1 00:00:08,285 --> 00:00:13,605 Speaker 1: School of Humans. 2 00:00:14,205 --> 00:00:17,765 Speaker 2: On July twenty fifth, nineteen eighty nine, eighteen year old 3 00:00:17,805 --> 00:00:22,325 Speaker 2: Dana's Didham had just graduated from high school in grave At, Arkansas. 4 00:00:22,565 --> 00:00:26,165 Speaker 2: She had her whole life in front of her. Dana 5 00:00:26,285 --> 00:00:28,125 Speaker 2: had moved out on her own for the first time. 6 00:00:28,565 --> 00:00:31,485 Speaker 2: She was living in Centerton with her older brother, Larry 7 00:00:31,645 --> 00:00:34,805 Speaker 2: and a cousin. She was starting her life. She was 8 00:00:34,845 --> 00:00:38,205 Speaker 2: excited about the future. But on that day she had 9 00:00:38,205 --> 00:00:41,045 Speaker 2: to do some laundry, and like a lot of teens 10 00:00:41,045 --> 00:00:43,685 Speaker 2: that age who have just left home, she was a 11 00:00:43,685 --> 00:00:46,725 Speaker 2: little homesick. She wanted to spend some time with her dad. 12 00:00:47,645 --> 00:00:52,125 Speaker 2: Her parents, Lawrence and Georgis Didham, lived in Highwasee, an 13 00:00:52,245 --> 00:00:55,325 Speaker 2: unincorporated area in Benton County. That was about a ten 14 00:00:55,365 --> 00:00:58,005 Speaker 2: to fifteen minute drive to where Dana lived in Centerton, 15 00:00:59,165 --> 00:01:02,165 Speaker 2: so Dana drove home. She started to do her big 16 00:01:02,205 --> 00:01:06,005 Speaker 2: pile of laundry with her dad, and then her dad 17 00:01:06,085 --> 00:01:08,645 Speaker 2: said he was not feeling well. He asked Dana to 18 00:01:08,725 --> 00:01:11,885 Speaker 2: run some errands for him, and she said yes. Dana 19 00:01:12,085 --> 00:01:15,125 Speaker 2: was planning on coming right back. She had clothes in 20 00:01:15,165 --> 00:01:17,245 Speaker 2: the wash cycle and her dad said he would put 21 00:01:17,245 --> 00:01:19,045 Speaker 2: them in the dryer if she wasn't back by the 22 00:01:19,045 --> 00:01:22,765 Speaker 2: time they finished. There has been a lot of publicity 23 00:01:22,805 --> 00:01:26,485 Speaker 2: about this case, but no real answers. We're going to 24 00:01:26,565 --> 00:01:29,525 Speaker 2: try to relive the last day of Dana Sidham's life 25 00:01:29,565 --> 00:01:31,685 Speaker 2: and see if there's anything that was missed that can 26 00:01:31,725 --> 00:01:34,565 Speaker 2: help us get closer to finding out what happened to 27 00:01:34,605 --> 00:01:39,965 Speaker 2: her anne who killed her. I'm Catherine Townsend. Over the 28 00:01:40,005 --> 00:01:43,605 Speaker 2: past five years of making my true crime podcast, Helen Gone, 29 00:01:43,725 --> 00:01:45,845 Speaker 2: I've learned that there is no such thing as a 30 00:01:45,845 --> 00:01:49,725 Speaker 2: small town where murder never happens. I have received hundreds 31 00:01:49,725 --> 00:01:52,685 Speaker 2: of messages from people all around the country asking for 32 00:01:52,725 --> 00:01:55,845 Speaker 2: help with an unsolved murder that's affected them, their families, 33 00:01:56,165 --> 00:01:57,085 Speaker 2: and their communities. 34 00:01:57,845 --> 00:01:59,525 Speaker 1: If you have a case you'd like me and my 35 00:01:59,565 --> 00:01:59,965 Speaker 1: team to. 36 00:01:59,925 --> 00:02:02,285 Speaker 2: Look into, you can reach out to us at our 37 00:02:02,325 --> 00:02:05,085 Speaker 2: Hell and Gone Murder line at six seven eight seven 38 00:02:05,165 --> 00:02:08,445 Speaker 2: four four six one four five. That's six seven eight 39 00:02:08,805 --> 00:02:13,085 Speaker 2: seven four four six one four five. This is Helen 40 00:02:13,165 --> 00:03:07,405 Speaker 2: Gone Murder Line. Dana Stidham was just supposed to run 41 00:03:07,405 --> 00:03:09,845 Speaker 2: out of the house for a few minutes, but hours 42 00:03:09,885 --> 00:03:13,165 Speaker 2: went by and Dana never came home. So her worried 43 00:03:13,245 --> 00:03:16,165 Speaker 2: parents called her older brother Larry, and after he got 44 00:03:16,165 --> 00:03:18,365 Speaker 2: off work, he started looking for Dana. 45 00:03:19,005 --> 00:03:19,965 Speaker 1: The whole family did. 46 00:03:20,005 --> 00:03:23,965 Speaker 2: Actually, they were driving down Highway seventy one, the highway 47 00:03:24,005 --> 00:03:25,565 Speaker 2: that cut through the middle of Bella. 48 00:03:25,405 --> 00:03:27,285 Speaker 1: Vista, trying to find her. 49 00:03:28,005 --> 00:03:31,165 Speaker 2: They thought maybe her car broke down somewhere, but there 50 00:03:31,245 --> 00:03:34,605 Speaker 2: was no sign of Dana Sidham. Her brother Larry was 51 00:03:34,645 --> 00:03:37,045 Speaker 2: the one who called the police at nine thirty pm 52 00:03:37,085 --> 00:03:40,885 Speaker 2: to officially report her missing. Officers put out a bolo 53 00:03:41,005 --> 00:03:43,245 Speaker 2: a bee on the lookout for Dana with a. 54 00:03:43,205 --> 00:03:43,965 Speaker 1: Description of her. 55 00:03:44,405 --> 00:03:47,725 Speaker 2: She was petitue, five foot two and weigh just over 56 00:03:47,765 --> 00:03:51,365 Speaker 2: one hundred pounds, with short brown hair. She was wearing 57 00:03:51,445 --> 00:03:54,165 Speaker 2: white shorts, a white top with red lettering and red 58 00:03:54,205 --> 00:03:58,205 Speaker 2: sox with white tennis shoes. Police retraced her steps and 59 00:03:58,245 --> 00:04:00,645 Speaker 2: they found out Dana had made it to the store. 60 00:04:01,245 --> 00:04:03,725 Speaker 2: She went to the Phillips food store in Bella Vista, 61 00:04:04,285 --> 00:04:06,445 Speaker 2: and she knew a lot of people at that store. 62 00:04:06,485 --> 00:04:09,005 Speaker 2: She actually worked at the Phillips food store in high school, 63 00:04:09,805 --> 00:04:12,645 Speaker 2: so she talked to several people and all of them 64 00:04:12,685 --> 00:04:14,645 Speaker 2: remembered seeing her when she came to pick up those 65 00:04:14,685 --> 00:04:18,245 Speaker 2: items that day for her dad. Dana bought Alka Seltzer 66 00:04:18,525 --> 00:04:22,805 Speaker 2: dishwashing soap and sugar. According to the cashier's receipt, she 67 00:04:22,925 --> 00:04:28,045 Speaker 2: checked out of the store at three seventeen PM. Detectives 68 00:04:28,085 --> 00:04:30,765 Speaker 2: said the last time Dana was seen alive that they 69 00:04:30,765 --> 00:04:33,445 Speaker 2: were aware of was when she was leaving the Phillips 70 00:04:33,485 --> 00:04:38,645 Speaker 2: Food Center parking lot. According to multiple media reports, Dana 71 00:04:38,685 --> 00:04:41,165 Speaker 2: was seen talking to an older man in that parking lot. 72 00:04:41,805 --> 00:04:45,525 Speaker 2: The man's identity was never confirmed by police, and there 73 00:04:45,565 --> 00:04:49,085 Speaker 2: was a landscaper who worked nearby. He told police he 74 00:04:49,205 --> 00:04:52,045 Speaker 2: saw Dana drive out of that parking lot, but he 75 00:04:52,085 --> 00:04:54,285 Speaker 2: said he could not remember which way she had turned. 76 00:04:55,285 --> 00:04:59,005 Speaker 2: Over the next few days, volunteers and searchers were looking 77 00:04:59,045 --> 00:05:02,205 Speaker 2: for Dana. The disappearance was all over the news, so 78 00:05:02,365 --> 00:05:07,245 Speaker 2: naturally a lot of tips started flooding in the next morning, 79 00:05:07,605 --> 00:05:11,205 Speaker 2: July twenty sixth, At around six thirty am, a sergeant 80 00:05:11,245 --> 00:05:14,205 Speaker 2: with the Benton County Sheriff's Department named Karen Myers was 81 00:05:14,285 --> 00:05:18,045 Speaker 2: driving south on US Highway seventy one. She was on 82 00:05:18,045 --> 00:05:20,605 Speaker 2: her way to work near Wellington Road when she saw 83 00:05:20,645 --> 00:05:23,165 Speaker 2: a car on the shoulder of the road. The vehicle 84 00:05:23,245 --> 00:05:26,765 Speaker 2: was parked on the southbound side. She didn't think anything 85 00:05:26,805 --> 00:05:30,045 Speaker 2: of it until she got to work and the officers 86 00:05:30,085 --> 00:05:32,485 Speaker 2: were being briefed on the missing woman, Dana Siddam. 