OK OK - Dena Dean, 16, Tulsa, 6 June 1998

[OkieGranny]

http://wnow.worldnow.com/story/1872...ty-sheriffs-office-to-plea-for-cold-case-tips

On June 6, 1998, Dena left Marvin's store at the Town West Shopping Center after telling her mom she was going to meet a boy to talk.

She was never heard from again, and a week later, her body was found in a field not far from there and her car left in the parking lot...

The family believes Dena's killer was the boy she went to meet that day, but even with new fingerprint and DNA technology, there has never been enough evidence to make an arrest.

http://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news...-16-year-old-dena-deans-murder-14-years-later

"What we believe is that this was not random," said Tulsa County Sgt. Shannon Clark. "That somebody in her social network was the perpetrator of this crime. There are people in that group that may have information."

http://www.newson6.com/story/9915128/dena-deans-family-waits-for-justice

Investigators have gone back to interviews done in the days while Dena was still missing and gone back over physical evidence from the field where her body was found. Investigators believe new fingerprint techniques and new DNA testing can reveal new facts.

"We're also looking at our physical evidence. We have some specific pieces of evidence from the scene that were collected and we're doing research on new testing to see what can be done with those," said Tulsa County Sheriff's Sgt. Gary Frazier...

The cause of death was never determined because of the condition of the body but the medical examiner did conclude it was a homicide.

 

[KateB]

New DNA lab brings hope to victims' families
Feb. 13, 2015
http://www.fox23.com/news/news/local/new-dna-lab-brings-hope-victims-families/nj97Z/

TULSA, Okla. —
New DNA technology gives crime victims and families hope

The city of Tulsa Forensic Lab is one of the first labs in the country to use a state-of-the-art laser that can separate a suspect and victim’s DNA cells in samples that are too mixed. Police and victims told FOX23 that they hope the new technology will help solve more cases and reduce DNA testing backlog.

West Tulsa resident Diana Dean has high hopes as well. She is the mother of Dena Dean, who was slain in 1998.
<snip>
She prays this new laser cracks her daughter’s case. Wilson (Tulsa Forensic Lab Manager) says that if there is enough DNA evidence left in Dena Dean’s case, they could use the laser to try and get a clearer DNA profile.

“As the years go by, [my family] keeps hoping that there is something new or something better that will come up and help [the case],” Diana said.

She keeps Dena’s memory alive by telling her story whenever she can while she waits for the day, she can finally have justice.

“I have to fight for her. She doesn’t have a voice, so I have to fight for her.”

The lab will start using the laser sometime in the summer.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Tulsa Co. Sheriff's Office announces creation of new Cold Case Task Force

http://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/tulsa-co-sheriffs-office-announces-creation-of-new-cold-case-task-force

Alongside the family of a murder victim whose case has gone unsolved for 18 years, Tulsa Co. Sheriff Vic Regalado announced the creation of a new Cold Case Task Force.

&#8220;We know that we are responsible and owe them a debt of closure,&#8221; said Sheriff Vic Regalado.

Sheriff Regalado made the announcement on the 18th anniversary of the murder of Dena Dean , whose body was found in a field a week after she disappeared from the Town West shopping center.

"It gives me renewed hope. I feel it's kind of been stale for the last few years. I know that they've been working on it, but I still think the fresh eyes is gonna help," said Dena's mother Diana.

 

[0101ABA]

On Wednesday, a new investigation into these cases began as the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office started tackling 28 of Tulsa's unsolved murders.

Mike Huff solved some of the highest-profile murders in Tulsa's history in his 31 years as a Tulsa police detective. He's currently head of the International Association of Cold Case Investigators.
"There are some cases here from decades ago," Huff said.

(...)

"I hope they find the answers to ours, but as long as they find the answers to one," Larry Dean, Dena's father said.

The cases will be reassessed by a Cold Case task Force, made up of 10 members, from retired Tulsa police and FBI investigators, to homicide detectives among many others.

http://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news...evisits-unsolved-murder-cases-in-tulsa-county

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

TCSO Task Force Making Progress On 18-Year-Old Cold Case

http://www.newson6.com/story/32793772/tcso-task-force-making-progress-on-18-year-old-cold-case

Months after the sheriff’s office started it’s Cold Case Task Force, there could be a break in an 18-year-old cold case.

The task force has 28 cold cases needing to be solved; Dena Dean is one of them.

"My advice to the perpetrator would be, don't buy any green bananas," said forensic profiler, Dr. Richard Walter.

"Do I expect some success in this case, yes. Why? Because the perp made some mistakes," Walter said.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Tulsa Family Hopes For Break In 18-Year-Old Cold Case Of Murdered Daughter

http://www.newson6.com/story/34609286/tulsa-family-hopes-for-break-in-18-year-old-cold-case-of-murdered-daughter

A Tulsa family is still looking for answers nearly 20 years after Dena Dean was murdered.

