Showing posts with label arkansas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arkansas. Show all posts

Thursday, April 3, 2025

The Abduction of Sophia Franklin

 

During February 2025, an AMBER Alert was issued in the states of Wisconsin, Arkansas and Missouri, for Sophia Franklin - a 16-year-old missing from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. The teen girl was last seen at her family's home on the evening of February 2nd, 2025. The following morning, Sophia was gone. Her family contacted police shortly after realizing she wasn't at the residence.

It was immediately feared that Sophia left her house to meet up with Gary Day - a 40-year-old man with a history of abusing children. Sophia and Day reportedly began talking online in April 2024. On July 29th, 2024, Sophia told her parents she was going to stay with a friend in the Beaver Dam area. In reality, she was picked up by Day and driven to his residence in Austin, Arkansas. 

Gary Day. (ABC News)

Day was already on probation at this point due to a child endangerment charge from 2020. A probation officer made a routine stop by Day's home during December 2024 and noticed a young girl running out of the back of the residence. It was eventually learned that the young girl was Sophia; a 16-year-old from Wisconsin. Sophia eventually told officers that she had been there since August and planned to marry Day.

Sophia's parents were reportedly shocked to learn of their daughter's relationship with Day, as they thought she had been staying with a friend in the local area. Sophia was subsequently returned to her family's home in Wisconsin. An order of protection was put in place, forbidding Day and Sophia to have contact. 

At some point in the midst of all this, Sophia learned she was pregnant with Day's child. The child was conceived in Arkansas - where the age of consent is 16 - so Day was not charged with statutory rape. It's believed that Sophia was approximately 3 months along at the time the February 2025 AMBER alerts were issued. 

Despite the order of protection, Day and Sophia continued to have contact via text and email after her return to Wisconsin. Then, in early February 2025, the two met up in person once again. Day drove to Wisconsin and was captured by home security cameras walking by the Franklin's house on the morning of February 3rd.

Source: Beaver Dam PD

Shortly thereafter, Sophia was discovered to be missing from the home. An AMBER alert was immediately issued in the state of Wisconsin, asking the public to be on the lookout for a black 2014 Buick LaCrosse. The car had recently been seen using two different plates: Pennsylvania KGW5186 and Arkansas BBR20L.



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February 4th, 2025: Gary Day is charged.

On February 4th, 2025, the Dodge County District Attorney filed two felony charges against Gary Day: 2 counts of child enticement and one count of child abduction. The first child enticement charge count is dated as July 29th, 2024 - the first time Day picked Sophia up and brought her to Arkansas. The second enticement charge count is dated February 3rd, 2025.

February 6th-7th, 2025: The AMBER Alert is extended across states.

On February 6th, 2025, the AMBER alert for Sophia was issued in Arkansas as well - noting that Gary Day is from there, and he had traveled there with Sophia in the past.

The following day, the AMBER alert was extended to Missouri, as it was believed that the two had traveled through there. There was a potential sighting of Day's car in Springfield, but it remains unconfirmed.

February 9th, 2025: Gary Day's phone pings one final time.

On February 10th, authorities confirmed that Gary Day's phone was active in Arkansas the previous day - February 9th, 2025. However, the phone has since been shut off and has not pinged again. This gave investigators a potential lead on Sophia and Day being in Arkansas, but the possibility that they are traveling/hiding through other states remains as well.

February 12th, 2025 - April 3rd, 2025: the whereabouts of Sophia and Day are unknown.

On February 12th, 2025, a missing persons poster/flyer for Sophia was distributed across the United States. At this point, Sophia's abduction made national news. 

Click or tap to enlarge.


There were obvious concerns about Sophia being with Day - not only is he an adult and she is a minor, but he also has a history of abusing children. In 2020, he was arrested after his 4-month-old child was found to have a broken femur bone. Though Day denied the charges, it is believed that he caused said injury. 

April 3rd, 2025: Sophia is found. 

