SC SC - Dail Dinwiddie, 23, Columbia, 24 Sep 1992

[phcrider]

Hello all,
Some of us have been working on this, on and off, for a decade at least. I'd like us to start fresh, let's get a group together who would like to intensively work on finding/solving Dail's disappearance. Most of you have more experience than I so I hope you'll help.

Here's what we know:
*Dail disappeared on September 24,1992 from 5 points Columbia, SC after a U2 concert
*Dail has never been found, not even an article of hers
*No arrests have been made
*Because of health issues, it is believed she passed away relatively soon as she wouldn't have had her meds
*She was small in statue, 5 foot tall, 100 pounds
*She got separated from friends at Jungle Jims, spoke with the bouncer before walking towards Green and Harden Street,
he claims to have watched her for as far as he could see her.
*Surprinsingly, she left behind her purse at Jungle Jims
*Family and friends were surprised she left the bar alone as she was usually very cautious.

Here's suggestions:
*Whoever took Dail was seasoned at this, what serial killers, besides Rivera, were working in or near SC in 1992? Let's compile a list.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

Hello all,
Some of us have been working on this, on and off, for a decade at least. I'd like us to start fresh, let's get a group together who would like to intensively work on finding/solving Dail's disappearance. Most of you have more experience than I so I hope you'll help.

Here's what we know:
*Dail disappeared on September 24,1992 from 5 points Columbia, SC after a U2 concert
*Dail has never been found, not even an article of hers
*No arrests have been made
*Because of health issues, it is believed she passed away relatively soon as she wouldn't have had her meds
*She was small in statue, 5 foot tall, 100 pounds
*She got separated from friends at Jungle Jims, spoke with the bouncer before walking towards Green and Harden Street,
he claims to have watched her for as far as he could see her.
*Surprinsingly, she left behind her purse at Jungle Jims
*Family and friends were surprised she left the bar alone as she was usually very cautious.

Here's suggestions:
*Whoever took Dail was seasoned at this, what serial killers, besides Rivera, were working in or near SC in 1992? Let's compile a list.

I ventured hard and serious down the serial killer route a few years ago and other than Rivera there wasn’t much. It’s difficult to gather information about killers way back then and if they were in a particular area at a certain time.
The one I focused a lot of time on was a guy named Dwayne Hall who was a serial killer who traveled around participating in Civil War re-enactments. I somehow…don’t remember how I did it…determined there was a large reenactment outside of Atlanta around the time DD went missing. There were at least two missing women that LE think Hall may have something to do with around that time. But…that’s as close as it gets to Columbia. Sure a lot of ifs, if he just decided to come this way, if he went to the U2 concert. Pretty lite of evidence.
I still think it’s possible Rivera is the guy. I know he said it wasn’t him, but serial killers sometimes hold back on everything they’ve done. Maybe the victim was very young and they are ashamed of that, or something the victim did unnerved them and they don’t want to talk about it.
I also think the guy whose house they raided a couple years ago or so opens up some interesting ideas.

 

[phcrider]

Many believe it was a friend of Dail's who allegedly abducted and murdered her. Here's a few of my thoughts. If it was a friend, then it's someone in her age range, someone in their 20's and unless that person had planned this before the night began (which in theory poses its own problems) then how is he prepared to abduct, murder and dispose of the body, unless he has done this before? First time murderers are sloppy (Alex Murdaugh for example), they make mistakes. In DD's case we have no witnesses (unless they are refusing to come forward), no crime scene, and no body. That's as clean as it gets. It's as if she vanished. To me, that sounds like a seasoned murderer. In late 1992 when she hadn't been found, I believed that one day hunters would find her skeleton in the woods. With no body in 31 years, I believe someone definitely knew how to hide a body--that's not a 25 yo college kid killing for the first time.
I know many think it was Rivera but I don't, his first known murder was 1999. All four of his known victims were in the North Augusta,SC and Augusta, GA area. Granted, this is less that an hours drive from Columbia, but also all of Rivera's victims were found.
Someone that night saw something, someone has a suspicion but doesn't want to tell. If the Lyons Sister's case from the mid 1970's can be solved (which I never thought would happen) then this one can be too.
Another thought, what if the killer wasn't local. People travel far to see bands they love, lots of people came to see U2 that night. What if her body was taken far away, maybe some of it has been found but no DNA testing has been done?
Just some of my thoughts.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

