arkansas unsolved murders arkansas unsolved murders

Spreading your gift out through monthly contributions is a great solution for your budget and ours. 2023 Central Arkansas Library System. The movie spawned four sequels. Fact check: Man charged with murder in North Carolina is not George Floyd's brother. 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. Kevin and Don had avoided being caught. It is also known as the "Boys on the Tracks" case. Police quickly orchestrated an intense investigation. Honor or memorial gifts are an everlasting way to pay tribute to someone who has touched your life. Most Dangerous Places in Arkansas The 10 Murder Capitals Of Arkansas For 2021 1. Little Rock Theres a serial killer running loose between Hot Springs and LR. North Little Rock | Powered by CivicLive | document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Intrado Corporation | Contact Us, Real Estate Development Property for Sale, Board of Equalization/Pulaski County Board, Non-uniformed Employees Retirement Board/Pension Board, Residential Housing Facilities Board/Public Facilities Board, Find Community Development Grant Information. He then caught up with Larey as she tried to escape. CrimeDoor opens the 'AR' door to unsolved murders. However, Matrisciana successfully appealed the verdict, which was overturned in 1999. While the missing persons case dragged on for close to a year, things took a frightening turn when a hunter stumbled upon Edwards partially buried remains in the woods. Over 50 years later, the case remains cold. On August 23, 1987, the bodies of 16-year-old Don Henry and 17-year-old Kevin Ives were hit by a freight train in Alexander, Arkansas, United States, as they were laying on the tracks. Cold case is finally cracked and the killer is identified. CALS will select the site and provide landscaping and lighting as necessary. 1. The state medical examiner, Dr. Fahmy Malak, said they had been under the influence of marijuana and ruled the deaths accidental. Ford claimed that hed spotted the beast only days before on a hunting trip, and decided to shoot at it with his buddies. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. Inside the vehicle they recovered his phone, two credit cards, and his laptop. You cansubscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. or redistributed. William Gardiner, a preacher of the Primitive Methodist Chapel, was suspected due . Maybe they had seen a drug drop that was connected to alleged cocaine smuggling via the Mena Airport. The killings were also the inspiration for the 1976 movieThe Town That Dreaded Sundown, which Texarkana still shows each Halloween in a park near one of the crime scenes. When traveling through southwest Arkansas, we advise sticking to the main roads. The only items missing were his keys and wallet. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! He is not sure why someone would do that, however. The claim that there is an active serial killer in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is FALSE, based on our research. (Robbi . Neither Kevin nor Don owned such a tarp. Others reported seeing a man in military fatigues loitering near the section of tracks where the boys bodies were discovered. Adding to the creepiness of the case, some self-proclaimed web-sleuths have tenuously linked the Phantom with San Franciscos notorious Zodiac Killer. NeverForgotten.ar.govincludes all missing persons from Arkansas and will be updated regularly. Newly appointed prosecutor Richard Garrett had Kevin and Dons bodies exhumed for a second autopsy to be performed by a noted expert. SEARCY, Ark. Details: In the pre-dawn hours of August 23, 1987, a seventy-five car, 6,000 ton Union Pacific cargo train made its regular night run to the UP freight yard in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The FBI was brought in, as well as the Texas Rangers. Spotlighting was a fairly widespread activity among the local boys. They searched the area, but were unable to find the man. Authorities charged a neighbor, Odus Davidson, with the crime, as mob violence loomed. Both are similar in appearance, with witnesses describing them as glowing white lights that occasionally move throughout the woods. NeverForgotten.ar.gov includes all missing persons from Arkansas and will be updated regularly. Rumors began to circulate that the man she had been having an affair with, Sgt. The other most investigated type of crime is rape, as the statute of limitations on this type of crime is 6 years. That led police to suspect that they had ended up arresting the Phantom Killer. 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. Another attributes the light to his wifes lantern, as she eternally searches for her husbands body. "ATTENTION Be on high alert in HOT SPRINGS, AR, and surrounding areas," reads a widely shared Facebook imageposted April 12. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The second attack came about a month after Hollis and Larey were assaulted. He placed the train into an emergency stop position and laid down on the horn. Several people were implicated in this conspiracy, which involved numerous investigations and two grand juries. They put him behind bars for car theft. 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. The Natural State has more than enough of its dark secrets and skeletons in the closet to ruin the serenity. Others countered that he was in good spirits before he vanished. In April, Paul Martin, 16, and Betty Jo Booker, 15, were found murdered after a high school dance. The Creepy Truth About The Texarkana Murder Mystery, The Phantom Killer: Unlocking the Mystery of the Texarkana Serial Murders: The Story of a Town in Terror. New Hampshire's most notorious crime is an unsolved serial murder case involving four female victims killed between 1977 and 1985. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The exception to this is when DNA evidence can be processed. Location: Alexander, Arkansas Map. Rate and review titles you borrow and share your opinions on them. by Janie Jones | Mar 25, 2022 Murder Mystery: The Moab Murders, Pt. 