The terrifying murder of a schoolgirl that has gone unsolved for almost 30 years may finally see her killer unmasked, an amateur detective has claimed.
Melissa Witt, 19, disappeared on December 1, 1994, after going to meet her mother at a bowling alley, and her body was found in a forest six weeks later.
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For more than two decades, the identity of Melissa’s killer remained a mystery, with several promising clues leading nowhere.
But now, an author and private investigator who dedicated years to solving the case believes the killer will soon face justice.
LaDonna Humphrey — who lives near Fort Smith, Arkansas, where Melissa grew up and was last seen alive — told The US Sun why she believes the savage crime is on the verge of being solved and why she’s ruled out the most likely suspect.
The case has haunted LaDonna and the state of Arkansas for 29 years, since Melissa’s naked body was found in the Ozark National Forest by two hunters on January 13, 1995.
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She was strangled and her body placed near a tombstone-shaped rock, about 72 kilometers from her home.
Melissa went to find her mother after an argument on the day she disappeared, but her clothes and belongings were never found.
Detectives said the teen planned to surprise her mother at the bowling alley but never made it inside.
Officers found blood in the parking lot and apparent signs of a struggle.
A huge campaign was launched to find the killer, with billboards being put up, leaflets being distributed and a tireless door-to-door campaign led by Melissa’s late mother.
For a time, police suspected that a convicted murderer, Larry Swearingen, was behind Melissa’s murder.
He was found guilty of murdering another 19-year-old girl, Melissa Trotter, in Conroe, Texas, in 1998.
In addition to being the same ages and names, and occurring in the same geographic area, both crimes shared several other frightening similarities.
But Swearingen – who was executed by lethal injection in August 2019 – went to his grave denying any involvement in both cases.
And LaDonna, whose third book about the Melissa Witt case will be released this month, is convinced that Swearingen was not involved in the terrible events of December 1994.
LaDonna’s third and, according to her, last book about the murder, Connected By Fate, speaks to the authorities who investigated the case at the time and presents the three main pieces of evidence that she believes will lead to the unmasking of the real killer.
“We are very confident that we know who killed Melissa, which
It’s a huge place to be,” she said.
LaDonna dedicated the last eight years of her life to studying the case, driven by the desire to ensure that the teenager did not become “just another female victim.”
Her work made her “dive deep” into the evidence and the people “closest to Melissa in her life,” she explained.
And looking through Melissa’s diary, LaDonna says, “There was one person in particular who always showed up.”
This individual, whom LaDonna chooses not to name so as not to jeopardize a potential criminal prosecution, “has a very violent history,” she said.
“Almost two dozen people came forward to speak about the violence they suffered at his hands,” she added.
This included women who “dated, were abused, beaten and strangled” by the suspect, she said.
But the real breakthrough, LaDonna explained, came when she spoke to a former roommate of the man she believes killed Melissa.
“That started a chain of events that led us to where we are today,” she said.
The roommate told her that one night the suspect told her he “should see Melissa the night she disappeared.”
He also had in his possession a ladies’ Mickey Mouse watch that he kept on display.
Melissa was wearing a Mickey Mouse watch that was stolen by her killer, along with her other belongings, which made the fact that such an item was on display in the apartment even more suspicious.
“He fits the FBI profile of Melissa’s killer,” LaDonna added. “He was in prison.”
I made a promise to find you
LaDonna Humphrey
Regarding the watch, she says: “Can we prove it was Melissa’s until we get our hands on it?
“All of these things start to build a circumstantial case that needs to put even more pressure on investigators to find the evidence they need to bring him to justice.”
A third important piece of evidence for LaDonna, after the watch and the ex-roommate, was the chance to “re-hypnotize” one of the witnesses in the bowling alley parking lot who overheard an argument between Melissa and the man she suspects was her. assassin.
“It’s been an intense journey for me,” she said. “The book follows how this unfolded and pointed to this particular suspect.”
Last December, to mark the 29th anniversary of Melissa’s murder, LaDonna’s organization All The Lost Girls, in partnership with the Who Killed Missy Witt investigative team, offered a $29,000 reward for “critical information.” related to the case.
Anyone with relevant information is asked to call 1-800-440-1922 or email whokilledmissywitt@gmail.com.
Confident that the killer will be identified and charged soon, LaDonna says she addresses Melissa’s killer on the final page of her book.
“I say, ‘I made a promise to find you,’” she said. “I want to be able to say that I did everything I could to bring this case as much exposure as I could and I did all the investigative work to help.”
The US Sun has reached out to the Fort Smith Police Department for comment.
LaDonna Humphrey’s latest book, Connected By Fate, is out now.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