87 00:05:33,165 --> 00:05:34,565 Speaker 1: Then she remembered the car. 88 00:05:35,125 --> 00:05:37,805 Speaker 2: When she went back, the car was still there and 89 00:05:37,845 --> 00:05:40,925 Speaker 2: it was confirmed that was Dana Siddam's nineteen eighty four 90 00:05:41,085 --> 00:05:44,125 Speaker 2: gray Dodge Omni. It was just a little bit down 91 00:05:44,125 --> 00:05:46,565 Speaker 2: the road from where her last stop was the Phillips 92 00:05:46,565 --> 00:05:49,805 Speaker 2: Food Store and about four miles from her parents' home. 93 00:05:54,365 --> 00:05:56,485 Speaker 1: So this is what we know about the state of 94 00:05:56,525 --> 00:05:57,045 Speaker 1: her vehicle. 95 00:05:57,845 --> 00:06:00,445 Speaker 2: The keys were still in the ignition, the driver's side 96 00:06:00,485 --> 00:06:03,725 Speaker 2: window was halfway down, and the left rear tire was flat, 97 00:06:04,325 --> 00:06:07,445 Speaker 2: but according to lawn enforcement, it wasn't totally flat. 98 00:06:07,485 --> 00:06:10,965 Speaker 1: The car was still drivable. Besides the tire. 99 00:06:11,165 --> 00:06:14,285 Speaker 2: There was nothing seriously wrong with the car, no breakdown, 100 00:06:14,565 --> 00:06:18,165 Speaker 2: no obvious sign of a struggle, no blood. But there 101 00:06:18,165 --> 00:06:21,845 Speaker 2: were some items missing. Dana carried a big denim purse 102 00:06:22,125 --> 00:06:25,685 Speaker 2: and it was gone, and weirdly, her groceries, the ones 103 00:06:25,725 --> 00:06:27,765 Speaker 2: she just bought at Phillips Foodstore were missing. 104 00:06:27,845 --> 00:06:28,125 Speaker 1: Also. 105 00:06:29,125 --> 00:06:33,085 Speaker 2: That was my first question, actually, where were her groceries? 106 00:06:33,125 --> 00:06:34,725 Speaker 1: What happened to them? 107 00:06:34,965 --> 00:06:38,205 Speaker 2: The driver's seat had also been adjusted as if a 108 00:06:38,285 --> 00:06:42,445 Speaker 2: much taller person had been driving. This made police believe 109 00:06:42,845 --> 00:06:45,845 Speaker 2: that someone else besides Dana had driven the car to 110 00:06:45,885 --> 00:06:49,085 Speaker 2: that location. So the working theory was that the car 111 00:06:49,125 --> 00:06:52,045 Speaker 2: had been moved because in addition to that pushback seat, 112 00:06:52,525 --> 00:06:54,485 Speaker 2: there was the fact that the car was parked along 113 00:06:54,525 --> 00:06:57,605 Speaker 2: the main highway. Now her family and friends had been 114 00:06:57,725 --> 00:07:00,965 Speaker 2: driving that road all night. They felt like someone would 115 00:07:01,005 --> 00:07:03,165 Speaker 2: have spotted her vehicle if it had been sitting there 116 00:07:03,165 --> 00:07:07,045 Speaker 2: the whole time. Police began to believe someone moved that 117 00:07:07,165 --> 00:07:10,845 Speaker 2: car there in the middle of the night. Last week 118 00:07:11,005 --> 00:07:14,765 Speaker 2: we dove into Amanda Tussing's case. We pointed out that 119 00:07:14,845 --> 00:07:18,645 Speaker 2: Amanda and Dana's situations did have some similarities, at least 120 00:07:18,645 --> 00:07:21,325 Speaker 2: on the surface. Both were petite women with short, dark hair. 121 00:07:21,925 --> 00:07:25,525 Speaker 2: Both crimes happened in the same general area, and in 122 00:07:25,565 --> 00:07:28,685 Speaker 2: both cases, cars were found abandoned on the side of 123 00:07:28,685 --> 00:07:31,085 Speaker 2: the road, with the keys in the ignition and no 124 00:07:31,165 --> 00:07:34,205 Speaker 2: signs of a struggle. But as we also said last week, 125 00:07:34,245 --> 00:07:37,565 Speaker 2: there are a lot of differences. The main difference for 126 00:07:37,725 --> 00:07:40,965 Speaker 2: me is the time of day. Amanda Tussing disappeared late 127 00:07:40,965 --> 00:07:43,925 Speaker 2: at night. Dana Sidham vanished in the middle of the 128 00:07:44,005 --> 00:07:47,565 Speaker 2: day in broad daylight. As many of you know, this 129 00:07:47,725 --> 00:07:50,485 Speaker 2: case has received a lot of publicity. I've seen it 130 00:07:50,525 --> 00:07:53,685 Speaker 2: covered in various podcasts on news channels over the years, 131 00:07:54,125 --> 00:07:56,725 Speaker 2: but every time I see it covered, I kind of 132 00:07:56,765 --> 00:07:59,805 Speaker 2: hear a variation of the same story that there was 133 00:07:59,885 --> 00:08:04,045 Speaker 2: a suspect, someone who police believed had something to do 134 00:08:04,125 --> 00:08:07,845 Speaker 2: with Dana's disappearance. We briefly touched on this last week. 135 00:08:08,325 --> 00:08:10,645 Speaker 2: We said there was a guy who Dana knew from 136 00:08:10,685 --> 00:08:13,925 Speaker 2: high school. This person apparently had some feelings for Dana, 137 00:08:14,325 --> 00:08:16,165 Speaker 2: maybe an unrequited crush on her. 138 00:08:16,965 --> 00:08:18,005 Speaker 1: And every time I. 139 00:08:17,965 --> 00:08:20,285 Speaker 2: Read a news story, I see a mention of this person, 140 00:08:20,325 --> 00:08:22,965 Speaker 2: but then there's no follow up. So what we're going 141 00:08:23,005 --> 00:08:25,005 Speaker 2: to do this week is go through everything we think 142 00:08:25,045 --> 00:08:27,085 Speaker 2: we know about the case. We're going to start at 143 00:08:27,125 --> 00:08:30,645 Speaker 2: the beginning, go through the timeline, and really explore to 144 00:08:30,685 --> 00:08:33,765 Speaker 2: see if there are any other suspects who might have 145 00:08:33,845 --> 00:08:39,165 Speaker 2: been missed. I wonder, could someone have pulled Dana over 146 00:08:39,845 --> 00:08:42,605 Speaker 2: or signaled for her to pull over and then pulled 147 00:08:42,645 --> 00:08:45,405 Speaker 2: up behind her using that flat tire as a ruse, 148 00:08:46,125 --> 00:08:48,765 Speaker 2: or maybe she felt the tire going flat on her own, 149 00:08:49,085 --> 00:08:52,125 Speaker 2: pulled over herself, and then someone pretending to be a 150 00:08:52,165 --> 00:08:56,205 Speaker 2: good Samaritan took advantage of the situation. These are all 151 00:08:56,285 --> 00:09:00,205 Speaker 2: situations that Dana's family and friends considered over that summer. 152 00:08:59,925 --> 00:09:00,925 Speaker 1: After she disappeared. 153 00:09:02,005 --> 00:09:04,605 Speaker 2: There were also, as there are with many cases and 154 00:09:04,645 --> 00:09:07,245 Speaker 2: a lot of publicity, a lot of random people people 155 00:09:07,285 --> 00:09:10,685 Speaker 2: coming forward to say they saw Dana. Some people said 156 00:09:10,685 --> 00:09:13,085 Speaker 2: they had seen her partying on the night she went missing. 157 00:09:14,205 --> 00:09:17,525 Speaker 2: Then other evidence started showing up. A few days after 158 00:09:17,605 --> 00:09:20,365 Speaker 2: Dane went missing, her brother Larry, found some of her 159 00:09:20,365 --> 00:09:23,445 Speaker 2: clothes on Ealing Circle, near the area where her car 160 00:09:23,485 --> 00:09:24,045 Speaker 2: had been found. 161 00:09:24,845 --> 00:09:26,165 Speaker 1: Then on August. 