AR AR - Melissa 'Missy' Witt, 19, murdered, Fort Smith, 1 Dec 1994

[lexthedetective]

What is the Service road number?

 

[LR1]

What is the Service road number?

It looks to be 1008.

 

[TruthJustice]

It looks to be 1008.

It is 1551.

 

[TruthJustice]

What is the Service road number?

1551

 

[LR1]

It is 1551.

Those two roads are one and the same. It's not far from where the convicted sexual predator travis crouch at one point lived, worked, hunted and there's no telling what else. A link to him on the WKMW site no worky. Have y'all ruled him out or what?

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Nonprofit launches billboard campaign to bring attention to 27-year-old cold case

FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The nonprofit All the Lost Girls wants justice for a 27-year-old cold case in Fort Smith.

The nonprofit launched a billboard campaign November 1 hoping to spark interest in an unsolved murder case.

Melissa Witt was found strangled to death in the Ozark National Forest in 1995. To this day, the killer has yet to be found.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Nonprofit making sure Missy Witt cold case stays front and center | 5newsonline.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

December 1, 1994, was a typical day for Missy. 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. 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.

Between 6:30-7 pm, after class and work, Missy went to the same bowling alley that her mother had mentioned in her note. She parked her car, and before she would even make it inside the bowling alley, investigators believe Missy was abducted from the parking lot. They made this determination based on evidence of a struggle around her car, including blood found in the parking lot, as well as Missy's keys and an earring found nearby.

<modsnip - not an approved source>

 

[imstilla.grandma]

There's one unsolved homicide case that has stuck with River Valley detectives for nearly 30 years. In 1994, 19-year-old Melissa Witt went missing from the parking lot of Bowling World after an ordinary day of school and work. Six weeks later, her body was found in the Ozarks. To this day, the person who abducted and murdered her has not been identified or brought to justice.

LaDonna Humphrey hopes to revive interest in the decades-old case with her book "The Girl I Never Knew." Released April 8, the book includes more details of Witt's case than were made public at the time, but not so much as to impede further progress on it, since it's still an open investigation for the Fort Smith Police Department.

"The Girl I Never Knew" is still floating at about #10 on Amazon's list of top 100 books on Kindle and in paperback. The proceeds generated from book sales are going directly back to funding things designed to help solve the case, including billboards and a hotline for people to relay tips related to Melissa -- anything they may have seen or known about her life and situation at the time.

We chatted with Humphrey for this "Hidden Gems."

What initially inspired you to work on getting Melissa Witt's story out when you started about seven years ago?

I had an organization called Let's Bring Them Home, a national missing adults program that provided coordination among agencies and media, as well as resources for families of the missing. I did that about a decade until we saw that our services weren't needed (in the same way) due to the rise of a program funded by the federal government called NamUs.

We wanted to finish our work off strong. ... A lot of us on the board had a journalism background, so we talked about doing a documentary (to draw more attention to unsolved cases). During that meeting, they kept bringing up Melissa Witt's case.

I agreed to call the (Fort Smith) police chief, who had worked with our agency, and set up appointment with Jay C. Rider, Chris Boyd and a few other detectives who had worked Melissa's case. Meeting with the detectives, seeing their passion and how hard they had worked, I thought "That should be what we do."
More at link:

Hidden Gems: Lingering cold case fuels author’s book and documentary

There's one unsolved homicide case that has stuck with River Valley detectives for nearly 30 years. In 1994, 19-year-old Melissa Witt went missing from the parking lot of Bowling World after an ordinary day of school and work. Six weeks later, her body was found in the Ozarks. To this day, the...

www.arkansasonline.com

 

[dotr]

The Girl I Never Knew|Paperback

For over two decades the identity of Melissa Witt's killer has been hidden among the dense trees and thorny undergrowth rooted deeply in the uneven ground of a remote mountaintop in the Ozark National Forest.Determined to find answers, LaDonna Humphrey has spent the past seven...

www.barnesandnoble.com

Nov 25 2022 By: Ryan Gillin

Oklahoma Author Looking For Answers To Arkansas Cold Case

Oklahoma author LaDonna Humphrey is looking for answers to an Arkansas cold case. For nearly 30 years Melissa Witt’s disappearance and death have been a mystery and Humphrey hopes her book can help bring attention to more cases of missing women.

www.newson6.com

''Ladonna Humphrey refuses to give up hope and is keeping the search for Witt’s killer alive through her book, “The Girl I Never Knew: Who Killed Melissa Witt?”

