She hoped to force eight federal agencies and three Arkansas-based law enforcement agencies to produce any documents they had about the case. Maine's oldest unsolved murder case is that of 13-year-old Mary Catherine Olenchuk. He had apparently passed away the night before. Cold case is finally cracked and the killer is identified. Give a donation in someones name to mark a special occasion, honor a friend or colleague or remember a beloved family member. The trail went cold from there. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 orcalsfoundation@cals.org. He beat her as well, and sexually assaulted her with the barrel of the gun he had threatened them with. The house belonged to two of the victims, 34-year-old Robert Gierse and 27-year-old Robert Hinson. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. He ruled their deaths an accident. The story haunted Gould for years, especially after she inherited a small tin box filled with Ellas personal belongings. Local researchers point to the gruesome slaying of William McClain for the legends authenticity. That was her immediate reaction to the ruling. Maybe they had seen a drug drop that was connected to alleged cocaine smuggling via the Mena Airport. Uncovered is where the most passionate true crime enthusiasts can learn from and teach others. Most Wanted Press Releases Sex Offenders. Dig deeper into the stories you've heard before, and encounter many others you . Home Email Facebook. Thats where Mike sat for the next six decades. Adding to the intrigue, all of his files on Crawford disappeared after a short trip away from the office. After serving a 10-month sentence in north Arkansas, he was released from prison in May of 1995. . (Faulkner County Sheriff's Office). 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.". Author Nita Gould first heard this disturbing story as a young woman, after discovering Ellas headstone on a trip through an overgrown family graveyard. The state medical examiner, Dr. Malak, concluded they had smoked the equivalent of twenty marijuana cigarettes. He also drove a mustard yellow, long-wheel base Ford pickup, a small gray car, and a Ford LTD. (Faulkner County Sheriff's Office). Arguably the state's most notorious cold case, the mysterious deaths of Don Henry and Kevin Ives still haunt Central Arkansas. A few months later, Abernathy was formally charged with her murder. NeverForgotten.ar.govincludes all missing persons from Arkansas and will be updated regularly. In that case the statute of limitations expires in 15 years. Butler Center Books is the publishing division of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the Central Arkansas Library System. On the night Kevin and Don died, witnesses again reported seeing a man in military fatigues. who was "fortunate enough to escape his grasp," according to Ryals. 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. ", Pam Felkins, 32, was kidnapped on Feb. 2, 1990 from a video rental store where she worked in Greenbrier, Ark. That led police to suspect that they had ended up arresting the Phantom Killer. For author interviews, please inquire at author@rememberingella.com. Gould makes her debut in this thoroughly researched exploration of the gruesome 1912 murder of one of the authors own relatives in Boone County, Arkansas. 50 of these have been sexual assualt cases, 15 of which had evidence suitable for modern DNA testing. Over the years, 7,797 of those murders were solved, leaving over 2,100 unsolved murders in Arkansas today. They were partially covered by a light green tarp. Henrys shirt was in tatters, with lacerations all over his body indicative of stabbing. While there was one major suspect, he was never convicted of these crimes. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 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No suspect was ever identified. Knowing him only by his first nameand after a postmortem search failed to turn up any identificationthe townspeople did the only sensible thing they could think of. Inmate Roster Map Message from the Sheriff. 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. Both are similar in appearance, with witnesses describing them as glowing white lights that occasionally move throughout the woods. The claim that there is an active serial killer in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is FALSE, based on our research. They were lying exactly across the tracks; their legs were across the rails, their torsos were between the tracks, and their arms were straight down by their sides. Date: August 23, 1987. WAINWRIGHT. Felkins, 32, was kidnapped Feb. 2, 1990 from a video rental store in Greenbrier, Ark., located about 40 miles northwest of Little Rock. Under the guidance of Captain Montgomery, the NLRPD cold case team has been awarded a federal grant to use for cold case investigation. At the time of her disappearance, she was even assisting Sen. John McClellan with a congressional investigation into supposed mob ties with organized labor. Feb 25, 2019 - Explore AY Magazine's board "Arkansas Murder Mysteries", followed by 987 people on Pinterest. When Stephen laid down on the diesel horn, he got no reaction from them. By all accounts, Kevin and Don were typical teenage boys who both loved to work on their cars and hunt. 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. It was featured in a two-part episode of "The Trail Went Cold" podcast. Unsolved Cases . The claim that there is an active serial killer in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is FALSE, based on our research. On April 16th, 2004 Chester Roberson was found murdered inside AA Auto Sales on Highway 161 where he was employed. Home Calendar E-Newsletter Email Employment. Hempstead County SHERIFF. Ford claimed that hed spotted the beast only days before on a hunting trip, and decided to shoot at it with his buddies. By the time Allen got up from his seat, the man was gone. Witnesses say that they saw her standing next to a maroon car driven by a man in his 30s on August 9, 1970. 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. 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. Murderpedia has thousands of hours of work behind it. The Natural State has more than enough of its dark secrets and skeletons in the closet to ruin the serenity. Market data provided by Factset. 