On April 3rd, 2025, it was reported that Sophia and Gary Day were both found alive in Nebraska. Reports state that a couple grew suspicious after speaking with Sophia at a truck stop and called police. Sophia and Day were eventually located, and Day was taken into custody.

Day is being charged with two counts of abduction of a child and two counts of child enticement causing mental/bodily harm. His case is pending.

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Sources:
ABC WISN 2, (2)
NCMEC

Sunday, October 16, 2022

The Disappearance and Murder of Tracy Onawa Jones

 

Tracy Onawa Jones was only 19 years-old when she was found murdered in November 2006. The young woman was working for a traveling magazine sales company at the time of her death. Tracy's employer, Robert Blair, was her boyfriend as well. On November 15th, 2006, Robert dropped Tracy off at a truck stop in Little Rock, Arkansas, so she could sell magazine subscriptions to truckers. She was seen talking to several different people at the truck stop throughout the day, but at one point, she seemingly vanished.

Later that evening, Robert called Tracy to arrange a pickup time, but she did not answer the phone. The following day, Robert searched for Tracy and contacted her loved ones to see if they had heard from her - but his efforts were fruitless. On November 17th, 2006, Robert contacted Little Rock police to report Tracy missing. 

Days later, on November 26th, Tracy's body was found lying in a ditch in a semi-wooded area off of Highway 61 in Memphis, Tennessee. Her body was partially nude and had been bound with duct tape. An autopsy confirmed Tracy had been sexually assaulted, stabbed, and beaten. She ultimately died from blunt force trauma to the head. 

Investigators later revealed that they do not believe Tracy was killed in the location she was found. However, the coroner was unable to determine a time of death. In fact, certain reports state that Tracy was likely killed closer to November 26th than November 15th. This means Tracy was possibly held against her will for days before she was murdered. 

The FBI believes that Tracy's killer is associated with the trucking industry. Not only was she last seen alive at a truck stop, but she was also found along a highway commonly traveled by truckers. It is also not believed that the killer is still in Arkansas. Still, as of today, no suspects or persons of interest have ever been publicly named. Investigators have collected and stored DNA from Tracy's body, but it appears a match has yet to be made. 

There is a monetary reward available for anyone with information that could lead to Tracy's killer(s). If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Little Rock FBI Field Office at 1-501-221-9100.
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Sources:
FBI.gov
Lost Voices 
The Trucker
Uncovered

Saturday, October 15, 2022

The Murder of Danick Adams

 

Danick Adams had a lot to look forward to during the summer of 2008. At just 18-years-old, the young girl had two jobs and was also raising a two-year-old daughter. Danick was also working to obtain her G.E.D. According to her loved ones, she hoped to eventually become a teacher or a psychologist. Danick was ready to build her future not only for herself, but for her daughter as well. Unfortunately, all of that was robbed from Danick on August 15th, 2008, when she was tragically shot to death. 

Danick was killed while leaving an Ultimate Fitness in her hometown of Jacksonville, Arkansas. She was quite familiar with the fitness center, as it was owned by her grandfather, and she also worked part-time in the center's daycare. It was shortly after midnight on August 15th when Danick went to the Ultimate Fitness with her friend Princess. As the girls walked out of the building a short time later, they were approached by a masked gunman. The man reportedly demanded that they give him their cell phones and money. 

According to Princess, Danick refused to follow his orders. The gunman then took off his mask, revealing his face, before shooting Danick multiple times. Princess ran to a nearby home to call authorities, while the gunman stole Danick's car keys and fled in her vehicle. 

Authorities immediately began their search for Danick's killer. Just hours after the shooting occurred, a man driving Danick's car returned to the crime scene and drove past. Police began to pursue the vehicle, but when the driver pulled over, he exited the car and was able to escape on foot. A female passenger reportedly remained in the car. She told police that she did not know the man, and he had picked her up just moments earlier. 