162 00:09:25,765 --> 00:09:29,725 Speaker 2: Fifth, nineteen eighty nine, someone contacted law enforcement to report 163 00:09:29,765 --> 00:09:33,565 Speaker 2: that they had found some other items. According to Ay magazine, 164 00:09:33,805 --> 00:09:38,005 Speaker 2: those items included Dana's checks, her wallet, her driver's license, 165 00:09:38,525 --> 00:09:41,165 Speaker 2: and they were kind of thrown out along the road, 166 00:09:41,805 --> 00:09:44,525 Speaker 2: almost like someone had thrown them out of a moving car. 167 00:09:45,565 --> 00:09:49,805 Speaker 2: There was also a pornographic magazine found nearby, though investigators 168 00:09:49,845 --> 00:09:52,565 Speaker 2: seemed kind of divided about that, whether it was left 169 00:09:52,605 --> 00:09:54,885 Speaker 2: by the person who assaulted Dana or if it was 170 00:09:54,925 --> 00:09:59,125 Speaker 2: just random trash and it was a coincidence. A couple 171 00:09:59,205 --> 00:10:02,405 Speaker 2: of days after that, someone's pet dog showed up at 172 00:10:02,405 --> 00:10:04,525 Speaker 2: the house, and when its owner looked at what it 173 00:10:04,525 --> 00:10:08,245 Speaker 2: had brought back home. It had Dana Didham's wallet in 174 00:10:08,285 --> 00:10:12,285 Speaker 2: its mouth. This seemed to be the moment when the 175 00:10:12,325 --> 00:10:15,765 Speaker 2: case turned around, because before that it seemed as though 176 00:10:15,845 --> 00:10:18,685 Speaker 2: law enforcement had considered the possibility she might have gone 177 00:10:18,725 --> 00:10:21,085 Speaker 2: missing on her own. But after that dog showed up 178 00:10:21,085 --> 00:10:23,725 Speaker 2: with that wallet, the sheriff at the time, Andy Lee, 179 00:10:23,845 --> 00:10:27,125 Speaker 2: made a comment. He said, quote, we know when she 180 00:10:27,285 --> 00:10:30,005 Speaker 2: left the car, she took her purse with her, but 181 00:10:30,085 --> 00:10:32,845 Speaker 2: we don't believe she would be throwing personal items out 182 00:10:33,245 --> 00:10:36,805 Speaker 2: end quote. So the rest of the summer passes, Dana's 183 00:10:36,805 --> 00:10:39,605 Speaker 2: family and friends are no closer to getting answers. The 184 00:10:39,645 --> 00:10:43,565 Speaker 2: two lead detectives at the time, Mike Sediak and Danny Varner, 185 00:10:44,005 --> 00:10:47,165 Speaker 2: worked tirelessly on this case. They've talked about it at 186 00:10:47,205 --> 00:10:50,245 Speaker 2: various times over the years and when they've made comments 187 00:10:50,285 --> 00:10:53,125 Speaker 2: to media. To me, it is obvious they cannot stop 188 00:10:53,165 --> 00:10:55,965 Speaker 2: thinking about this case, and they were frustrated by the 189 00:10:56,045 --> 00:11:01,445 Speaker 2: dead ends that they seemed to keep encountering. On September sixteenth, 190 00:11:01,565 --> 00:11:04,685 Speaker 2: nineteen eighty nine, a squirrel hunter named Wayne T. Grantham 191 00:11:05,045 --> 00:11:07,645 Speaker 2: was out in a remote area on the east side 192 00:11:07,685 --> 00:11:10,525 Speaker 2: of Bella Vista. He was in a dry creek bed 193 00:11:10,605 --> 00:11:18,805 Speaker 2: near the Missouri Arkansas border. He saw a skull. On 194 00:11:18,845 --> 00:11:22,445 Speaker 2: September sixteenth, nineteen eighty nine, almost two months after Dane 195 00:11:22,445 --> 00:11:25,805 Speaker 2: has Stidham disappeared, a hunter named Wayne T. Grantham saw 196 00:11:25,845 --> 00:11:27,445 Speaker 2: a skull while he was out in the woods in 197 00:11:27,485 --> 00:11:32,005 Speaker 2: Bellavista County. This brings us to another really strange point 198 00:11:32,005 --> 00:11:35,645 Speaker 2: in this case. Not necessarily suspicious, but it's something that 199 00:11:35,765 --> 00:11:38,085 Speaker 2: should be delved into, in my opinion, a little bit. 200 00:11:38,685 --> 00:11:41,085 Speaker 2: According to the missing Persons report, which we have a 201 00:11:41,125 --> 00:11:44,765 Speaker 2: copy of from the Arkansas State Police, the hunter apparently 202 00:11:44,845 --> 00:11:49,685 Speaker 2: waited an entire day before reporting what he found. After 203 00:11:49,725 --> 00:11:53,045 Speaker 2: he saw a skeleton, he went on and continued his hunt. 204 00:11:53,725 --> 00:11:56,885 Speaker 2: Then the next morning, on September seventeenth, nineteen eighty nine, 205 00:11:57,005 --> 00:12:00,645 Speaker 2: Wayne Grantham contacted the Benton County Sheriff's office and told 206 00:12:00,725 --> 00:12:01,885 Speaker 2: him about the remains. 207 00:12:02,445 --> 00:12:04,285 Speaker 1: According to that missing. 208 00:12:04,125 --> 00:12:08,045 Speaker 2: Persons report, he said he waited because he basically did 209 00:12:08,085 --> 00:12:10,845 Speaker 2: not want to ruin or interrupt his day hunting. At 210 00:12:10,845 --> 00:12:13,605 Speaker 2: the time, he made some kind of comment about the 211 00:12:13,605 --> 00:12:17,965 Speaker 2: fact that the skeleton wasn't going to go anywhere that day. 212 00:12:18,005 --> 00:12:21,125 Speaker 2: This sounds pretty insensitive, and it kind of is, but 213 00:12:21,285 --> 00:12:24,245 Speaker 2: to be fair, he did later tell police that he 214 00:12:24,325 --> 00:12:27,085 Speaker 2: kind of regretted that decision. He said he should have 215 00:12:27,085 --> 00:12:33,325 Speaker 2: called the police immediately. Police recovered the remains, They sent 216 00:12:33,365 --> 00:12:36,845 Speaker 2: them to the medical examiner's office, and they identified them 217 00:12:36,885 --> 00:12:43,685 Speaker 2: as Dana's. The remains were very decomposed, mostly skeletal, so 218 00:12:43,965 --> 00:12:47,245 Speaker 2: at the time authorities could not determine if Dana had 219 00:12:47,245 --> 00:12:48,245 Speaker 2: been sexually assaulted. 220 00:12:49,325 --> 00:12:50,885 Speaker 1: This was a tough crime scene. 221 00:12:51,085 --> 00:12:54,165 Speaker 2: The remains were spread out over a pretty big area, 222 00:12:54,205 --> 00:12:59,205 Speaker 2: according to news reports, over fifty feet, but they were 223 00:12:59,325 --> 00:13:03,845 Speaker 2: able to find some signs of Dana's assault. There was 224 00:13:03,925 --> 00:13:07,445 Speaker 2: evidence of a nick, probably made by a knife, on 225 00:13:07,485 --> 00:13:11,005 Speaker 2: her collarbone area on the left side. Authorities also found 226 00:13:11,005 --> 00:13:15,125 Speaker 2: something else. They found baling twine. Several feet of twine 227 00:13:15,125 --> 00:13:18,365 Speaker 2: that was tied up in knots. Duct tape was also 228 00:13:18,485 --> 00:13:21,885 Speaker 2: found on her clothes. They were buried nearby. One of 229 00:13:21,925 --> 00:13:25,565 Speaker 2: her braw stripes had been cut, which again made police 230 00:13:25,565 --> 00:13:29,005 Speaker 2: think the killer had used a knife. There were also 231 00:13:29,165 --> 00:13:32,605 Speaker 2: a few locks of Dana's hair found, and even though 232 00:13:32,685 --> 00:13:35,645 Speaker 2: investigators had found Dana's wallet with her id in those 233 00:13:35,685 --> 00:13:39,405 Speaker 2: closed by the roadside, they never found some things, including 234 00:13:39,445 --> 00:13:41,365 Speaker 2: that denim purse she had had with her on the 235 00:13:41,445 --> 00:13:44,245 Speaker 2: day she went missing, and the groceries she got for 236 00:13:44,285 --> 00:13:48,325 Speaker 2: her dad. Something else was missing from the body. Dana 237 00:13:48,325 --> 00:13:51,125 Speaker 2: always wore a ring, one that her grandmother had given her. 238 00:13:51,725 --> 00:13:54,245 Speaker 2: She had been wearing it when she left home, but 239 00:13:54,325 --> 00:13:58,845 Speaker 2: it wasn't on her body. On September twenty first, nineteen 240 00:13:58,885 --> 00:14:01,885 Speaker 2: eighty nine, the medical examiner announced that the manner of 241 00:14:01,925 --> 00:14:04,565 Speaker 2: death was homicide, but the cause. 