100 Rock Street The two victims were identified as 16-year-old Don Henry and 17-year-old Kevin Ives, best friends and popular seniors at Bryant High School. Local agencies will provide updated information to ACIC to be included on the website. Key witnesses were examined, leads were hunted down, evidence was poured overbut nothing concrete ever came from it. Explore the mysteries of 20 compelling unsolved murder cases, from the Zodiac Killer to the death of JonBent Ramsey, with this true crime book. He wanted to make some money to buy Christmas presents. 870-777-6727 or . In October 1988, shortly after the broadcast, the results were released. The term "serial killer" hadn't been coined yet (according to Refinery29, it entered the lexicon via a 1981 article in The New York Times), but authorities in Texarkana strongly believed that a single killer had been behind all of the attacks. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, U.S. General Services Administrations Missing Child Notice Program. They talked for about fifteen minutes before he left. It ranks as one of the most remembered cases in the entire series. 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. Get App. 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. Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. On June 3, 2021, Linda passed away at the age of seventy-one. In August 2016, Linda sued the United States over Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. USA TODAY contacted the Hot Springs Police Department about the claimand was referred to the National Park Service. Over a month after she went missing, her body was found in the Ozark National Forest. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. He referenced a YouTube and Facebook video. Neither had they ever seen Kevin spaced out nor any signs that he was into drugs. You cansubscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. The boys' bodies were terribly mangled. Murdered Ella Barham was the authors long-dead cousin. Melissa Witt was abducted from a bowling alley parking lot in Fort Smith, Arkansas in 1994. the Murderpedia project stay alive. Results: Unresolved. MUHAMMAD, Edward Charles 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.. Earthquake swarms arent entirely unusual in Arkansas. The only items missing were his keys and wallet. On April 16th, 2004 Chester Roberson was found murdered inside AA Auto Sales on Highway 161 where he was employed. All Rights Reserved. Local gun shops enjoyed a flurry of business, as people flocked to buy up firearms to defend themselves against a possible attack. Five people were killed, and three were wounded. Similar versions of the claim have been shared across Facebook, many users citing Arkansas 911 News as their source. The FBI was brought in, as well as the Texas Rangers. "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. PICKENS, Clay King Harmon was later arrested on charges for running a drug ring, selling primarily cocaine, from his office. Friends said he was anxious over it. He took Curtis spotlight and took his own .22 rifle. Kevin waited on the porch while Don went inside to talk to his father, Curtis. In April, Paul Martin, 16, and Betty Jo Booker, 15, were found murdered after a high school dance. Rebecca Pocklington; Holly Christodoulou; Published: 15:31, 19 Feb 2020; They cite both killers specific victims, method of operation, preferred murder weapon, and the similaralbeit stretchedtime period as evidence of a connection. In 1996, Linda and film producer Patrick Matrisciana released the documentary, Obstruction of Justice: The Mena Connection, which detailed the botched investigation into the murders. Then under the direction of Captain Leonard Montgomery, the cold case squad was officially in operation. Fact check: Ballot positions are done by a random draw in each county in Arkansas. Anyone with information that can help solve this case is asked to call the Cold Case Squad at 816-234-5136. However, on the night of Saturday, August 22, 1987, Kevin and Don met a group of friends on the outskirts of Little Rock at a favorite gathering place for the local teenagers. However, many do not consider him to be a credible source. Having had no formal legal classes, she aced the exam and eventually became an expert in abstract and title law. The legends telling varies, though, with one version claiming that the light is the ghost of the decapitated rail worker looking for his head. plans and enthusiasm His murder remains unsolved. After fighting to get the case reopened, they finally succeed in early 1988 when a new prosecutor was assigned to the case. In the early morning hours of August 23, 1987, the mangled bodies of Henry and Ives were discovered on a set of railroad tracks in Bryant, a suburb just south of Little Rock. When Linda Edwards got a job as dispatcher for the Garland County Sheriffs Office, she considered it a godsendbut just six months after joining the force, she vanished. Her body was found a month later in a shallow grave in South Lake Tahoe, according to the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office. Stephen noted that although three seconds does not seem like a long amount of time, it felt like an eternity for him. "She's waited 42 years for answers. 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. To cover their tracks, they laid them on the railroad tracks and covered them up with a tarp. Either way, well take our chances with the well-lit, paved areas of Fouke when passing through. In Hogden, Oklahoma, just 200 miles west of Little Rock, two young men, Billy Hainline and Dennis Decker, lying together on the railroad tracks had been run over by a locomotive in 1984. jerrysgirl67. 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 A grand jury reversed its original verdict of probable homicide to definite homicide and Arkansans havent forgotten the boys on the tracks. Spotlighting was a fairly widespread activity among the local boys. Nearly three decades after the investigation hit a dead end, Texarkanas Charles B. But some citizens still believed the wrong man had gone to the gallows. The only evidence that could possibly ID her killer was semen found onFelkins' body, according to the sheriff's office. Shortly after 7 a.m., Phillip's little body was found. One week before Kevin and Don were killed, a man wearing military fatigues had been spotted in the vicinity. The train then went over them. Such is the case of two young men who went missing in 1987 in the U.S. state of Arkansas and would next be seen dead under perplexing circumstances. Yall carry your weapons. Read our Privacy Policy. After two weeks after her disappearance, a grid search was undertaken in the forest where she had disappeared.