Many believe it was a friend of Dail's who allegedly abducted and murdered her. Here's a few of my thoughts. If it was a friend, then it's someone in her age range, someone in their 20's and unless that person had planned this before the night began (which in theory poses its own problems) then how is he prepared to abduct, murder and dispose of the body, unless he has done this before? First time murderers are sloppy (Alex Murdaugh for example), they make mistakes. In DD's case we have no witnesses (unless they are refusing to come forward), no crime scene, and no body. That's as clean as it gets. It's as if she vanished. To me, that sounds like a seasoned murderer. In late 1992 when she hadn't been found, I believed that one day hunters would find her skeleton in the woods. With no body in 31 years, I believe someone definitely knew how to hide a body--that's not a 25 yo college kid killing for the first time.
I know many think it was Rivera but I don't, his first known murder was 1999. All four of his known victims were in the North Augusta,SC and Augusta, GA area. Granted, this is less that an hours drive from Columbia, but also all of Rivera's victims were found.
Someone that night saw something, someone has a suspicion but doesn't want to tell. If the Lyons Sister's case from the mid 1970's can be solved (which I never thought would happen) then this one can be too.
Another thought, what if the killer wasn't local. People travel far to see bands they love, lots of people came to see U2 that night. What if her body was taken far away, maybe some of it has been found but no DNA testing has been done?
Just some of my thoughts.

Interesting thoughts for sure.
Concerning the out-of-town concert goer idea I’m pretty sure her friends and family have said adamantly that she was very safety conscious and would have never gotten into a car with a stranger. But, of course, someone may have forced her into a car, and if that happened this scenario becomes eye opening. I have never heard anyone suggest that, ever. DD was always assumed to be somewhere close by. The possibility that she was taken far away leaves me kinda speechless. LE never seemed to have pursued that, but they certainly should have.
My main thought right now is that she did get into a car with someone she recognized from her neighborhood, but who wasn’t necessarily a friend. The guy they arrested a couple of years ago falls into that category I think.

 

[Oakie]

South Carolina is full of heavily wooded swamps where one could hide almost anything....

...and, the Wateree River is nearby. A girl as petite as Dail could have been weighted down with cinder blocks, and tossed into the river, never to be seen again. The possibilities are endless. In the hot, humid weather of South Carolina, organic matter decays quite quickly.

 

[SqrQn29]

I completely agree with "first time" killers being sloppy. I also believe for there to be absolutely no trace after this many years, it is a secret among a few. How do you keep people quite on a large scale? Blackmail. That sounds awful but I just really don't think this was a random killing. I also do not think it is Rivera; he is the obvious answer and clearly nothing about this case is obvious. I haven't dug that deep into him but I believe he confessed to several if not all of his killings. I did see something recently about him retracting his statement on two females (I would have to look up certain names) so that is concerning. However, I still do not believe it is him.

They shut down the connection between the recent arrest and her case however, I believe he may know the people involved.

It doesn't sound like she partied or drank much; so why did she leave her purse behind? I believe I read that it had her inhaler. What got her so frazzled that she ran out of the bar twice without it? Who was she last talking to inside the bar? Who did she spend most of her time with at Jungle Jim's? I spent hours reading newspaper archived articles and didn't find very many details. There was a sketch of a man or two in one of the articles and they were supposedly cleared...hmmm...