"When I met with investigators, I just knew something had to be done about this case,” Humphrey said.

Humphrey is from Oklahoma but has spent the past eight years working to uncover the missing pieces to Witt’s case. Melissa Witt was nineteen years old when she went missing from the Bowling World parking lot in Fort Smith in 1994. Less than 50 days later, her body was found, but her killer is still missing.

“I don’t want people to forget her,” Humphrey said. “It’s important to me it’s important to the community that we keep the case going.”

Earlier this year, Humphrey published her first book about Witt’s disappearance and is currently working on another book about the investigation. Through working on this case, Humphrey realized there are many cases like Melissa’s that have gone unsolved, and she wanted to help others who have lost their loved ones find answers.''

 

[mothwings]

I just saw this case on America's Most Wanted. I was sad to see her case has never been solved.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

On December 1, 1994, Witt vanished from Bowling World in Fort Smith. Six weeks later, two trappers hunting near Turner Ben in the Ozark National Forest found Witt’s body. She was missing her clothing, shoes and jewelry including a Mickey Mouse watch with a brown band.

According to All the Lost Girls, the organization and investigation team are looking for information that can help them identify the following people:

• A short-statured man with a mustache and glasses wearing a blue shirt, jeans, brown boots, and a white or light-colored baseball cap. All the Lost Girls says this man was seen standing outside of Bowling World on the sidewalk smoking. The organization says it is very likely that he heard and/or saw the altercation between Witt and her abductor.
• A couple with a young boy between the ages of 8 and 10-years-old that walked across the parking lot and entered Bowling World. All the Lost Girls says the woman was reported as “short” with blonde “fluffy” hair and was wearing a tan/light-colored sweater with stripes. All the Lost Girls says the man was reported to be taller than the woman.

All the Lost Girls says it received a reliable tip that said the persons of interest were seen in the Bowling World parking lot on the night of December 1, 1994.

Organizations offer $29,000 reward for information on Melissa Witt’s murder

The organization All the Lost Girls and the Who Killed Melissa Witt Investigative Team are offering a $29,000 reward for information regarding the murder of Melissa Witt ahead of the anniversary of…

www.myarklamiss.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[Eli9]

Author says suspect in 1994 slaying of student is due to face charges

LaDonna Humphrey has spent nearly a decade trying to unmask the killer of Melissa 'Missy' Witt, and believes she has found a likely suspect.

www.dailymail.co.uk

A private investigator who has dedicated a decade of her life to unmasking the killer of a 19-year-old Arkansas student believes the suspect is soon to face charges.

 

[dotr]

Aug 06, 2024

Who Killed Melissa Witt? Hulu documentary uncovers 1994 cold case murder

The story of Melissa Witt's murder is at the center of the Hulu documentary "At Witt's End – The Hunt for a Killer."

www.newsweek.com

''Detectives said Witt was going to surprise her mom, who was in a bowling league at Bowling World, on the day of her abduction. Instead, investigators found blood in the alley's parking lot, in Witt's car, and apparent signs of a struggle.

Over a month later, two hunters found her naked body in the Ozark National Forest on Jan. 13, 1995. Officials said Witt had been strangled and robbed of her clothes, shoes, and jewelry, including a Mickey Mouse watch – all of which were never found.''

Jul 24, 2024

Stream ABC News Studios’ “At Witt’s End – The Hunt for a Killer” beginning Tuesday, August 6, only on Hulu.