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.. 3.75. Very interesting article from AY Magazine. Then under the direction of Captain Leonard Montgomery, the cold case squad was officially in operation. One of Richard Garretts first directives was to have the bodies exhumed for further examination. Submit Via Email. 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. Whats more, both lights share equally murky origins. 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.. Crime Tip Hotline. He beat her as well, and sexually assaulted her with the barrel of the gun he had threatened them with. 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. Your monthly donation provides ongoing and predictable support we can count on to fund educational and cultural programming for the patrons, communities, and neighborhoods being served by CALS. Five months after the deaths, Kevin and Dons parents held a press conference. new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help - It was the scandal that rocked the state of Arkansas in the mid-1970s - a well-known doctor's affair leading to a murder for hire. Nearly three decades after the investigation hit a dead end, Texarkanas Charles B. From chilling 'deep freeze' murder to mum torched in a churchyard, the terrifying unsolved crimes that time forgot. 1. Read our Privacy Policy. Arkansas cold case from 1990 finally solved, Faulkner County Sheriff's Office revealed. He was originally placed there in hopes that someone would identify him or claim the body, but no one ever came forward. Unfortunately, the law barred Peggy from testifying against her husband, and the detectives lacked evidence strong enough to convict Swinney for murder. "You may not know a thing, you may know something you don't realize you know, so we would love to be able to speak to anyone who had a relationship with Mr. Renegar," the sheriff said. Two unsolved Ozarks murders are back in the news this week. He occasionally stayed overnight, but he always left the following day on the afternoon train. They were lying motionless on the tracks, in a position nearly identical to Kevin and Dons. It was unusual for husband not to keep in touch. The first swarm struck in fall 2010, with most quakes registering under 2.0 on the Richter scale, meaning not everyone in town may have felt or even noticed the shaking. Morgan Nick Missing. Sports reporter by day, internet sleuth at night, keep up with Brandon at On Campus Sports, Highlands Today, or on Twitter. Featured Cases. who was "fortunate enough to escape his grasp" in 1994, the sheriff's office said. The mysterious Moonlight Murders rocked the sleepy southern town of Texarkana in 1946. 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. Updated: Feb 28, 2023 / 08:40 PM CST. That night, Mikio Miyazawa, 44, Yasuko Miyazawa, 41, and their children Niina, 10, and Rei, 6, were all stabbed to death by an unknown assailant. The secret starts in the wooded terrain of Jack Mountain in Hot Spring County, where hunters found the remains of Linda Edwards back in 1977. In March of this year, however,the sheriff's office announced investigators were using Snapshot DNA Phenotyping for the first time in hopes of tracking down the killer. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Cold cases are reported incidents of crime that were not solved during the initial investigation. Here's what is known about them SABRINA LYNN UNDERWOOD:. On December 30, 2000, a gruesome murder occurred in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo, Japan. Date: August 23, 1987. 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. Nicknames: Kevin (Larry); Don (Donald) FORT SMITH, Ark. The case remained unsolved for decades, until the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office took another crack at the Walker family murders case. After two weeks after her disappearance, a grid search was undertaken in the forest where she had disappeared. 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. Swinney died in 1994, and no evidence has come out to unequivocally prove whether or not he was the Phantom Killer. His murder remains unsolved. Eventually, Glasgow and his company were cleared of anything illegal by the audit. 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. As of this writing, though, no one has come forward claiming responsibility. Judge orders North Little Rock mental health facility to pay $2.5M in teen rape case. All Rights Reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Naturally, a state this friendly to mobsters was bound to have a fair amount of shady business deals. The most serious crime committed in the state by the Barrow Gang was the murder of Marshal Henry D. Humphrey of Alma . 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. According to the New York Daily News, the terror began on February 22, when a date that was going pretty well ended in tragedy. In June 1988, a local man came forward, claiming that on the night of the murder, he saw two police officers beating two boys senseless in a store parking lot before tossing them into a police car and driving away. "In light of this new evidence, this investigation is ongoing and will continue," Sheriff Tim Ryals said at a press conference. Also called the Southern Sasquatch, sightings of the Fouke Monster date back to the 1940s, but arguably the most famous accounts occurred in the early 70s. These cases surround themselves with weird clues, strange evidence and testimony, and odd circumstances, all of which serve to launch them into the realms of the most mysterious unsolved crimes. The FBI is involved in the investigation because the incident took place on federal land. HOT SPRINGS -- The new year began with some homicides still unsolved. Since the 1930s, people have been debating the cause of the light. Lying parallel to both of them