To celebrate Dena's 35th birthday, family and friends released balloons Sunday in her memory at the floral haven cemetery where Dean is buried.

Family members say they've waited a long time for answers and hopes investigators will one day soon find the person responsible.

This moment of celebration is just that, a moment out of years and years of sadness and mystery.

"The family is pulling together and friends we're gonna make it work this year," said Dena's father, Larry Dean. "We're going to get answers."

Since sheriff's office established the Cold Case Task Force, they have hinted that they're getting closer to making an arrest.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact them.

Oklahoma family searching for answers to cold case from 1998

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

On the 19th anniversary of her death, Dena Dean's family is hopeful her killer will be caught

http://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/on-the-19th-anniversary-of-her-death-dena-deans-family-is-hopeful-her-killer-will-be-caught

Mike Huff, coordinator of the task force, said they sifted through 10 boxes full of data from previous detectives on the case. He said they are reviewing physical evidence to determine if new technology would produce new insights.

“If we didn’t think there was a possibility of an arrest, we are all smart enough to say we are wasting our time,” Huff said.

“I truly believe we have an idea from an investigative stand point who has been responsible for that, but right now we are lacking enough evidence to prosecute that case,” Regalado said.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

http://www.newson6.com/story/35872696/tulsa-investigators-working-cold-case-after-19-years

There are new developments in a 19-year-old Tulsa cold case.

Investigators say they're working on new angles on this case, but can't say what they are yet.

The Dean family feels they're close to a breakthrough.

 

[dotr]

http://www.newson6.com/story/36990905/cold-case-squad-looking-to-solve-98-murder

[h=3]Cold Case Squad Looking To Solve '98 Murder[/h] Posted: Dec 04, 2017

Sources told News On 6, investigators are now looking for and want to talk to three potential witnesses.

Sources say Dowilla Converse lived about a mile from where Dena's body was found. Investigators believe she has information specific to the case and are asking her to come forward.

They are also looking for a woman named Samantha.

They say about a year and a half ago, she was drinking at the It'll Do Lounge and told someone she knew about the suspects and named names.

Investigators don't know her last name but believe she lives in the West Tulsa area.

Finally, they want to talk to a security guard who worked at a bingo parlor in the Town West Shopping Center the night Dean disappeared, June 6, 1998

.

If anyone knows where these three witnesses are, please call Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS.

 

[interestedincases]

Hoping they get answers for her and her family.

 

[interestedincases]

Task Force Serves Warrant In Arkansas In Unsolved Murder Of Dena Dean

http://m.newson6.com/story.aspx?story=37052860

Documents say investigators initially developed her boyfriend and his father as suspects in the case.

Investigators got a tip two months ago that also points to the boyfriend's uncle and that's the man they took DNA from Tuesday.


IMO, anything I say is JMO
—————————————-
RIP Lisa Harvey &#10084;&#65039; http://www.news-ridgecrest.com/news/story.pl?id=0000007796

 

[dotr]

April 17 2018
https://crimewatchdaily.com/2018/04...igators-hope-of-solving-abduction-and-murder/

[h=1]Dena Dean cold case: New technology gives Tulsa investigators hope of solving abduction and murder[/h]A special team of investigators with hundreds of thousands of hours on the job believes they are closer than ever to catching a killer, one who haunted Oklahoma for years.
Crime Watch Daily visits Tulsa, Oklahoma, where a family that has been waiting a very long time may finally get the justice they so desperately deserve.

Dena was an honor student and a member of the marching band at Webster High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with dreams of becoming an attorney. But when Dena turned sweet 16, the fan of auto-racing stopped chasing cars and took a sharp turn toward boys.

Dena's parents thought she was just dating boys her own age. What Larry and Diana didn't know was their daughter had secretly been seeing a new guy.

For nearly two decades Dena Dean's case remained ice cold -- but not anymore.

Inside a "war room" within the Tulsa County Sheriff's Department lies the country's only known civilian cold-case task force.

"I formed a task force of retired Tulsa policemen, FBI, DEA, ATF, I mean a group of just outstanding people," said Mike Huff, coordinator of the Tulsa Cold Case Task Force.

And they're not just any people volunteering. Even though they're retired, these are 22 of the best in the business, with more than 1,000 years of experience between them. And please don't ever question their motivation. They aren't paid for this.

Detectives tell Crime Watch Daily they are waiting on a few key tests to come back but that they believe an arrest or several arrests are near.

rbbm.

 

[wdmcmahan]

This is exciting, I hope the new testing reveals the person/people responsible. I'm curious if the boyfriend's uncle's DNA test results are in yet, or if that is what they were referring to (in the link in the post above mine).

Sent from my SM-G930VL using Tapatalk

 

[folieadeuxnola]

Parents, TCSO still searching for answers on 20th anniversary of Dena Dean murder

This Wednesday, June 6 marks the 20th anniversary of the unsolved murder of 16-year-old Dena Dean, and the Dean Family will commemorate the anniversary by holding a vigil.

