Post by Scumhunter on Jul 12, 2016 22:00:25 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: insidefortsmith.com)
From the AMW archives:
Missy Witt Vanishes
Police say Missy Witt was the kind of daughter that every parent hopes for: she was attractive, popular, and serious about school. She wanted to be a dental hygienist, and worked part time at a local dentist's office.
But on December 1, 1994, something terrible happened. At about 5:00 p.m, Missy got off work and discovered that her car wouldn't start. She was waiting with a friend when a Good Samaritan from a local business helped jump her car.
At around 5:45 p.m, Missy stopped at the house she shared with her mom to make a pit stop. She changed out of her work clothes and decided to surprise her mom, Mary Ann Witt, for dinner. Mary Ann bowled on a league at one of the local bowling alleys, so Missy drove to meet her.
Between 6:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m, Missy arrived at Bowling World, but she never made it inside to surprise her mother. Cops believe that a man was waiting in the parking lot, hunting for a victim. They think he approached Missy, and a struggle ensued when she rejected him. That struggle didn't last long, because the assailant hit her in the head with a blunt object, then dragged her to his car, where he probably put her in the trunk or truck bed.
The only clues left at the scene were a gold hoop earring, a crushed hair clip, her car keys, and pools of blood. Missy's car was found at the bowling alley two days after she was reported missing. Her keys had been picked up and turned into the front desk of the bowling alley; they were found to have traces of blood on them.
Missy's Body Discovered In Ozark Mountains
On January 13, 1995, two trappers hunting near Turner's Bend in the Ozark National Forest discovered the body of a young woman. Through dental records, cops identified the body as Missy's.
She was found nude, lying face down in the woods, in front of a rock resembling a headstone. Cops believe someone moved her from the killer's intended resting place.
Two days before her body was found, cops working the night shift at the local police department received a recorded voice mail message. On the message were two people with heavy Southern accents.
A female urged a man, apparently her grandson, to tell the police what he had found. The man panicked, afraid he would be blamed for the murder, and hung up the phone.
Police believe this phone call is significant. From indentations made at the crime scene, they believe the killer had actually placed Missy's body behind the headstone-like rock.
Cops believe the man who made this call discovered Missy's body in the woods, and moved it out from behind the rock so that she would be found. Cops would like to speak to the people who made this phone call.
There are some important clues police hope will lead to the killer of Missy Witt. In addition to the items left at the parking lot, and the anonymous voice message, cops found cigarette butts and papers near where her body was found.
They don't know if these are significant clues, or just items left by the hunters who roamed the National Forest. What investigators think might be more significant than what was found at the crime scene, is what was missing.
The killer had taken Missy's long-sleeved v-neck shirt, blue jeans, undergarments, purse, wallet, remaining gold hoop earring, and brown-banded Mickey Mouse watch. Cops are looking for anyone who might know the current whereabouts of these items.
AMW Joins The Hunt For A Killer
Police want to find this killer before he hurts another young woman. Because of the nature of the time, investigators believe Missy might not be the killer's first, or last, victim.
They believe the killer was familiar with the area, whether he was a local, or came into the area from out of state to hunt. Investigators also believe the rock near where Missy was found holds some significance to the killer.
For 14 years, cops chased down hundreds of leads, interviewed every witness they could find, and looked into suspects from neighboring states involved in similar murders, but still had no answers.
Fort Smith Police are now teaming up with John Walsh and the AMW team to find that one clue that could break this case open.
web.archive.org/web/20100329211524/http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=59549#case
Thoughts? Missy Witt's case was featured on the November 8th, 2008 and August 29th, 2009 episodes of America's Most Wanted. According to a Facebook page, a documentary about Missy's murder is currently in production.
Other Relevant Links:
www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/3zqdvx/unsolved_murder_of_melissa_witt_in_1994_arkansas/
www.facebook.com/Who-Killed-Missy-Witt-1645684015706582/
Admin Note #1: According to online articles, If you have any information on Melissa "Missy" Witt's unsolved murder, please immediately call the Fort Smith Police Department at: 479-709-5201.
Admin Note #2: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form