was Dons .22 rifle. The officers later returned to the scene without the boys. Who had covered them with it and why? Cold case is finally cracked and the killer is identified. He does not believe Don would do that because he would not want the wood getting scratched. Within about three seconds, he hit the boys. Nate Coulter, the Executive Director of the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS), has appointed a committee of local historians and CALS staff members to accept RFQs (Requests for Qualifications) from qualified artists who are interested in designing, creating, and installing A MEMORIAL TO AFRICAN AMERICAN CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS WHO SERVED WITH THE UNION ARMY IN ARKANSAS. Arkansas: The West Memphis murders of Stephen Branch, Christopher Byers, and James Moore. The murder remains unsolved. NeverForgotten.ar.gov is also made possible by the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police, Arkansas Sheriffs Association, Arkansas State Crime Lab, Arkansas State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation Little Rock Division, Morgan Nick Foundation and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. All rights reserved. Over the years, 7,797 of those murders were solved, leaving over 2,100 unsolved murders in Arkansas today. P.O. The attacks served partially as the basis for a motion picture, The . Interestingly, Campbell and Lane were involved in investigating Harmon. The Doe Network has 49 Unidentified Victims listed found in Arkansas.. 32 John Doe's & 17 Jane Doe's.. In the 1970s, Arkansas wasnt the most hospitable place for an unwed mother of three. Residents honored their memory with a memorial last spring. The task of these retired officers was to review cold case homicide files in an attempt to solve them by using modern science and investigation techniques. Harsent was six months pregnant at the time of her death. The grand jury urged authorities to continue investigating the deaths and the drug problem in the county. 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. One week before Kevin and Don were killed, a man wearing military fatigues had been spotted in the vicinity. They cite both killers specific victims, method of operation, preferred murder weapon, and the similaralbeit stretchedtime period as evidence of a connection. Fact check: Ballot positions are done by a random draw in each county in Arkansas. She successfully nominated several Boone County, Arkansas, properties to the National Register of Historic Places, including her own Barham ancestral home. Leave your legacy with a planned gift that can help ensure quality materials, programming, and services for our libraries. Police who searched the scene later denied that Stephen had told them about the tarp. Whether it was by choice, though, well never know. They appeared as a series of 10 circles as large as 9 meters (30 ft) in diameter. It's been over 20 years and people are still looking for answers in the murder of Arkansas teenager, Melissa Witt. Anyone with information that can help solve this case is asked to call the Cold Case Squad at 816-234-5136. Nearly half of US murders going unsolved, data show by: Tyler Wornell. 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. That night, they chose their usual hunting ground, along the railroad tracks that ran behind Dons house. When police officer Danny Allen stopped to question him, the man opened fire. Remembering Ella is available at bookstores including the Central Arkansas Library Systems Bookstore and Galleries at Library Square. If you would like to make a donation by check, print this donation form, fill it out and mail it with your check to: Central Arkansas Library System It's been nearly 30 years since Pam Felkins was kidnapped from her job at an Arkansas video store, raped and then murdered -- but . Just as mysteriously as the killings started, however, they subsided. Your help is needed in solving this murder so if you have any information please call Detective Sergeant D. Dallas at 501-771-7152. Simply go tokrogercommunityrewards.com, click Create an Account to sign in, and selectCALS Foundationas your organization to support. "So we continued on from there to do actual genealogy work. Knowing that most of the evidence against him was hearsay, Abernathy decided to appeal his case. Garrett had another autopsy conducted on Kevin and Don. In his first year as Douglas County Sheriff Roldan Turner had two separate murders to solve Ronnie Johnson and Kelle Ann Workman. Either way, well take our chances with the well-lit, paved areas of Fouke when passing through. In the early 1900s, down in Nevada County, the man who would come to be known as Old Mike was a familiar face in and around the city of Prescott. Murderpedia has thousands of hours of work behind it. SMITH, Kirt Douglas 100 Rock Street As his train drew closer, he made the horrifying discovery that two boys were lying motionless across the railroad tracks. Three hours later, Stephen Shroyers locomotive came speeding down Bryant Hill. SUBSCRIBE TO FOX NEWS FIRST -- YOUR BRIEFING ON ALL THE STORIES TO START THE DAY. Suspects: The man wearing military fatigues witnessed by police and others remains a possible suspect, but police have never been able to locate or positively identify him. 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. The state medical examiner, Dr. Malak, concluded they had smoked the equivalent of twenty marijuana cigarettes. They denied any involvement in the case and sued Matrisciana and his film company for defamation, and the judge awarded them $USD598,750. Other medical experts and researchers stated that it was highly unlikely, if not impossible, for a person to pass out from smoking marijuana. Administrative Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm. I got the youtube clip from the Arkansas Times Blog. Yall carry your weapons. He believes the assailant(s) incapacitated one of them, and then, felt like they had to do something to the other one. 