In 1998, Dena Dean never made it home after meeting with friends. They eventually found her abandoned car in the parking lot of the Towne West Shopping Center.

Detectives found her body in a field, a week later, but her killer was never found.

 

[folieadeuxnola]

'It's on our shoulders:' Dena Dean cold-case investigators optimistic with new witnesses, search warrants, DNA tests

Diana Dean has fallen into stretches where she didn't believe justice for her daughter would materialize. But in the past year she has developed more hope than ever for a resolution — "a new feeling," she describes it — with significant strides made in the cold case.

“On the progress at this point, I think it’s going pretty good," Dean said Tuesday, a day before the 20th anniversary of her daughter's death. “They’ve gotten some search warrants and some DNA testing, and they’re still doing some testing. I think it’s headed in the right direction."

 

[folieadeuxnola]

Family of Dena Dean meets with Tulsa County District Attorney's Office

Family members of Dena Dean met Thursday with personnel from the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office, a possible sign that authorities — shortly after the 20th anniversary of Dean’s death — are close to having a case filed against the teenager’s suspected killer.

Dean’s mother, Diana Dean, said the “meet-and-greet” she had in the afternoon with a prosecutor and an advocate was the first of its kind since she found out about her daughter’s death. Dean’s family holds a vigil annually, which they’ve said has helped her name stay in the public consciousness.

“It kind of came as a shock to me,” she told the Tulsa World of the encounter. “It’s been 20 years, and we’ve never talked to anybody like that or been asked to come for a meeting. It gives me hope that we’re moving in the right direction.”

 

[Slawsb]

I hope she gets answers soon

 

[dotr]

rbbm
Nov 6 2018
Breaking News - ID's "Killer Unknown" Chronicles Active Investigations of Tulsa County Cold Case Task Force Working to Crack Unsolved Murder Cases Across Oklahoma | TheFutonCritic.com
"ID's "Killer Unknown" Chronicles Active Investigations of Tulsa County Cold Case Task Force Working to Crack Unsolved Murder Cases Across Oklahoma
The six-part series launches Saturday, November 24 at 10:00/9:00c.
[via press release from Investigation Discovery]
ID'S "KILLER UNKNOWN" CHRONICLES ACTIVE INVESTIGATIONS OF TULSA COUNTY COLD CASE TASK FORCE WORKING TO CRACK UNSOLVED MURDER CASES ACROSS OKLAHOMA

-- Premiering Saturday, November 24 on Investigation Discovery --

(Silver Spring, Md.) - What happens when some of the finest investigators in the country come out of retirement to put their collective talents and years of experience towards the most notorious cold case murders in the area they call home? Investigation Discovery's (ID) all-new series, KILLER UNKNOWN follows an active investigation in real time, as the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) Cold Case Task Force cracks open the 31 unsolved cases of Tulsa County, starting with two of its most terrifying: the 1973 murder of 38-year-old Veda Woodson, and the 1998 murder of 16-year-old Dena Ann Dean. Both unsolved cases continue to haunt the Tulsa community, and now the TCSO Cold Case Task Force is determined to find justice for the victims. From production company Lucky 8, the six-part series, KILLER UNKNOWN, premieres Saturday, November 24 at 10/9c, only on ID.

Each episode of KILLER UNKNOWN chronicles the TCSO Cold Case Task Force as they re-examine the Woodson and Dean cases with fresh eyes, speaking with loved ones and reviewing evidence through modern technology in hopes of generating new leads for the cases.

Created in June 2016, the TCSO Cold Case Task Force is comprised of seasoned homicide detectives and specialized experts who volunteer their time and expertise to reviewing unsolved cases from different perspectives. Led by retired Tulsa police sergeant Mike Huff, the task force focuses its resources on cases with the highest probability of being solved with fresh new leads and modern forensic technologies. The task force is currently examining 31 cases across Tulsa County, with the ultimate goal of finding answers and justice for victims and their families.

About Dena Ann Dean

On June 6, 1998, 16-year-old Dena Dean was working at her after-school job at Arby's in Tulsa, OK. After work, Dena asked her parents, Larry and Diana, if she could go to local grocery store Marvin's Food Warehouse to see her best friend, as well as her boyfriend. With her parent's permission, Dena left her shift and drove to Marvin's - but was never heard from again. When Dena failed to return home after curfew, her parents became uneasy; that uneasiness turned to panic when they received a call from a friend who found Dena's car. A manhunt was launched, and six days later, Dena's body was found at a local dump site where kids would often hang out - it was too decomposed to determine a specific cause of death. Now, 20 years later, the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office has several new leads - but can they finally solve this case for good?"

 

[Damarna]

Bumping for Dena.

 

[samsniece]

I had high hopes that we would see progress on these cases. I would love to see justice for both the Woodson's and the Dean's, my prayers are with the families.