 

[SqrQn29]

On a side note, thank goodness things are coming to light in the Crystal Rogers disappearance...but it wasn't getting anywhere until the FBI did their investigation. Why hasn't any outside source looked into Dail's case? Why didn't they back in the 90s? Colder cases are getting solved; her case can as well. Why didn't someone interview people again? U2 is a popular band; I am sure quite a few people remember that night and where they were. It is very frustrating that there are no leads; no forward progress; nothing...

I don't think her body (assuming she was killed) was dumped in a river, lake, etc. That seems like too much risk after what I believe was a calculated abduction.

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Dail Boxley Dinwiddie – The Charley Project

 

[megs1477]

I am not nearly as familiar with the case as most of you. After reading @phcrider post above. The first questions that come to mind:
1. Was the bouncer definitively ruled out?
2. Did anyone else see her waking?
3. Was she reported to be heavily intoxicated? Even drunk girls are generally pretty good about not leaving their purse. Could she have been drugged and intentionally separated from her group and belongings?
4. Were her meds something she could obtain if necessary? On the street? Free clinic with a fake name?
5. Is the location close to the Interstate? I saw someone mention there were not many SK’s in the area at the time, but there were several that were truck drivers crisscrossing the country.
I apologize if these have been discussed. I’d like to get up to speed and see if I can help dig in on this one.

 

[SqrQn29]

I am not nearly as familiar with the case as most of you. After reading @phcrider post above. The first questions that come to mind:
1. Was the bouncer definitively ruled out?
2. Did anyone else see her waking?
3. Was she reported to be heavily intoxicated? Even drunk girls are generally pretty good about not leaving their purse. Could she have been drugged and intentionally separated from her group and belongings?
4. Were her meds something she could obtain if necessary? On the street? Free clinic with a fake name?
5. Is the location close to the Interstate? I saw someone mention there were not many SK’s in the area at the time, but there were several that were truck drivers crisscrossing the country.
I apologize if these have been discussed. I’d like to get up to speed and see if I can help dig in on this one.

Hey!
1. Yes, I believe the bouncer was definitively ruled out at the beginning of the investigation; however, there are no details surrounding that.
2. No one has come forward and said they have seen her walking. She was last seen by the bouncer walking up toward the Harden/Greene intersection.
3. No, she was not reported as heavily intoxicated. But she did seem pretty worried about finding her friends/ride…so I’ve always wondered if maybe she was drugged.
4. I am not sure if she would be able to obtain an inhaler at free clinic. Maybe other people can report how accessible meds were back in the early 90s around here.
5. Five Points is not directly off the interstate but Columbia is not that big of a city.
Hopefully that helps a little bit!

 

[phcrider]

I am not nearly as familiar with the case as most of you. After reading @phcrider post above. The first questions that come to mind:
1. Was the bouncer definitively ruled out?
2. Did anyone else see her waking?
3. Was she reported to be heavily intoxicated? Even drunk girls are generally pretty good about not leaving their purse. Could she have been drugged and intentionally separated from her group and belongings?
4. Were her meds something she could obtain if necessary? On the street? Free clinic with a fake name?
5. Is the location close to the Interstate? I saw someone mention there were not many SK’s in the area at the time, but there were several that were truck drivers crisscrossing the country.
I apologize if these have been discussed. I’d like to get up to speed and see if I can help dig in on this one.

Megs1477 is correct, bouncer was completely ruled out but no details given. I’ve never read of anyone else seeing her walking. Not reported to be heavily intoxicated. We don’t know the details about the purse, like where it was found, did she mention to the bouncer she had possibly lost it or did she forget it (highly unlikely). Idk about obtaining an inhaler but someone would have had to do that for her as her face was plastered in every city and town in SC ( not kidding) Her face was on the post board in the bank in my hometown 50 miles away, and this was in days of her missing. Several interstates (I 20, I 26) run through/around Columbia.
Thanks for the interest. It’s baffling for sure.

 

[SqrQn29]

Did law enforcement ever confirm Reinaldo Rivera’s exact whereabouts back in September 1992?