 

[Jules71]

Aug 06, 2024

Who Killed Melissa Witt? Hulu documentary uncovers 1994 cold case murder

The story of Melissa Witt's murder is at the center of the Hulu documentary "At Witt's End – The Hunt for a Killer."

www.newsweek.com

''Detectives said Witt was going to surprise her mom, who was in a bowling league at Bowling World, on the day of her abduction. Instead, investigators found blood in the alley's parking lot, in Witt's car, and apparent signs of a struggle.

Over a month later, two hunters found her naked body in the Ozark National Forest on Jan. 13, 1995. Officials said Witt had been strangled and robbed of her clothes, shoes, and jewelry, including a Mickey Mouse watch – all of which were never found.''

Jul 24, 2024

Stream ABC News Studios’ “At Witt’s End – The Hunt for a Killer” beginning Tuesday, August 6, only on Hulu.

Just watched it. This case really needs to be solved. Heartbreaking

 

[Ingrid74]

Just watched”Witt’s End”, truly heartbreaking. Is it possible that her killer was female? This would explain the female DNA under her fingernails.

 

[PeregrineFalcon]

Watching "Witt's End". Hopefully there's DNA bc Othram can solve it, otherwise, there won't be much chance unless someone talks.

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

Murder of Arkansas woman still unsolved nearly 30 years later | thv11.com

March 4, 2021
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.

On a daily basis, JC Rider, a retired Fort Smith Police Department detective, thinks about the case.

“I either have a thought about it, wonder about it, or try to do something about it,” Rider said.

...

Rider said detectives believe she was struck in the head then kidnapped.

“Two people actually witnessed the abduction,” Rider said.

But even after 26 years, no one has ever been able to give police any descriptions.

...

45 days after her disappearance, they received a call from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office that would shift the entire investigation.

“They called and said they thought a couple of trappers may have found our girl,” Rider recalled.

It was in fact Melissa Witt.

She had been brutally murdered and left to die along a logging trail in the Ozark National Forest about 50 miles from where she was abducted.

...

LaDonna Humphrey, a northwest Arkansas woman and voice for Witt’s case believes her killer quite possibly could still be in the area.

Humphrey created a Facebook page called Who Killed Missy Witt and it’s gained thousands of followers and views over several years.


Rider and Humphrey have gained a friendship over their dedication to Melissa’s case.

Humphrey is now working on a documentary highlighting Melissa’s story.

If you have any information about the 1994 unsolved homicide case of Melissa Witt, you are urged to contact the Fort Smith Police Department.

Happened across this sadly unsolved case. And in the thread this one point in the above post caught my eye:

“She had been brutally murdered and left to die along a logging trail in the Ozark National Forest about 50 miles from where she was abducted.”

Perhaps it is just the way the item is written. But it would seem being murdered or left to die might differ? If the former, might tend to support a serial killer or one more capable of such acts. If the latter, might point more to the theory it might have been an acquaintance or someone that might have known MW? And possibly an individual that was not able to unalive MW?

Also on the supposed missing jewelry (and the watch) - was there any police effort to trace missing items through pawn shops? Sufficient detail available to police on the missing items? Or were other items also possibly kept as a sick ‘trophy’?

Hope something could bring new interest into attempts to solve this case. MOO

 

[cmac75]

I grew up less than 20 miles from where her body was found. I was just a kid when the mourder occurred but I remember going out to the site even back then because it was well known to a lot of us in the area. I haven't been there in over 20 years but I was coming in for a visit with family today from Tennessee and wanted to see if I could find the rock again. It was fairly easy spot today as they have done some extensive logging in that area it looks like fairly recently. Here are some of the pics I took. What really stands out to me is the back of the rock where investigators state she was initially placed. It's very flat on the back and very large. It looks very much like a tombstone. This area is very remote and if her body was behind this rock until it was moved, even though it's only a few feet off the road I'm not surprised it wasn't seen.

There is thick brush and debris now from logging but I remember going to the site in the weeks after she was found here and it was much different back then.

Google drive folder