Danick's killer has never been found. Many years have passed, and her loved ones are still left with more questions than answers. There are several moving pieces in this case, all of which could play a role in finding Danick's killer.

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Before the shooting. 

As police began to investigate Danick's murder, they pieced together a timeline of events leading up to the moment she got shot. It was soon learned that August 14th, 2008, began as a seemingly normal day. Danick dropped her daughter off with her ex-boyfriend/the child's father. Then, she met up with a friend for lunch at Taco Bell.

Danick later spoke with her mother on the phone around 10:30 PM. During their phone call, Danick told her mother she was now with a different friend - Princess. The two girls planned to go to the Ultimate Fitness - which was open 24/7 - so they could use the tanning beds and put on make-up. 

It's known that Danick and Princess made it to the fitness center as planned. Unfortunately, Danick would not leave the fitness center alive. 

Princess' version of events.

There are inevitable questions about Princess' recollection of events. Both investigators and Danick's mother have stated that they found it odd that the gunman revealed his face to Danick and Princess before firing his gun. In 2020, a detective was quoted telling Dateline, "It’s just strange, because I think if you had just shown your face to someone you’re about to kill, I wouldn’t think you’d want to leave a witness."

Many have also found it odd that Princess said that the gunman was wearing a ski mask. It was incredibly hot and humid during this time of year in Arkansas, and detectives think it is unlikely that a shooter would conceal their face with such an item. 

Investigators have never stated that they have any evidence to disprove Princess' version of events. However, it appears that Princess implied that Danick was killed because she refused to give her cell phone and money to the gunman. Investigators do not believe the motive of Danick's death was robbery. In fact, they believe that Danick was targeted and that it's possible more than one person is involved in her death. 

Danick's car and phone.

As previously stated, the gunman fled the scene of the crime in Danick's vehicle. Hours later, though, the same vehicle was driven past the scene of the crime yet again. Police were never able to capture the driver of the car, nor have they ever confirmed that they believe the driver is the killer. While it is entirely possible, investigators have also acknowledged that the killer could've traded the car or abandoned it after fleeing the scene. 

Police questioned the female passenger who was also in the vehicle, but she maintained that she had only just met the driver who fled. According to detectives, the female passenger has been cooperative with the investigation. While her potential involvement has not yet been ruled out, it does not appear that she is a current person of interest. 

Investigators also later found Danick's phone in the possession of a man. He said that another man had sold him the phone for five dollars. It appears that the killer dumped the phone on someone else very shortly after the murder. 

Potential motives.

With the available information, a motive for Danick's motive remains unclear. Though investigators believe she was targeted, they have not revealed why. Danick's ex-boyfriend has a solid alibi, as he was with their daughter at the time of the shooting. Princess told police that Danick was shot during a robbery, but investigators are unsure. 

According to Danick's mother, Princess and Danick had only recently begun hanging out before Danick was killed. The two reportedly met years earlier and had recently reconnected. Though Princess' version of events has brought on a few questions, she has never been charged with anything related to Danick's murder, nor has she ever been publicly labeled as a suspect. 

Still searching for answers.

As of today, Danick's murder remains unsolved. There is a monetary reward available for anyone with information that could lead to an arrest. If you have any important information, please contact authorities at 501-533-6477.
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Sources:
AY Mag
NBC News
THV 11
Uncovered

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

The Disappearance of Bradley Wayne Allen

 

Bradley Allen has been missing since July 18th, 2017. At the time of his disappearance, the then-38-year-old lived with his girlfriend, Megan Coady, and their young son. Their residence is in Fountain Hill, Arkansas, on a twenty-acre property that belongs to Bradley’s family. Many other members of Bradley’s family live on the property as well. 

Bradley vanished during early-morning hours after he and his girlfriend Megan reportedly got into an argument. According to Megan, Bradley decided to go for a walk around 3:00 AM so he could cool off and get some fresh air. Megan reportedly went to sleep after Bradley left, and when she woke up the next morning, he had still not returned. Bradley has never been seen or heard from again.