242 00:14:04,325 --> 00:14:08,565 Speaker 1: Of death was under turned at the time. 243 00:14:08,725 --> 00:14:12,285 Speaker 2: Sergeant Varner, one of the detectives on the case, said, quote, 244 00:14:12,765 --> 00:14:16,525 Speaker 2: robbery wasn't the motive. Everything points to a sex crime 245 00:14:16,885 --> 00:14:20,885 Speaker 2: end quote. But police didn't have much to go on. 246 00:14:21,685 --> 00:14:24,925 Speaker 2: They couldn't determine time of death. They couldn't figure out 247 00:14:24,965 --> 00:14:27,125 Speaker 2: if Dana's killer had killed her on the day she 248 00:14:27,165 --> 00:14:29,685 Speaker 2: went missing, or if they had had her somewhere else 249 00:14:29,725 --> 00:14:32,205 Speaker 2: before that. They didn't know if the body had been 250 00:14:32,245 --> 00:14:35,725 Speaker 2: moved now. Early on, there were rumors that the area 251 00:14:35,765 --> 00:14:39,645 Speaker 2: where Dana's body was buried was near a notorious party spot, 252 00:14:39,965 --> 00:14:42,805 Speaker 2: or that she may have been involved with some drug dealers, 253 00:14:43,325 --> 00:14:46,845 Speaker 2: but these rumors were not backed up by any evidence, 254 00:14:46,885 --> 00:14:51,045 Speaker 2: and honestly, those type of rumors about drug dealing, the 255 00:14:51,045 --> 00:14:53,085 Speaker 2: fact that the party spot was on this dead end 256 00:14:53,165 --> 00:14:56,285 Speaker 2: road kind of gave me deja vus and made me 257 00:14:56,325 --> 00:15:00,485 Speaker 2: think about Rebecca Gould's case and in Dana Siddam's case, 258 00:15:01,085 --> 00:15:06,605 Speaker 2: the rumors seemed equally far fetched. It was another theory 259 00:15:06,605 --> 00:15:11,045 Speaker 2: that made more sense. Police wondered, could someone have punctured 260 00:15:11,085 --> 00:15:13,925 Speaker 2: her tire on purpose, maybe while she was talking to 261 00:15:13,965 --> 00:15:17,645 Speaker 2: her former co workers the Phillips food store. Then maybe 262 00:15:17,645 --> 00:15:20,445 Speaker 2: that person followed her out of that parking lot because 263 00:15:20,445 --> 00:15:24,765 Speaker 2: they knew that her tire would run flat. Some people 264 00:15:24,805 --> 00:15:28,725 Speaker 2: believed someone impersonating a police officer or an actual police 265 00:15:28,725 --> 00:15:33,165 Speaker 2: officer could have signaled for Danna to pull over. We'll 266 00:15:33,165 --> 00:15:35,445 Speaker 2: get back to that in a minute. Back to Dana's 267 00:15:35,485 --> 00:15:38,565 Speaker 2: route that day. So it turns out that Dana had 268 00:15:38,605 --> 00:15:42,125 Speaker 2: a reason for avoiding a convenience store that was much 269 00:15:42,205 --> 00:15:46,445 Speaker 2: nearer her parents' house, the Dairy Freeze, because a guy 270 00:15:46,565 --> 00:15:48,805 Speaker 2: she went to high school with, one who apparently had 271 00:15:48,845 --> 00:15:50,805 Speaker 2: a crush on her, the one we were talking about before, 272 00:15:51,605 --> 00:15:55,605 Speaker 2: His parents owned that business. So Dana's parents told police 273 00:15:55,645 --> 00:16:00,165 Speaker 2: that Dana avoided that store she wanted to avoid that guy. 274 00:16:00,285 --> 00:16:03,885 Speaker 2: This guy's name is Mike McMillan. This is public information, 275 00:16:04,005 --> 00:16:06,085 Speaker 2: by the way, It's part of the case case file 276 00:16:06,245 --> 00:16:08,565 Speaker 2: and included in the paperwork that we got from the 277 00:16:08,565 --> 00:16:13,845 Speaker 2: Benton County Sheriff's Department after we filed foyer request. Mike 278 00:16:13,965 --> 00:16:15,965 Speaker 2: was a friend of Dana's. They knew each other from 279 00:16:16,005 --> 00:16:20,045 Speaker 2: high school, and again, her family said he always liked her, 280 00:16:20,405 --> 00:16:22,925 Speaker 2: but that the feelings were just not reciprocated. She was 281 00:16:22,965 --> 00:16:28,005 Speaker 2: not interested. From the beginning, police were apparently suspicious of Mike. 282 00:16:28,565 --> 00:16:31,125 Speaker 2: The police asked him if he had an alibi. He 283 00:16:31,325 --> 00:16:33,725 Speaker 2: said that at the time of Dania's disappearance, he was 284 00:16:33,805 --> 00:16:37,845 Speaker 2: visiting a girlfriend, but the girlfriend apparently said he wasn't, 285 00:16:38,445 --> 00:16:41,525 Speaker 2: and then he mentioned another girl's house he supposedly went to. 286 00:16:42,245 --> 00:16:44,405 Speaker 2: This is pretty vague and we haven't seen the whole 287 00:16:44,405 --> 00:16:46,805 Speaker 2: case file with his interviews in it, but the bottom 288 00:16:46,845 --> 00:16:50,605 Speaker 2: line is Mike was out and driving around and police 289 00:16:50,725 --> 00:16:55,085 Speaker 2: were not able to verify his alibi. Detectives polygraphed him 290 00:16:55,325 --> 00:16:58,405 Speaker 2: and he passed. But then it came out in the 291 00:16:58,405 --> 00:17:01,645 Speaker 2: media that there was this weird quote he was quoted 292 00:17:01,765 --> 00:17:05,005 Speaker 2: as saying during one of his interviews with police. Quote 293 00:17:05,245 --> 00:17:07,845 Speaker 2: some times I think I did kill Dana, but I 294 00:17:07,925 --> 00:17:08,525 Speaker 2: know I didn't. 295 00:17:08,765 --> 00:17:11,925 Speaker 1: End quote. This was according to a local. 296 00:17:11,645 --> 00:17:16,805 Speaker 2: Newspaper, Tulsa World, So, Mike's behavior was a little bit 297 00:17:16,805 --> 00:17:19,245 Speaker 2: out of the ordinary. He was in the military and 298 00:17:19,285 --> 00:17:21,805 Speaker 2: he went to San Diego to start his service. He 299 00:17:21,885 --> 00:17:24,965 Speaker 2: ended up missing Dana's funeral and he appeared to be 300 00:17:25,165 --> 00:17:29,485 Speaker 2: very distraught. Apparently, after that, Mike showed back up in 301 00:17:29,565 --> 00:17:32,845 Speaker 2: town and he started visiting Dana's grave at night. 302 00:17:34,045 --> 00:17:35,685 Speaker 1: Then he stole something. 303 00:17:37,165 --> 00:17:41,325 Speaker 2: So on Dana's grave before they put down a headstone, 304 00:17:41,725 --> 00:17:45,685 Speaker 2: you have the temporary grave marker, and that's what Mike stole. 305 00:17:45,805 --> 00:17:47,165 Speaker 1: He stole the grave marker. 306 00:17:48,365 --> 00:17:51,085 Speaker 2: Mike's lawyer said that his weird behavior could be chalked 307 00:17:51,165 --> 00:17:54,045 Speaker 2: up to the fact that he was grieving. Mike's lawyer 308 00:17:54,085 --> 00:17:57,245 Speaker 2: told NBC News quote, it was a temporary marker, a 309 00:17:57,285 --> 00:18:00,165 Speaker 2: plastic marker. The news reports make it sound as though 310 00:18:00,165 --> 00:18:02,725 Speaker 2: it was a gravestone. You see, my client was in 311 00:18:02,765 --> 00:18:04,965 Speaker 2: the Navy at the time and miss the funeral. He 312 00:18:05,005 --> 00:18:08,005 Speaker 2: came back feeling sorrowful and went to the grave. He 313 00:18:08,045 --> 00:18:09,845 Speaker 2: wanted something to remember her by. 314 00:18:10,245 --> 00:18:10,725 Speaker 1: End quote. 315 00:18:12,205 --> 00:18:15,325 Speaker 2: Police arrested Mike and charged him with misdemeanor theft for 316 00:18:15,365 --> 00:18:18,885 Speaker 2: stealing that grave marker. This gave them another chance to 317 00:18:18,965 --> 00:18:22,125 Speaker 2: question Mike. They gave Mike a lot of detector test. 318 00:18:22,165 --> 00:18:23,005 Speaker 1: And he passed it. 319 00:18:23,925 --> 00:18:26,605 Speaker 2: In the end, police could not build a case against Mike, 320 00:18:26,805 --> 00:18:30,405 Speaker 2: so they let him go. There were so many conflicting 321 00:18:30,485 --> 00:18:34,085 Speaker 2: tips and timelines and suspects it made the case very 322 00:18:34,085 --> 00:18:38,605 Speaker 2: difficult at times. So what happened to Dana after she 323 00:18:38,685 --> 00:18:41,445 Speaker 2: left that parking lot? There is still a lot of 324 00:18:41,525 --> 00:18:44,645 Speaker 2: unanswered questions that I hope to dive into more next week, 325 00:18:45,285 --> 00:18:50,165 Speaker 2: including the multiple and conflicting witness accounts. There was reportedly 326 00:18:50,205 --> 00:18:52,565 Speaker 2: someone who came to police and told them that on 327 00:18:52,685 --> 00:18:56,125 Speaker 2: the day Dana disappeared, on the twenty fifth, she remembered 328 00:18:56,165 --> 00:18:59,445 Speaker 2: seeing Dana's car and that a woman with long dark 329 00:18:59,485 --> 00:19:02,245 Speaker 2: hair was in the driver's seat and a man with 330 00:19:02,365 --> 00:19:04,885 Speaker 2: dark hair was in the passenger seat. She said that 331 00:19:04,925 --> 00:19:07,885 Speaker 2: the car swerved into her lane in a way that 332 00:19:07,965 --> 00:19:11,365 Speaker 2: may have been intentional. Then there was another witness who 333 00:19:11,405 --> 00:19:12,845 Speaker 2: said they saw a car on the side of the 334 00:19:12,925 --> 00:19:15,685 Speaker 2: road and a truck behind it. There was a woman 335 00:19:15,725 --> 00:19:18,845 Speaker 2: and two men there, and apparently one guy crouched down 336 00:19:18,885 --> 00:19:21,525 Speaker 2: by the car trying to change a tire. Now we 337 00:19:21,645 --> 00:19:25,405 Speaker 2: know that Dani's tire was partially flat. We don't have 338 00:19:25,445 --> 00:19:27,605 Speaker 2: the case file, we don't know who these people are, 339 00:19:28,045 --> 00:19:30,925 Speaker 2: so for me, a big part of this investigation is 340 00:19:30,965 --> 00:19:33,205 Speaker 2: going to be trying to track down the source of 341 00:19:33,245 --> 00:19:36,245 Speaker 2: these supposed sightings and find out if they are credible 342 00:19:36,365 --> 00:19:39,565 Speaker 2: or not. In the meantime, though, let's see if there 343 00:19:39,565 --> 00:19:43,525 Speaker 2: are any theories we can eliminate. There are still a 344 00:19:43,645 --> 00:19:46,485 Speaker 2: lot of unanswered questions, and I really hope to dive 345 00:19:46,565 --> 00:19:48,885 Speaker 2: more into the case file into some of these questions 346 00:19:48,965 --> 00:19:53,205 Speaker 2: next week. Last week, we talked about another theory that 347 00:19:53,245 --> 00:19:57,085 Speaker 2: the Blue Light rapist Robert Todd Birmingham, the one who 348 00:19:57,165 --> 00:19:59,445 Speaker 2: was arrested in nineteen ninety seven and convicted of two 349 00:19:59,525 --> 00:20:03,685 Speaker 2: sexual assaults, could have been involved in Dani's kidnapping and murder. 350 00:20:04,685 --> 00:20:07,725 Speaker 2: So there was a thirty one year old farm laborer 351 00:20:07,725 --> 00:20:10,725 Speaker 2: from Pine Tree. He was arrested in Little Rock on 352 00:20:10,765 --> 00:20:14,365 Speaker 2: September fifteenth, nineteen ninety seven. He farmed for his father 353 00:20:14,405 --> 00:20:16,245 Speaker 2: in law and was married to a woman named Nanji. 354 00:20:16,965 --> 00:20:19,485 Speaker 2: They lived on an eight acre plot of land where 355 00:20:19,485 --> 00:20:23,285 Speaker 2: his parents had a house. The Blue Light rapist story 356 00:20:23,365 --> 00:20:26,805 Speaker 2: became a national story. There was this quote from the 357 00:20:26,885 --> 00:20:29,805 Speaker 2: La Times that I found that kind of summed it up. 358 00:20:31,045 --> 00:20:31,965 Speaker 1: It read quote. 359 00:20:32,245 --> 00:20:36,205 Speaker 2: A blue light rapist and others mimicking him have raped, accosted, 360 00:20:36,365 --> 00:20:39,485 Speaker 2: or chased more than a dozen women in communities from 361 00:20:39,525 --> 00:20:41,085 Speaker 2: northeastern Arkansas. 362 00:20:40,685 --> 00:20:43,245 Speaker 1: To northern Louisiana. Since November. 363 00:20:44,005 --> 00:20:47,565 Speaker 2: A predator using a police style flashing blue light has 364 00:20:47,605 --> 00:20:51,605 Speaker 2: pulled over women traveling alone in Cross County, Arkansas. Because 365 00:20:51,645 --> 00:20:55,325 Speaker 2: the incidents have occurred over a wide area, police suspect 366 00:20:55,365 --> 00:20:59,965 Speaker 2: that some were carried out by copycats end quote. Last week, 367 00:21:00,005 --> 00:21:03,645 Speaker 2: we talked about how Robert was convicted and a key 368 00:21:03,685 --> 00:21:06,245 Speaker 2: witness against him was one of his victims, seventeen year 369 00:21:06,285 --> 00:21:10,805 Speaker 2: old Shannon Woods. She survived the attack. She was the 370 00:21:10,845 --> 00:21:14,645 Speaker 2: one who very bravely testified against Robert. She was able 371 00:21:14,725 --> 00:21:17,165 Speaker 2: to give an accurate description of the house that was 372 00:21:17,165 --> 00:21:20,805 Speaker 2: owned by Robert's father. He was apparently taking his victims 373 00:21:20,845 --> 00:21:24,005 Speaker 2: to this vacant property. She knew the house was off 374 00:21:24,005 --> 00:21:26,765 Speaker 2: a gravel road, that it had a screen door that 375 00:21:26,845 --> 00:21:30,125 Speaker 2: was hard to open. She knew about the rocking chair 376 00:21:30,165 --> 00:21:33,005 Speaker 2: with a loose arm, and a lot more details about 377 00:21:33,005 --> 00:21:35,645 Speaker 2: the layout of the house. She was also able to 378 00:21:35,685 --> 00:21:38,445 Speaker 2: describe the vehicle he was using. It had two door 379 00:21:38,485 --> 00:21:41,325 Speaker 2: bucket seats with no air conditioning. This is all by 380 00:21:41,365 --> 00:21:46,165 Speaker 2: the way. According to court documents, investigators were also able 381 00:21:46,205 --> 00:21:49,165 Speaker 2: to link Robert to these crimes through a DNA profile 382 00:21:49,285 --> 00:21:52,245 Speaker 2: taken from one of his victim's rape kits. In the end, 383 00:21:52,725 --> 00:21:55,805 Speaker 2: Robert was convicted of the April nineteen ninety seven rape 384 00:21:55,805 --> 00:21:58,645 Speaker 2: of a woman at her home and when, and the 385 00:21:58,765 --> 00:22:02,725 Speaker 2: July nineteen ninety seven rape of Shannon Woods. But as 386 00:22:02,805 --> 00:22:05,965 Speaker 2: those newspaper articles pointed out, those were not the only 387 00:22:06,005 --> 00:22:09,805 Speaker 2: attacks happening in that area at the time. Robert Birmingham 388 00:22:09,965 --> 00:22:13,245 Speaker 2: was accused of two other crimes, one in Cross County 389 00:22:13,245 --> 00:22:17,245 Speaker 2: one in Lee County, using the same mo victims who 390 00:22:17,245 --> 00:22:20,565 Speaker 2: had been pulled over on highways and then assaulted, but 391 00:22:20,845 --> 00:22:25,205 Speaker 2: those two cases never made it to trial. In two thousand, 392 00:22:25,565 --> 00:22:28,605 Speaker 2: Robert Todd Birmingham was sentenced to life in prison plus 393 00:22:28,645 --> 00:22:33,445 Speaker 2: eighty years for those convictions. He never admitted to his crimes. 394 00:22:33,445 --> 00:22:37,245 Speaker 2: He always said he was innocent. Robert Birmingham died while 395 00:22:37,285 --> 00:22:40,525 Speaker 2: serving his sentence in twenty twenty. He died of COVID 396 00:22:40,565 --> 00:22:47,005 Speaker 2: related complications. I can understand why Robert would be considered 397 00:22:47,045 --> 00:22:51,525 Speaker 2: a suspect in Dana's case. Her car was found parked 398 00:22:51,525 --> 00:22:53,925 Speaker 2: with the key in the ignition the back tire was 399 00:22:54,045 --> 00:22:58,405 Speaker 2: running flat. It is possible, but there are some differences, 400 00:22:58,805 --> 00:23:01,125 Speaker 2: like the fact that the blue light rapist mo was 401 00:23:01,165 --> 00:23:04,205 Speaker 2: to wear a ski mask. Yes, there's a possibility that 402 00:23:04,285 --> 00:23:07,245 Speaker 2: maybe he didn't. In this case, Dana's death happened several 403 00:23:07,365 --> 00:23:10,885 Speaker 2: years before he was arrested in charge of these assaults, 404 00:23:10,885 --> 00:23:14,245 Speaker 2: so he might have gotten more sophisticated over time. Maybe 405 00:23:14,285 --> 00:23:18,965 Speaker 2: he panicked because she recognized him. But the blue light 406 00:23:19,085 --> 00:23:23,605 Speaker 2: rapist struck at night, this happened in broad daylight. Also, 407 00:23:23,925 --> 00:23:26,685 Speaker 2: the blue light rapist did not get into women's cars. 408 00:23:26,965 --> 00:23:30,165 Speaker 2: He got women into his car and drove away. The 409 00:23:30,205 --> 00:23:33,645 Speaker 2: working theory is that Dana's car was moved by someone else. 410 00:23:34,565 --> 00:23:37,605 Speaker 2: And I know the police believed Dana was sexually assaulted, 411 00:23:38,085 --> 00:23:41,605 Speaker 2: but the forensics or lack of forensics, mean we cannot 412 00:23:41,725 --> 00:23:46,165 Speaker 2: know for sure. I think there's still a possibility this 413 00:23:46,205 --> 00:23:49,645 Speaker 2: could have been someone Dana knew, maybe someone who wanted 414 00:23:49,645 --> 00:23:51,845 Speaker 2: it to look like the blue light rapist or some 415 00:23:52,045 --> 00:23:54,565 Speaker 2: random psycho abducted Dana. 416 00:23:55,205 --> 00:23:56,805 Speaker 1: If so, taking. 417 00:23:56,485 --> 00:23:59,645 Speaker 2: Her body to remote location would have been the logical 418 00:23:59,685 --> 00:24:02,605 Speaker 2: next move. This could have been a stage crime scene. 