Translate. 100 Rock Street Kevin waited on the porch while Don went inside to talk to his father, Curtis. NeverForgotten.ar.gov, launched in 2016 and hosted by Arkansas Crime Information Center, enables the public to access information on missing persons cases with an easy-to-use searchable database. In 1995, the investigation into Kevin and Don's murders was officially closed without their killer(s) captured or identified. Featured Cases. Gould, who was from Mountain View, was found dead . Ives, meanwhile, had blunt force trauma to his skull. Crop circles first popped up in Arkansas in summer 2003. Thank you very much in advance. Remembering Ella is available at bookstores including the Central Arkansas Library Systems Bookstore and Galleries at Library Square. Naturally, a state this friendly to mobsters was bound to have a fair amount of shady business deals. Eventually, Glasgow and his company were cleared of anything illegal by the audit. The bodies of Richard Griffin, 29, and Polly Ann Moore, 17, were discovered the following morning. His murder remains unsolved. plans and enthusiasm "ATTENTION Be on high alert in HOT SPRINGS, AR, and surrounding areas," reads a widely shared Facebook imageposted April 12. Officials recently used the DNA recovered from Felkins to run a genealogy test and family-tree building technique to identify Renegar as the primary suspect. New Hampshire's most notorious crime is an unsolved serial murder case involving four female victims killed between 1977 and 1985. The FBI was brought in, as well as the Texas Rangers. FAQs Facebook Hot Cases Inmate Roster. All investigators could confirm was that the killer was a man who wore a white hood, preferred to attack young people late at night in isolated areas, and often used a gun to kill his victims. Cold cases are reported incidents of crime that were not solved during the initial investigation. Legal Statement. Curtis recalls that Don came into his bedroom at around 12:15am. That all changed in 2010, when a series of relatively minor earthquakes shook the town. Thats where Maud Crawford came in. An exhaustive search of the area returned no corroborating evidence, however, and new evidence of his whereabouts has yet to surface. Legally declared dead by Ouachita County in 1969, Crawfords death was found to be the result of foul play perpetrated by person or persons unknown.. The expert pathologist, Joe Burton, found an apparent stab wound in Don's back and a wound to Kevin's cheek. Now author Nita Gould unveils the remarkable story in her book Remembering Ella: A 1912 Murder and Mystery in the Arkansas Ozarks, just released by Butler Center Books. Kevin and Don set off to go spotlighting, a form of night hunting which is illegal in Arkansas. Furthermore, he found evidence that Dr. Malak did not follow proper procedures when conducting the autopsies. According to the New York Daily News, the terror began on February 22, when a date that was going pretty well ended in tragedy. When they were about six poles away from Kevin and Don, his conductor yelled out big-o and he immediately realized that there were bodies on the tracks. You cansubscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. It also looked into an alleged drug ring in Saline County which ran out of Mena Airport and was covered up by police. Picavettold The Sentinel-Record that the FBI is working with local law enforcement because the investigation involves an incident on federal land. Within about three seconds, he hit the boys. According to Stephen, they questioned the existence of the tarp. His behavior had aroused suspicion. While there was one major suspect, he was never convicted of these crimes. The state medical examiner, Dr. Fahmy Malak, said they had been under the influence of marijuana and ruled the deaths accidental. In 1946, the town of Texarkana, which straddles the state line between Texas and Arkansas, was rocked by a series of brutal attacks that ultimately left five people dead and three gravely injured. Arkansas, USA : C : Hoyt Franklin CLINES March 25, 1981: 1: Arkansas, USA : Johnie Michael . While the appeal wound its way through the courts, the case was passed along to newly appointed prosecutor Dan Harmon. This Side of Seven: Arkansas' First School Shooter by Jason Pederson | Dec 23, 2021 Since the 1930s, people have been debating the cause of the light. For author interviews, please inquire at author@rememberingella.com. His findings did little to sway the rest of the force, Henry recounted, and he was reportedly told by his superiors that theres too much money involved before being reassigned. Garrett also believes that the tarp existed. He also suspects that there was some sort of police cover-up involved in the case; however, he was not sure if it was inadvertent or deliberate. In an effort to halt the violence and capture the suspect, police put the city under lockdown each day at dusk, patrolling the streets in heavily armed patrols. Over the years, 7,797 of those murders were solved, leaving over 2,100 unsolved murders in Arkansas today. Here's what is known about them SABRINA LYNN UNDERWOOD:. "It is with 99.99% accuracy that it is Edward Keith Renegars DNA that was collected as evidence from Pam Felkins during the initial investigation," Ryals told reporters. It was featured in a two-part episode of "The Trail Went