Megan notified Bradley’s cousin, Jennifer Davidson, that Bradley had not come home. The two searched for Bradley around the property before eventually going to talk to Bradley’s sister, Angie Allen-Clavet. Angie was living on the family’s property as well, but unfortunately, she had not seen or heard from Bradley.

Bradley’s worried loved ones were told that they needed to wait three days before they could file a missing person’s report. They spent the next three days searching and contacting Bradley’s employers, coworkers, and friends to no avail. While searching for him, it was noted that he had left his wallet and his bank cards behind. The only item Bradley left the house with was his cell phone, which had either died or been turned off.

Bradley was finally reported as missing on July 21st, 2017. Police interviewed all individuals living on the 20-acre property and received their statements. Investigators also searched the property, but reportedly did not find any clues. Both cadaver dogs and track dogs were brought to the property as well. The track dogs reportedly tracked Bradley’s scent for several miles before his scent was eventually lost. Police also obtained a search warrant for Bradley’s cell phone records. The records showed that all activity on Bradley’s phone stopped shortly after he left his home on July 18th.

It is uncharacteristic for Bradley to be out-of-touch with his loved ones, especially his children. However, about a month before his disappearance, Bradley reportedly had a falling out with his parents, sister, and brother-in-law. It’s unclear if investigators believe this is related to his disappearance or not. So far, no persons of interest have been identified in the case.

The Ashley County Sheriff’s Office is investigating Bradley’s disappearance. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please call 870-853-2040.
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Sources:
Charley Project
NBC News

Monday, April 5, 2021

The Disappearance of Cory Schroeder

 



Cory Schroeder vanished in Benton, Arkansas on May 21st, 2019. He disappeared just one day before his 45th birthday. Before Cory vanished, he posted "Going to be leaving Facebook in a few days.. Going on a new adventure," on his Facebook page. It's unclear what he was referencing in this post, and he has not been active on Facebook again.  Cory went missing the following day. 


News reports state that Cory vanished after a friend dropped him off at the Avilla grocery store in Benton. He was reportedly wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and carrying a red and black backpack at the time. Most news reports about Cory's disappearance say that he was never seen or heard from again after that, and very few other details are provided. However, Cory's family members have shared a few more details on a Facebook page dedicated to spreading awareness on his disappearance. 

In response to a post inquiring about the day Cory vanished, Cory's sister wrote that he was dropped off at Huckaby's on Highway 35 and then either got a ride or walked to another friend's place on Cottonwood. From there, Cory's sister explained that she was told Cory left that house on foot at some later point. The person who said he left on foot is reportedly incarcerated on unrelated charges at this time. It's unclear if this person is considered a person of interest in Cory's disappearance.

Cory is described as 6'8" tall and approximately 235 pounds. Many have questioned how someone of his size can simply vanish without a trace. Cory's loved ones believe that someone in Benton community knows what happened, and they are hoping someone will come forward soon. 

The Saline County Sheriff's Office is investigating Cory's disappearance. If you have any information that could lead to his whereabouts, please go here to submit an anonymous tip. 

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Sources: [one, two]

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

The Disappearances of Shequenia Burnett and Terkessa Wallace

 

Shequenia Burnett (left), Terkessa Wallace (right)

Shequenia Burnett and Terkessa Wallace had been friends since childhood. The two grew up together in the same neighborhood in North Little Rock, Arkansas. By 2014, both Shequenia (36) and Terkessa (34) had their own children. They still remained friends and spoke regularly. On January 10th, 2014, both Shequenia and Terkessa seemingly vanished without a trace. Since then, what happened to both women remains a mystery.