419 00:24:02,605 --> 00:24:06,245 Speaker 2: We can't totally discount that there was twine at the 420 00:24:06,245 --> 00:24:08,685 Speaker 2: crime scene, but it was not tied to her body. 421 00:24:09,205 --> 00:24:10,925 Speaker 2: We can't say for sure if it was used to 422 00:24:10,965 --> 00:24:13,565 Speaker 2: bind her. The duct tape was sort of attached to 423 00:24:13,565 --> 00:24:16,205 Speaker 2: her shirt, but there was no mention of any DNA 424 00:24:16,245 --> 00:24:19,565 Speaker 2: being found on that duct tape. If someone did have 425 00:24:19,605 --> 00:24:21,645 Speaker 2: an issue with Dana, if they got into an argument 426 00:24:21,685 --> 00:24:24,205 Speaker 2: with her, if she was murdered and it was a 427 00:24:24,245 --> 00:24:27,565 Speaker 2: crime of passion, the crime scene could have been staged 428 00:24:27,605 --> 00:24:30,205 Speaker 2: to make it look like the motive was sexual assault. 429 00:24:30,925 --> 00:24:33,205 Speaker 2: There was a young woman who came to the police. 430 00:24:33,725 --> 00:24:36,805 Speaker 2: She told them that on the day Dana disappeared, she 431 00:24:36,925 --> 00:24:40,925 Speaker 2: remembered seeing Dana's car. She said a woman with long 432 00:24:40,965 --> 00:24:43,285 Speaker 2: brown hair was driving and there was a man with 433 00:24:43,405 --> 00:24:46,605 Speaker 2: dark hair in the passenger seat. She said that the 434 00:24:46,685 --> 00:24:50,045 Speaker 2: car swerved into her lane in a way that, looking back, 435 00:24:50,085 --> 00:24:54,485 Speaker 2: she thought may have been intentional. Was that woman Dana, 436 00:24:54,845 --> 00:24:57,085 Speaker 2: and if so, could she have been trying to signal 437 00:24:57,125 --> 00:24:57,965 Speaker 2: that she was in trouble? 438 00:24:58,925 --> 00:25:00,725 Speaker 1: But that description conflicted with the. 439 00:25:00,685 --> 00:25:04,285 Speaker 2: Police officer, the one who saw Dana's car parked along 440 00:25:04,325 --> 00:25:04,725 Speaker 2: the road. 441 00:25:05,565 --> 00:25:07,525 Speaker 1: The officer said she saw another. 442 00:25:07,245 --> 00:25:10,845 Speaker 2: Car park near Danis on July twenty sixth, but she 443 00:25:10,965 --> 00:25:14,325 Speaker 2: really couldn't remember a lot of details, so in yet 444 00:25:14,365 --> 00:25:17,725 Speaker 2: another twist, she agreed to undergo hypnosis in an attempt 445 00:25:17,765 --> 00:25:22,245 Speaker 2: to have better recall. So the officer remembered under hypnosis 446 00:25:22,485 --> 00:25:24,605 Speaker 2: the vehicle she passed on the road was a three 447 00:25:24,685 --> 00:25:28,165 Speaker 2: toned Chevrolet Ranchero with a medium green top and a 448 00:25:28,285 --> 00:25:31,965 Speaker 2: dark wood grain insert in the middle. She also remembered 449 00:25:32,485 --> 00:25:35,645 Speaker 2: she had seen a man kneeling down by the tire, 450 00:25:35,925 --> 00:25:37,805 Speaker 2: like maybe he was looking at it or planning on 451 00:25:37,885 --> 00:25:42,685 Speaker 2: changing it. But how much of this is reliable? I 452 00:25:42,725 --> 00:25:46,365 Speaker 2: did a lot of research into hypnosis and the use 453 00:25:46,405 --> 00:25:50,285 Speaker 2: of hypnosis and police investigations. It's been used a lot 454 00:25:50,285 --> 00:25:54,045 Speaker 2: over the years, but it's very controversial. It seemed to 455 00:25:54,325 --> 00:25:57,805 Speaker 2: gain a lot of traction after the nineteen seventy six 456 00:25:57,925 --> 00:26:02,725 Speaker 2: Chowchilla kidnapping. This was the case where two men kidnapped 457 00:26:02,725 --> 00:26:05,245 Speaker 2: an entire school bus full of children and the driver 458 00:26:05,885 --> 00:26:09,965 Speaker 2: and they buried the bus underground. The children and the 459 00:26:10,045 --> 00:26:12,925 Speaker 2: driver were able to escape, and the driver was able 460 00:26:12,965 --> 00:26:15,685 Speaker 2: to remember the license plate numbers of the cars that 461 00:26:15,805 --> 00:26:20,165 Speaker 2: abducted them under hypnosis. But that was one single case, 462 00:26:20,325 --> 00:26:22,725 Speaker 2: and more and more it seems like that might have 463 00:26:22,805 --> 00:26:27,365 Speaker 2: been an outlier because over the years the use of 464 00:26:27,525 --> 00:26:31,445 Speaker 2: hypnosis and recovered memories has really been debunked in a 465 00:26:31,485 --> 00:26:35,605 Speaker 2: lot of cases. It reminds me of some types of 466 00:26:36,005 --> 00:26:39,965 Speaker 2: bitemark evidence or in some cases polygraph tests. Some of 467 00:26:39,965 --> 00:26:43,685 Speaker 2: these technologies that have become known as if not junk science, 468 00:26:44,045 --> 00:26:48,005 Speaker 2: at the very least pretty unreliable. Researchers have actually done 469 00:26:48,045 --> 00:26:51,485 Speaker 2: studies on hypnosis. There is a professor of psychology at 470 00:26:51,525 --> 00:26:55,805 Speaker 2: Binghamton University named Stephen Jaylen, and he's done a ton 471 00:26:55,845 --> 00:27:00,125 Speaker 2: of research on hypnosis. According to The Guardian, he did 472 00:27:00,165 --> 00:27:04,885 Speaker 2: studies and he showed that hypnosis did not help memory. 473 00:27:04,925 --> 00:27:08,125 Speaker 2: It actually armed people's memory, and it led them to 474 00:27:08,165 --> 00:27:12,925 Speaker 2: recover as many false memories as real ones. But interestingly, 475 00:27:12,965 --> 00:27:15,885 Speaker 2: the one thing that it does increase is people's confidence, 476 00:27:15,925 --> 00:27:19,805 Speaker 2: so even when they're completely wrong, they absolutely believe that 477 00:27:19,845 --> 00:27:24,485 Speaker 2: their memories are correct, just in general. When I was 478 00:27:24,525 --> 00:27:27,325 Speaker 2: a kid, I remember when I was first taught about memory, 479 00:27:27,645 --> 00:27:29,365 Speaker 2: I was told over and over that it was like 480 00:27:29,405 --> 00:27:34,165 Speaker 2: a videotape or a tape recorder, always recording. So theoretically, 481 00:27:34,445 --> 00:27:36,525 Speaker 2: if you could be taken back to that moment, you 482 00:27:36,565 --> 00:27:39,925 Speaker 2: would be able to accurately remember details, but it turns 483 00:27:39,965 --> 00:27:43,405 Speaker 2: out that's really not true. Memory does not work like that. 484 00:27:43,925 --> 00:27:47,285 Speaker 2: It's not permanent. It can change every time. In fact, 485 00:27:47,325 --> 00:27:51,165 Speaker 2: some studies have shown it changes every time you access 486 00:27:51,205 --> 00:27:51,685 Speaker 2: the memory. 487 00:27:51,925 --> 00:27:53,245 Speaker 1: Every time you. 488 00:27:53,125 --> 00:27:56,885 Speaker 2: Recall the story and tell it, details can shift. And 489 00:27:57,405 --> 00:27:59,925 Speaker 2: this is not even including things like false memory syndrome, 490 00:28:00,525 --> 00:28:04,005 Speaker 2: in which people have these therapeutic regression sessions and actually 491 00:28:04,005 --> 00:28:06,685 Speaker 2: believe they were sexually abused by their parents or other people. 492 00:28:07,565 --> 00:28:13,205 Speaker 2: These memories can be absolutely false, but when people undergo hypnosis, 493 00:28:13,245 --> 00:28:17,685 Speaker 2: their confidence in the memory increases. So it's a really interesting. 494 00:28:17,285 --> 00:28:19,205 Speaker 1: Branch of science and there's a lot to learn. 