Cold" podcast. SMITH, Kirt Douglas need your help for this. When a fight broke out between the two, he allegedly killed her. In the meantime, Captain Mask began contacting retired North Little Rock Police officers to seek out interested individuals who would be willing to volunteer their expertise and help solve some of these cold cases. It's time she . Since then, three more retired officers, Al "Big Al" Schultz from NLRPD, Bob Scott from Jacksonville PD, and Del Geiber from the VA Police, joined the team. Market data provided by Factset. Garrett was later interviewed by Robert Stack; he claimed that there was drug trafficking throughout Bryant and Saline County that was also connected to several other counties and states. Rebecca Pocklington; Holly Christodoulou; Published: 15:31, 19 Feb 2020; Additional counties and states will be added to this database as time and funding permit. He told police that they were laying motionless on the tracks, parallel to one another with their arms straight down at their sides, their bodies partially covered by a green tarp. In July 1994, he was convicted of kidnapping a "young, small frame lady" in Cleburne County, Ark. Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies continue to work on the cases, which date from the last week of 2020 through . A grand jury reversed its original verdict of probable homicide to definite homicide and Arkansans havent forgotten the boys on the tracks. Virgil and Katie Starks were shot in their own home in May. One day, residents found Mike lying motionless under a tree. vetoes transgender youth treatment ban, View Gallery: Meet the candidates running for US senate from Arkansas, The claim: There is an active serial killer in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He does not believe that anyone could sleep through that kind of noise. They searched the area, but were unable to find the man. Five people were killed, and three were wounded. Interestingly, Campbell and Lane were involved in investigating Harmon. In the last 5 years Hot Springs has seen . Harmon was later arrested on charges for running a drug ring, selling primarily cocaine, from his office. They thought maybe that was evidence of a possible ransom or extortion, but the money in his bank accounts hasnt been touched. The boys' bodies were terribly mangled. Unsolved Cases - Howard County Sheriff AR Unsolved Cases Howard County Sheriff's Department Case of Missing Person: Nona Jean Young (Coleman) W/F, 02-26-51 On August 20, 2002, the case of Nona Jean Young was reopened at the request of her family. Dr. Frank Schambagh, a professor at Southern Arkansas University, said that the tracks were man-made and that the anatomy of the Fouke Monster didnt fit with the known species of primates. Suddenly, while going through the town of Alexander, he saw something in his path; he could not tell what it was. These investigators examine and submit evidence for testing to the state crime lab for new testing using modern techniques, especially in the field of DNA. The bodies of Richard Griffin, 29, and Polly Ann Moore, 17, were discovered the following morning. The house belonged to two of the victims, 34-year-old Robert Gierse and 27-year-old Robert Hinson. Last updated February 23, 2023. . He later served time in prison on federal drug and racketeering charges. SHARES. Authorities charged a neighbor, Odus Davidson, with the crime, as mob violence loomed. 72201. They embalmed him and put his corpse on display outside of the local funeral home. To cover their tracks, they laid them on the railroad tracks and covered them up with a tarp. Her body was found the next day at a dump site in Faulkner County, where authorities determined she was raped and "violently murdered. The Arkansas Attorney Generals office serves as the main point of contact between theNational Center for Missing and Exploited Childrenand missing children organizations nonprofit in the State. Newly appointed prosecutor Richard Garrett had Kevin and Dons bodies exhumed for a second autopsy to be performed by a noted expert. Residents honored their memory with a memorial last spring. So far, the run had been clear sailing, as engineer Stephen Shroyer approached the small town of Bryant, Arkansas. The claim that there is an active serial killer in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is FALSE, based on our research. A traveling salesman, he would swing by each month to sell stationery to homes and local businesses. Along with their stormy relationship, further implicating Abernathy in her murder was testimony from Edwards friend, Mary Patterson, who told police that Edwards was going to meet Abernathy the night she disappeared. Thank you for supporting our journalism. (KATV) It was September 27, 2004, when the family of 22-year-old Rebekah Gould. It's been over 20 years and people are still looking for answers in the murder of Arkansas teenager, Melissa Witt. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, U.S. General Services Administrations Missing Child Notice Program. Hope, AR 71801. Linda at first trusted Harmon, but later came to believe he was involved. But some citizens still believed the wrong man had gone to the gallows. Hempstead County Sheriff's Office . He believes that others were involved or have knowledge of who was involved. Fact check: Man charged with murder in North Carolina is not George Floyd's brother. Henrys shirt was in tatters, with lacerations all over his body indicative of stabbing. The police failed to find any blood from a supposed wound inflicted by Ford, but they did find a strange set of tracks out in the woods, as well as scratches on Fords door. Felkins, 32, was kidnapped Feb. 2, 1990 from a video rental store in Greenbrier, Ark., located about 40 miles northwest of Little Rock. However, no suspects were identified. Another attributes the light to his wifes lantern, as she eternally searches for her husbands body. who was the head of the Investigations Division at the time. Spotlighting was a fairly widespread activity among the local boys. Lying parallel to both of them was Dons .22 rifle. Her body was never recovered. The sheriff's office said that investigators collected DNA from Renegars biological daughter, which also confirmed a 99.99% match with the DNA found on Felkins. After 25 years, though, it appears as if the case will forever remain unsolved. From mafia to monsters, check out these 10 unsolved mysteries in Arkansas. Whether it was by choice, though, well never know. What the media quickly dubbed the Texarkana Moonlight Murders, carried out by a shadowy figure the local paper called the "Phantom Killer," sent the small southern city into a panic. Captain Mask directed the Crimes Against Persons Unit to gather up all of the open case files, making sure they had as much of the original files as possible. The West Memphis Three: Arkansas's most controversial murder case involves three men who were tried and convicted as teenagers in 1994 of the 1993 murders of three eight-year old boys (Steve Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers) in West Memphis, Arkansas. Two more appeared in the following yearsone in 2004 in Peach Orchard and another in Delaplaine three years later, two towns less than five miles apart. Just a few months later, on August 24, Kevin's sister, Alicia, passed away at the age of fifty-three. Arkansas parents dispute ruling on sons' deaths, Parents Doubt Report Blaming Marijuana: Youths' Deaths on Train Tracks Probed, Forensic photos indicate teens were injured prior to being struck by train, Garrett says, Second Autopsy Report Concludes Teens Murdered, Saline County Sheriff criticizes Malak for his handling of deaths, Prosecutor says teens hit by train may have seen drug dealers before death, Prosecutor: Teens killer will be brought to justice, Teens deaths ruled homicides after parents push for facts, Patrick Matrisciana's US Court of Appeals. Mrs. Murdaugh was found by her daughter lying in the doorway of the kitchen and dining room, with multiple wounds to the head. Little Rock, AR. A remake is tentatively scheduled to start production later this year. Five months after the deaths, Kevin and Dons parents held a press conference. Examiners concluded that both were dead before being run over by the train. Shortly after 7 a.m., Phillip's little body was found. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 orcalsfoundation@cals.org. Before this website was created, the public had limited access to information on missing persons. They were also told some incriminating stories by his wife Peggy, 21, whom they had arrested a few weeks earlier for the same thing. That led police to suspect that they had ended up arresting the Phantom Killer. Garrett then focused on the green tarp. He occasionally stayed overnight, but he always left the following day on the afternoon train. Witnesses say that they saw her standing next to a maroon car driven by a man in his 30s on August 9, 1970. Results: Unresolved. - A poem titled "New Lite" sparks memories of an old, dark secret. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Abdulhakim Mujahid To further muddy the legend, independent researchers have argued that the tracks found by Ford and others were forgeries. To this date, they have solved 6 cold cases and have evidence pending at the state crime lab that they hope will lead to the identification of more perpertrators in other cold cases. It was on his porch and presumably seeking revenge. It was alleged that they were the officers seen beating the two boys in a store parking lot. Arkansas State Parks kicks off centennial celebration 16 hours ago. The man ordered Hollis to take his pants off, then beat him badly enough to put him into a coma for several days. new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help In late December 1988, the grand jury investigating the case released their final report, stating that the deaths were the result of foul play; however, no indictments were issued regarding the deaths. Before being treated at the hospital for minor injuries, Ford explained to the officers that he routinely spotted the monster on his property terrorizing his livestock, so they decided to investigate. Arkansas Category page Edit The Category is reserved for cases of Unsolved Mysteries that occurred in Arkansas. An unidentified assailant often known as the Texarkana Phantom Killer committed a number of murders and assaults in Texarkana (Miller County, Arkansas, and Bowie County, Texas) through the spring of 1946. However, the swarms continued over the next two years and increased in magnitude, with one reaching as high as 4.7 in February 2011. Arkansas On