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 As a result, the grand jury changed its ruling from "probable homicide" to "definite homicide." Market data provided by Factset. The claim that there is an active serial killer in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is FALSE, based on our research. Phone: 870-633-2611 (24 hours) Email. Garrett then focused on the green tarp. However, the swarms continued over the next two years and increased in magnitude, with one reaching as high as 4.7 in February 2011. Local agencies will provide updated information to ACIC to be included on the website. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The young lovers survived the attack, but had differing reports of who had carried it out. Little Rock, AR. In July 1994, he was convicted of kidnapping a "young, small frame lady" in Cleburne County, Ark. 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. The Doe Network has 33 Missing Persons listed from Arkansas.. 13 Males & 20 Females. 72201. 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. Kevin waited on the porch while Don went inside to talk to his father, Curtis. WAINWRIGHT. It's time she . The 2019 Hot Springs crime rate rose by 12% compared to 2018. In January 2018, former wrestler Billy Jack Haynes came forward, claiming that he had witnessed Kevin and Don's murders and knew who was responsible. To see a complete list of Butler Center Books, visit www.butlercenter.org/publication. Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. The billboard advertises a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the 15-year-old case. FAQs Facebook Hot Cases Inmate Roster. 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. 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. Having had no formal legal classes, she aced the exam and eventually became an expert in abstract and title law. Reports from news sites Arkansas Democrat Gazette and THV11do not say anything about a serial killer. They had both been shot several times in the back of the head. Teenagers Don Henry, 16, and Kevin Ives, 17, popular students who were gearing up for their senior year at Bryant High School, had decided to hang out with a group of friends at a local commuter parking lot, a popular gathering place for teens. Picavettold The Sentinel-Record that the FBI is working with local law enforcement because the investigation involves an incident on federal land. Hot Springs police shared the NPS statement to its Facebook page and urged people to "please pay attention to the 2nd paragraph" which says "there is no indication that this was other than an isolated incident.". need your help for this. There is a homicide investigation in Hot Springs involving a 32-year-old woman found dead on National Park Service land, but investigators said it is an isolated incident. ", Pam Felkins, 32, was kidnapped on Feb. 2, 1990 from a video rental store where she worked in Greenbrier, Ark. Larey claimed that the man had been black, despite not having seen his face, but Hollis said he believed the man to have been white. Extra Notes: Results: Unresolved. Local researchers point to the gruesome slaying of William McClain for the legends authenticity. Map Message from the Sheriff Most Wanted Press Releases. The first time you log in to our catalog you will need to create an account. Translate. Her husband, Clyde, returned to their house to find her car still in the driveway, the TV on, and money in her purse. Man charged with murder in North Carolina is not George Floyd's brother, Ballot positions are done by a random draw in each county in Arkansas, National Park Service seeks tips from the public to aid homicide investigation in Hot Springs National Park, National Park Service and FBI Seek Information Regarding Hot Springs National Park Homicide Investigation, Woman found dead in Hot Springs National Park; death investigated as homicide, Police investigating after woman's remains found at Hot Springs National Park, Investigation by FBI, NPS closes part of Blacksnake Sunday. A composite photo of a potential suspect was released in hopes of generating local leads, but it did not generate any. All four of the people on the train who were able to observe the scene prior to the accident stated that the bodies were partially covered by the green tarp. At the time of that incident, Renegar was armed with a knife and bound his victim. ARKANSAS (KNWA/KFTA) There are at least four unsolved missing person cases in North Central Arkansas since 1991, and all are women. Home Email Facebook. 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,. A grand jury reversed its original verdict of probable homicide to definite homicide and Arkansans havent forgotten the boys on the tracks. But some citizens still believed the wrong man had gone to the gallows. On the night Kevin and Don died, witnesses again reported seeing a man in military fatigues. To cover their tracks, they laid them on the railroad tracks and covered them up with a tarp. 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. Thats where Maud Crawford came in. Maine's oldest unsolved murder case is that of 13-year-old Mary Catherine Olenchuk. The number of homicides stood at 10 - an increase of 4 compared to 2018. It's been nearly 30 years since Pam Felkins was kidnapped from her job at an Arkansas video store, rapedand then murdered -- but authorities announced Monday they may finally know who killed her. He had apparently passed away the night before. Examiners concluded that both were dead before being run over by the train. These cases are typically fairly old, some having occured as long as twenty years ago. Additional counties and states will be added to this database as time and funding permit. 869 ratings108 reviews. Before thiswebsitewas created, the public had limited access to information on missing persons. In June of that year, police arrested Youell Lee Swinney, 29, for stealing cars.