495 00:28:21,965 --> 00:28:24,565 Speaker 2: There was another person who said they saw Dana's car 496 00:28:24,605 --> 00:28:27,045 Speaker 2: parked on the side of the road and that there 497 00:28:27,085 --> 00:28:30,525 Speaker 2: have been a vehicle with a camper van shell parked 498 00:28:30,605 --> 00:28:33,405 Speaker 2: behind it. Again, since we don't have access to the 499 00:28:33,445 --> 00:28:36,925 Speaker 2: case file, I would very much like to know who 500 00:28:36,965 --> 00:28:39,805 Speaker 2: these people are and exactly what they saw, because we 501 00:28:39,925 --> 00:28:42,445 Speaker 2: know from other cases we've covered it's all about these 502 00:28:42,445 --> 00:28:46,965 Speaker 2: tiny little details. In Dana's case, we have one person 503 00:28:47,005 --> 00:28:49,845 Speaker 2: saying there was a truck with a camper van, another 504 00:28:49,925 --> 00:28:52,845 Speaker 2: saying there was a man crouching beside the car. Then 505 00:28:53,125 --> 00:28:56,445 Speaker 2: we have the officer under hypnosis reportedly saying it was 506 00:28:56,445 --> 00:28:59,805 Speaker 2: a car with wood grain panel. Are any of these 507 00:28:59,885 --> 00:29:05,085 Speaker 2: leads reliable? If there was a guy crouching by Dana's car, 508 00:29:05,805 --> 00:29:08,445 Speaker 2: was it a good Samaritan or could it have been 509 00:29:08,445 --> 00:29:12,525 Speaker 2: something more sinister? We should find out was that guy 510 00:29:12,605 --> 00:29:14,925 Speaker 2: actually there and if so, was he a good Samaritan 511 00:29:15,045 --> 00:29:19,365 Speaker 2: or something more sinister. Dani's case eventually went cold. And 512 00:29:19,405 --> 00:29:21,925 Speaker 2: this is just my opinion, but from what I read, 513 00:29:22,405 --> 00:29:26,005 Speaker 2: it seems as though police were laser focused on Mike 514 00:29:26,125 --> 00:29:29,445 Speaker 2: over the years, and that might have meant that other 515 00:29:29,565 --> 00:29:31,685 Speaker 2: leads were not followed as thoroughly as they should have been. 516 00:29:33,045 --> 00:29:37,085 Speaker 2: Then in twenty thirteen, Dana's case made headlines again. On 517 00:29:37,205 --> 00:29:39,285 Speaker 2: May eleventh of that year, a fifty four year old 518 00:29:39,325 --> 00:29:43,005 Speaker 2: woman named Annette Rapoley was found barely alive by two 519 00:29:43,085 --> 00:29:46,645 Speaker 2: men on horseback near her home in Bella Vista. She 520 00:29:46,725 --> 00:29:49,765 Speaker 2: had been beaten, shot in the face, and left for dead, 521 00:29:50,805 --> 00:29:54,285 Speaker 2: according to court documents. In addition to the gunshot wounds, 522 00:29:54,365 --> 00:29:57,125 Speaker 2: she had a wound on her chest that appeared as 523 00:29:57,165 --> 00:30:00,845 Speaker 2: though she'd been kicked. The man charged with attempted capital 524 00:30:00,925 --> 00:30:04,765 Speaker 2: murder and aggravated robbery in this case was Orville Mitchell Goodwin, 525 00:30:05,165 --> 00:30:10,325 Speaker 2: now sixty two. This made police remember the sixteen year 526 00:30:10,365 --> 00:30:13,045 Speaker 2: old who gave the police that tip about Orvile Goodwin. 527 00:30:13,525 --> 00:30:16,525 Speaker 2: He was a resident of Bella Vista and he had 528 00:30:16,525 --> 00:30:19,165 Speaker 2: been in the area at around the time when Dana vanished. 529 00:30:26,325 --> 00:30:31,365 Speaker 2: Orville Goodwin targeted a Net because they were acquaintances. He 530 00:30:31,445 --> 00:30:33,405 Speaker 2: came over to her house one day to go with 531 00:30:33,485 --> 00:30:35,805 Speaker 2: her to cash a five hundred dollars check that she 532 00:30:35,845 --> 00:30:40,005 Speaker 2: had gotten from a neighbor. Then he brutally attacked her. 533 00:30:40,805 --> 00:30:42,845 Speaker 2: He was sentenced to twelve years in prison for a 534 00:30:42,885 --> 00:30:47,045 Speaker 2: Net's attack. According to prison records, he's been paroled. The 535 00:30:47,085 --> 00:30:50,645 Speaker 2: Benton County Sheriff's office reopened Dana's case in twenty thirteen. 536 00:30:51,605 --> 00:30:54,325 Speaker 2: At the time they said they planned to question Mike again, 537 00:30:54,365 --> 00:30:57,805 Speaker 2: and they also mentioned Orville's name, But it seems like 538 00:30:57,845 --> 00:31:01,125 Speaker 2: the case against orvald never went anywhere. There were no 539 00:31:01,325 --> 00:31:07,085 Speaker 2: concrete facts. I keep coming back to victimology. What was 540 00:31:07,165 --> 00:31:10,565 Speaker 2: Dana doing on the day she disappeared. She wasn't headed 541 00:31:10,565 --> 00:31:12,805 Speaker 2: out to a party or to a date. She was 542 00:31:12,805 --> 00:31:14,245 Speaker 2: getting groceries. 543 00:31:13,725 --> 00:31:14,325 Speaker 1: For her dad. 544 00:31:15,045 --> 00:31:18,165 Speaker 2: I look at what her cousin Christy told NBC News 545 00:31:18,365 --> 00:31:21,605 Speaker 2: she said, quote, we all know she was really responsible, 546 00:31:21,965 --> 00:31:24,285 Speaker 2: and she knew her dad was waiting on the medicine, 547 00:31:24,645 --> 00:31:26,165 Speaker 2: so we knew something happened to her. 548 00:31:26,845 --> 00:31:28,965 Speaker 1: She wouldn't let her dad wait on that end. 549 00:31:29,045 --> 00:31:29,365 Speaker 2: Quote. 550 00:31:30,045 --> 00:31:32,765 Speaker 1: Remember, this was the middle of the day in broad daylight. 551 00:31:33,445 --> 00:31:34,765 Speaker 1: So where does this leave us. 552 00:31:35,645 --> 00:31:38,805 Speaker 2: Well, in my opinion, the fact that this happened in 553 00:31:38,845 --> 00:31:41,605 Speaker 2: the middle of the day does make it more likely 554 00:31:41,645 --> 00:31:44,485 Speaker 2: it was someone Dana knew rather than a random stranger. 555 00:31:46,365 --> 00:31:49,525 Speaker 2: There was someone else who police questioned early in the investigation. 556 00:31:50,285 --> 00:31:52,885 Speaker 2: There was a former employee at the Phillips food store. 557 00:31:53,285 --> 00:31:56,045 Speaker 2: And all of the facts are circumstantial, but they are 558 00:31:56,125 --> 00:31:59,925 Speaker 2: somewhat interesting. This person apparently lived fairly near the area 559 00:31:59,925 --> 00:32:03,405 Speaker 2: where Dana's clothing was discovered. They drove a Toyota pick 560 00:32:03,485 --> 00:32:06,765 Speaker 2: up with a camper shell. This was someone who other 561 00:32:06,805 --> 00:32:10,925 Speaker 2: employees told law enforcement had a habit of sexually harassing women. 562 00:32:11,845 --> 00:32:17,005 Speaker 2: So my question is, was that person the worker who 563 00:32:17,125 --> 00:32:19,245 Speaker 2: had a history of sexually harassing women who came to 564 00:32:19,285 --> 00:32:22,285 Speaker 2: the store the same guy, the older guy whom Dana 565 00:32:22,365 --> 00:32:24,685 Speaker 2: was seen talking to in the parking lot, And what 566 00:32:24,765 --> 00:32:27,885 Speaker 2: about the landscaper, the one who said that he saw 567 00:32:27,925 --> 00:32:30,765 Speaker 2: her driving out of the parking lot. Where was he 568 00:32:30,965 --> 00:32:34,125 Speaker 2: and how does he fit into this? By the way, 569 00:32:34,245 --> 00:32:37,085 Speaker 2: someone who have never seen mentioned in any media reports 570 00:32:37,645 --> 00:32:40,525 Speaker 2: was Dana's ex boyfriend, but he is mentioned in the 571 00:32:40,565 --> 00:32:41,605 Speaker 2: police report. 572 00:32:41,925 --> 00:32:45,005 Speaker 1: His name was Danny. Dana and Danny. 573 00:32:44,765 --> 00:32:47,765 Speaker 2: Had met the year before. They dated pretty seriously. At 574 00:32:47,765 --> 00:32:51,365 Speaker 2: one point they were apparently talking about getting engaged. Then 575 00:32:51,485 --> 00:32:53,205 Speaker 2: things ended, and from what I've heard, it was not 576 00:32:53,245 --> 00:32:57,085 Speaker 2: a particularly friendly ending. On the day Dana went missing, 577 00:32:57,405 --> 00:33:00,725 Speaker 2: Danny called into work sick, but he did have an alibi. 