Did any other women go missing within that year in South Carolina?

 

[megs1477]

Did law enforcement ever confirm Reinaldo Rivera’s exact whereabouts back in September 1992?

Did any other women go missing within that year in South Carolina?

I was just reading up on him. His (known) crimes were in 1999-2000.
In 02/1993 he got married and had children. I’m far from an expert, but generally don’t SK’s take a break during periods where positive things are happening in their lives?

 

[megs1477]

This is quite a rabbit hole, but have you considered Rex Heuermann?
They are looking into links between him and a missing SC mother in Sumter, SC. Less than an hour from Columbia.
He also purchased property in SC he planned to retire too.
His first known victim was in 1996, so who knows what he was doing prior to that.

Police investigate link between Rex Heuermann, missing South Carolina mom

The daughter of a missing South Carolina woman says she saw a man resembling Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuermann with her mother.

www.newsnationnow.com

 

[Oakie]

This is quite a rabbit hole, but have you considered Rex Heuermann?
They are looking into links between him and a missing SC mother in Sumter, SC. Less than an hour from Columbia.
He also purchased property in SC he planned to retire too.
His first known victim was in 1996, so who knows what he was doing prior to that.

Police investigate link between Rex Heuermann, missing South Carolina mom

The daughter of a missing South Carolina woman says she saw a man resembling Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuermann with her mother.

www.newsnationnow.com

Doesn't fit his m.o.....he got women to go with him willingly. I think dail's disappearance was a kidnapping.

 

[SqrQn29]

Do you think she was taken from a more secluded road or willingly got into a vehicle closer to Harden/Greene?

 

[Oakie]

Do you think she was taken from a more secluded road or willingly got into a vehicle closer to Harden/Greene?

I'm familiar with that area. There is no "secluded road" for miles in any direction, it's densely populated. She may have gotten into a car willingly, or she might have been grabbed quickly and stuffed into a car. Remember, she was quite petite. A full-sized man would have had little trouble in subduing her.

 

[SqrQn29]

Ah okay. I was just thinking maybe if she attempted to walk home, would she have taken some back roads? I am sure the streets were packed after the concert which would make grabbing someone more difficult.

 

[SqrQn29]

This is quite a rabbit hole, but have you considered Rex Heuermann?
They are looking into links between him and a missing SC mother in Sumter, SC. Less than an hour from Columbia.
He also purchased property in SC he planned to retire too.
His first known victim was in 1996, so who knows what he was doing prior to that.

Police investigate link between Rex Heuermann, missing South Carolina mom

The daughter of a missing South Carolina woman says she saw a man resembling Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuermann with her mother.

www.newsnationnow.com

I have actually never heard of him so I will have to do some research!

Was his victim in 1996 in SC?

 

[sammack]

This is quite a rabbit hole, but have you considered Rex Heuermann?
They are looking into links between him and a missing SC mother in Sumter, SC. Less than an hour from Columbia.
He also purchased property in SC he planned to retire too.
His first known victim was in 1996, so who knows what he was doing prior to that.

Police investigate link between Rex Heuermann, missing South Carolina mom

The daughter of a missing South Carolina woman says she saw a man resembling Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuermann with her mother.

www.newsnationnow.com

Doesn't fit his victim profile. (Everything i'm about to say is not to victim shame in ANY way; only facts from the LISK case, and only to explain how different Dail was from his M.O.)

RH's (alleged) victims were all sex workers at the time of their disappearances/murders. Many of them struggled with addiction and, overall, were considered "easy targets" to RH and other serial killers; police investigations basically stopped back then when they found out the victim was involved in sex work and/or used drugs.

RH also "hired" his victims, having prior contact to set up their meetings (i.e. wasn't a random snatching/crime of opportunity).

Dail was not involved in sex work, nor was she known to use drugs in any way - even recreationally. She was highly educated, came from an affluent family, and very locally known... her disappearance came with heavy media and police attention - the opposite of the victims (and attention) RH sought!