Sunday, August 23, 1987, at around 4:00 a.m., the bodies of teens Kevin Ives and Don Henry were spotted by the crew of a Union Pacific locomotive near Crooked Creek trestle in. In Izard County, a billboard advertising a reward in the murder case of Rebekah Gould was installed near Melbourne. Key witnesses were examined, leads were hunted down, evidence was poured overbut nothing concrete ever came from it. Homicides are the most commom types of cases worked by the cold case investigators as there is no statute of limitations on when a person can be charged for committing this crime. Virgil, 37, was killed, but Katie made it to the safety of a neighbor's house despite being hit in the face with two bullets. Neither had they ever seen Kevin spaced out nor any signs that he was into drugs. . When Stephen laid down on the diesel horn, he got no reaction from them. Swinney died in 1994, and no evidence has come out to unequivocally prove whether or not he was the Phantom Killer. the Murderpedia project stay alive. I got the youtube clip from the Arkansas Times Blog. Adding to the intrigue, all of his files on Crawford disappeared after a short trip away from the office. She hoped to force eight federal agencies and three Arkansas-based law enforcement agencies to produce any documents they had about the case. At 5:30 am on 7 January, 1977, a young boy, Phillip Watts, aged 11, left his house to deliver newspapers around his home in St. Laurent, Montreal. He placed the train into an emergency stop position and laid down on the horn. Those brave enough to wander into the woods risk running into the nefarious Fouke Monster. HOT SPRINGS -- The new year began with some homicides still unsolved. Alma, ARJune 9, 1995; A six-year-old vanishes while at a little league game. Cold case is finally cracked and the killer is identified. The sheriff office's said that Renegar drove a red 1984 B2200 Mazda Pickup with a white camper shell. The BridgeWay mental-health hospital, admitting it had wronged a 14-year-old patient who . She successfully nominated several Boone County, Arkansas, properties to the National Register of Historic Places, including her own Barham ancestral home. As a result, the families were not able to move forward with their investigation. Medical examiners reported that both boys had suffered injuries prior to the train accident. Thats the last time anyone ever saw him. Brynn Rainey, 27, vanished in July 1977. The Arkansas Geological Survey was called out to investigate, and while the group noted that there is some evidence that fracking can cause minor earthquakes, they found no link between the drilling and these particular swarms. Whats more, both lights share equally murky origins. One of Richard Garretts first directives was to have the bodies exhumed for further examination. Links: Unsolved Mysteries Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. Through 2013, over 500 quakes have rocked the town. Police have been unable to locate him. They believe that he found out about their investigation and named them as suspects in order to taint their credibility and hinder their investigation into him. Theres not much evidence to support ET being behind the crop circles, and farmers are similarly skeptical that its the work of pranksters. Jay Campbell and Kirk Lane vs. Citizens for an Honest Government, Inc. Ursula Herrmann (10), disappeared on 15 September 1981 and she was found dead in mysterious circumstances. In April, Paul Martin, 16, and Betty Jo Booker, 15, were found murdered after a high school dance. Four days later, the police had found her dead body in a box buried in the woods. (Robbi . I relied extensively on primary, legal, and academic sources such as court case files, original newspaper articles, history and law books, and Barham family documents.. The other most investigated type of crime is rape, as the statute of limitations on this type of crime is 6 years. They were partially covered by a light green tarp. Inmate Roster Map Message from the Sheriff. While there, he allegedly witnessed the murders. He is not sure why someone would do that, however. Their supposed guard dog wasnt even fazed. When 18-year-old Ella Barham was raped, murdered, and dismembered in broad daylight, the crime sent waves of shock through surrounding counties, the Ozarks, and even the national press. What had caused Kevin and Don to lie side-by-side on the railroad tracks? My great grandmother, Angeline Patrick, remains a mystery as far as who she was and who her parents and siblings were. In Cold Blood: The Brutal 1959 Murder of the Walker Family. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. According to the articles, Odis A. Henley, the officer originally assigned to the case, reported to his superiors that all the evidence he uncovered implicated Berg as her killer. Little Rock Friends who were with them that night confirmed this amount. Halloween night, back in 1995, a Rogers mother was stabbed to death while passing out candy. Central Arkansas Library System At 9 a.m. the next morning, June 25, 1983, the victim's body was discovered near 2000 E. 22nd Street, hidden in the brush of a semi-secluded area not far from her home. Curtis had the trains sound checked and found that it was ninety-eight decibels, which is equivalent to the sound of a jackhammer or an air compressor running.