578 00:33:01,205 --> 00:33:03,845 Speaker 2: According to the police report, he went to his new 579 00:33:03,845 --> 00:33:07,965 Speaker 2: girlfriend's house and stayed there until five pm. And I 580 00:33:08,005 --> 00:33:11,365 Speaker 2: know it's a small town, but it turns out that 581 00:33:11,405 --> 00:33:13,565 Speaker 2: there are connections between a lot of these people that 582 00:33:13,645 --> 00:33:17,685 Speaker 2: really haven't been explored. For example, Danny and Mike were 583 00:33:17,725 --> 00:33:21,085 Speaker 2: close friends. I've heard they lived together at one point, 584 00:33:21,125 --> 00:33:23,045 Speaker 2: but I really don't know if that's true. That's just 585 00:33:23,085 --> 00:33:25,685 Speaker 2: something I heard. I've not been able to confirm that. 586 00:33:27,805 --> 00:33:30,525 Speaker 2: After Danny called in sick that day to work, he 587 00:33:30,685 --> 00:33:33,845 Speaker 2: said he was with his girlfriend until five pm. Then 588 00:33:33,925 --> 00:33:35,725 Speaker 2: he said he drove to a friend's house, but that 589 00:33:35,765 --> 00:33:38,405 Speaker 2: friend wasn't home, so he went back home, and then 590 00:33:38,485 --> 00:33:41,365 Speaker 2: later that night another friend of his, whose name police 591 00:33:41,405 --> 00:33:45,125 Speaker 2: have by the way, came over at around ten pm. So, 592 00:33:45,685 --> 00:33:49,285 Speaker 2: as we said before, Mike also spent a large part 593 00:33:49,325 --> 00:33:52,925 Speaker 2: of the evening just driving around side Note this was 594 00:33:53,005 --> 00:33:55,005 Speaker 2: nineteen eighty nine. A lot of the men in this 595 00:33:55,045 --> 00:33:57,605 Speaker 2: case had alibis that were not I would say ideal, 596 00:33:58,125 --> 00:34:01,245 Speaker 2: as in, there was some missing time they were driving around, 597 00:34:01,325 --> 00:34:04,445 Speaker 2: they were with one person, maybe their significant other, and 598 00:34:04,845 --> 00:34:07,405 Speaker 2: not a lot of witnesses saw them. Now this is 599 00:34:07,445 --> 00:34:09,725 Speaker 2: not to suggest at all they were lying about anything. 600 00:34:10,125 --> 00:34:13,125 Speaker 2: It's just not that easy to verify. I would love 601 00:34:13,245 --> 00:34:16,085 Speaker 2: to go back and re explore those alibis. In addition 602 00:34:16,125 --> 00:34:18,565 Speaker 2: to that, I do think it's important to remember back 603 00:34:18,605 --> 00:34:21,205 Speaker 2: then people were not accounted for twenty four to seven 604 00:34:21,245 --> 00:34:23,405 Speaker 2: in the same way they are now. People did not 605 00:34:23,485 --> 00:34:26,485 Speaker 2: have GPS, they didn't have cell phones. It was very 606 00:34:26,485 --> 00:34:29,285 Speaker 2: common to be out for several hours and for people 607 00:34:29,365 --> 00:34:32,325 Speaker 2: not to be able to reach you period. And in 608 00:34:32,365 --> 00:34:34,885 Speaker 2: that part of the world, there are not a lot 609 00:34:34,885 --> 00:34:38,805 Speaker 2: of witnesses driving around at night. But I keep coming 610 00:34:38,885 --> 00:34:42,925 Speaker 2: back to Dana her habits, her victimology because despite tips 611 00:34:42,925 --> 00:34:45,125 Speaker 2: from that young woman who thought she saw Dana out 612 00:34:45,125 --> 00:34:48,125 Speaker 2: that night. Without more evidence, I actually would find that 613 00:34:48,165 --> 00:34:51,565 Speaker 2: pretty hard to believe. Dana knew that her father needed 614 00:34:51,605 --> 00:34:54,125 Speaker 2: his medicine, She was not dressed for a night out. 615 00:34:54,205 --> 00:34:57,045 Speaker 2: She had laundry in the washing machine, She had other 616 00:34:57,125 --> 00:35:00,285 Speaker 2: clothes in her car, probably more laundry to do. She 617 00:35:00,445 --> 00:35:02,485 Speaker 2: was home to see her dad and spend some time 618 00:35:02,485 --> 00:35:05,765 Speaker 2: with him. Every indication was that this was a young 619 00:35:05,765 --> 00:35:09,485 Speaker 2: woman who was headed home. We can't discount without more evidence, 620 00:35:09,845 --> 00:35:12,525 Speaker 2: the theory that she stopped to check her tire. But 621 00:35:12,605 --> 00:35:15,485 Speaker 2: the car was drivable, and she was only about four 622 00:35:15,525 --> 00:35:18,085 Speaker 2: miles from her parents' house. So I wonder would she 623 00:35:18,125 --> 00:35:20,165 Speaker 2: not have driven home and gotten her dad or her 624 00:35:20,205 --> 00:35:23,405 Speaker 2: brother or someone else to deal with that tire. She 625 00:35:23,565 --> 00:35:26,565 Speaker 2: could have run another errand while she was out. Maybe 626 00:35:26,565 --> 00:35:29,365 Speaker 2: she stopped by to see someone she knew, someone the 627 00:35:29,405 --> 00:35:35,085 Speaker 2: police don't know about. Dana's father and brother have passed away. 628 00:35:35,805 --> 00:35:39,645 Speaker 2: Her mother, Georgia, died in twenty twenty three. Before she died, 629 00:35:40,165 --> 00:35:43,445 Speaker 2: Georgia told NBC, quote, I don't want to go to 630 00:35:43,485 --> 00:35:46,765 Speaker 2: my grave not knowing nobody should ever have to lose 631 00:35:46,805 --> 00:35:47,445 Speaker 2: a child. 632 00:35:47,525 --> 00:35:48,045 Speaker 1: End quote. 633 00:35:48,925 --> 00:35:52,765 Speaker 2: And it's tragic that Georgia did. She was interviewed by 634 00:35:52,805 --> 00:35:55,885 Speaker 2: the journalist m William Phelps, who did a podcast called 635 00:35:55,925 --> 00:36:00,365 Speaker 2: Paper Ghosts about Dana's case. The interview happened before Georgia 636 00:36:00,405 --> 00:36:03,565 Speaker 2: passed away in December of twenty twenty three. 637 00:36:03,605 --> 00:36:04,685 Speaker 1: She never gave. 638 00:36:04,565 --> 00:36:07,525 Speaker 2: Up on getting answered about what really happened to her daughter. 639 00:36:08,605 --> 00:36:11,565 Speaker 2: But there are other family members out there. I would 640 00:36:11,605 --> 00:36:14,605 Speaker 2: love to help find answers for them and for Dana, 641 00:36:15,285 --> 00:36:20,005 Speaker 2: and also for the community, because remember, a killer could 642 00:36:20,045 --> 00:36:28,765 Speaker 2: still be out there. There are a lot of threads 643 00:36:28,765 --> 00:36:31,525 Speaker 2: in this case that have not been explored. I feel 644 00:36:31,525 --> 00:36:33,565 Speaker 2: like there are pieces of this puzzle that are missing, 645 00:36:33,965 --> 00:36:37,205 Speaker 2: even years and decades later. We're going to go a 646 00:36:37,245 --> 00:36:39,645 Speaker 2: lot more in depth on some of these angles next week, 647 00:36:40,005 --> 00:36:42,845 Speaker 2: because it turns out there were a lot of unsolved 648 00:36:42,885 --> 00:36:48,005 Speaker 2: disappearances around Bellavista, Arkansas, near that time, including the body 649 00:36:48,005 --> 00:36:50,565 Speaker 2: of a woman in a suitcase that has never been solved. 650 00:36:51,325 --> 00:36:54,005 Speaker 2: What happened after Dana drove out of that Phillips food 651 00:36:54,005 --> 00:36:57,165 Speaker 2: store parking lot. Was this a love quarrel gone wrong, 652 00:36:57,405 --> 00:37:02,085 Speaker 2: a sexual assault both neither, or could there have been 653 00:37:02,165 --> 00:37:06,645 Speaker 2: as some people believe, a serial killer stalking Bellovis to Arkansas. 654 00:37:07,765 --> 00:37:16,365 Speaker 2: I'm Katherine Townsend. This is Helen Gone Murder Line. Helen 655 00:37:16,405 --> 00:37:18,485 Speaker 2: Gone Murder Line is a production of School of Humans 656 00:37:18,485 --> 00:37:21,645 Speaker 2: and iHeart Podcasts. It's written and narrated by me, Katherine 657 00:37:21,685 --> 00:37:23,645 Speaker 2: Townsend and produced by Gabby Watts. 658 00:37:24,325 --> 00:37:26,205 Speaker 1: Music contributed by Ben Sale. 659 00:37:26,485 --> 00:37:29,125 Speaker 2: Special thanks to Amy Tubbs for her research assistance. 660 00:37:29,685 --> 00:37:32,205 Speaker 1: Noah camer mixed and scored this episode. 661 00:37:32,725 --> 00:37:37,045 Speaker 2: Executive producers of Virginia Prescott, Brandon Barr, and Else Crowley. 662 00:37:37,085 --> 00:37:39,805 Speaker 2: Listen to Helen Gone ad free by subscribing to the 663 00:37:39,805 --> 00:37:43,285 Speaker 2: iHeart True Crime Plus channel on Apple Podcasts. You can 664 00:37:43,325 --> 00:37:47,845 Speaker 2: follow the show on Instagram at Helen Gone pod. If 665 00:37:47,885 --> 00:37:49,605 Speaker 2: you have a case you'd like me and my team 666 00:37:49,605 --> 00:37:51,925 Speaker 2: to look into, you can reach out to us at 667 00:37:51,925 --> 00:37:55,045 Speaker 2: our Helen Gone Murder Line at six seven eight seven 668 00:37:55,125 --> 00:37:58,685 Speaker 2: four four six one four five. That's six seven eight 669 00:37:59,005 --> 00:38:01,645 Speaker 2: seven four four six one four five. 670 00:38:08,045 --> 00:38:09,005 Speaker 1: School of Humans