Shequenia was reported missing by her mother on January 15th, 2015. Shequenia's mother told North Little Rock Police that she had not seen or heard from Shequenia since January 9th. The following day, Terkessa was reported missing. Her family told North Little Rock PD that Terkessa had dropped her 5-year-old son off on January 10th and never returned.

Detectives did not immediately connect Shequenia's and Terkessa's disappearances - despite the fact that their respective family members reported them missing just days apart. However, that all changed once detectives subpoenaed cell phone records. The records show that Shequenia and Terkessa were in contact on January 10th. Later that day, their cell phones pinged off the same tower, which indicates that the two women were together. Shortly after those pings, their cell phone activity stopped.

Nearly two years passed without any sign of Shequenia or Terkessa. Then, in December 2015, a fisherman found a human leg in the Arkansas River. That leg was later confirmed to belong to Shequenia. No other human remains were found, so a cause of death was unable to be determined. 

The discovery of Shequenia's leg brings about more questions than answers. What led to her tragic fate still remains unknown. Additionally, Terkessa still remains missing, and leads about both women's cases have been scarce. It seems likely that Shequenia's and Terkessa's disappearances are connected, but no suspects have been publicly named. 

Both cases remain unsolved. If you have any information that could lead to answers in either or both cases, please call (501) 812-2591 to submit a tip. 


Similar cases:

Saturday, December 7, 2019

The Disappearance of Mercedes Toliver

18 year old Mercedes Toliver made this selfie her Facebook cover photo on December 12th, 2016. This is her last known Facebook activity. Five days later, she vanished.
During the earlier morning hours of December 17th, 2016, Mercedes left her home in...


18 year old Mercedes Toliver made this selfie her Facebook cover photo on December 12th, 2016. This is her last known Facebook activity. Five days later, she vanished.

During the earlier morning hours of December 17th, 2016, Mercedes left her home in Prescott, Arkansas on foot and never returned. Since then, she has not been seen or heard from by family or friends and there has been no activity on her social media or bank accounts. 

Earlier on into the investigation, the Prescott Police Department apparently had leads that Mercedes was in Clark or Lafayette counties, but those leads did not pan out. Ever since, there have been very few leads and very little information available about Mercedes’ case. There is currently a $2000 reward in place for information about Mercedes’ whereabouts. If you have any information about Mercedes’ case, please contact the Prescott Police Department at 870-887-2676.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Disappearance & Murder of Ebby Steppach

Image result for ebby steppach

18 year-old Ebby Jane Steppach vanished on October 24th, 2015 in her hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas. On the previous day, October 23rd, Ebby sent her stepfather Michael a text message stating she had been assaulted, and that the person who assaulted her recorded a video of it on his cell phone. Michael urged her to call the police, and she told him she already had and was planning to go to the station to officially file a report. The following day—the day of her disappearance—Michael and Ebby were supposed to meet at Ebby’s grandmother’s house. However, when Michael showed up, Ebby had already come and gone. According to Ebby’s brother Trevor—with whom she was living—she never returned home after going to her grandmother’s and she has not been seen since.

Family members made many unsuccessful attempts to get in touch with Ebby the rest of that afternoon and all throughout the next day, until she finally answered a phone call from her brother on the evening of October 25th. The two spoke for four or five minutes, and her brother said she sounded groggy and disoriented. He also said that Ebby kept saying that she was outside of his house—but she wasn’t—and she was unable to say where she really was and who she was with. That was the last time she has been heard from.

A few days later, Ebby’s car was found abandoned behind a high school in Little Rock. The car was running, but Ebby was nowhere to be found. Her belongings, including her cellular phone and contact lenses, were found inside the car. Despite this, police still initially treated her disappearance as a runaway case. Her family does not believe she ran away and fear she has been trafficked. After time passed without any sign of her, police reclassified her disappearance as an endangered missing person.

Nearly three years later, on May 22nd, 2018, Little Rock Police announced that human remains were found in a drainage pipe near the area where the missing teen’s car was found abandoned almost three years prior. The following day, those remains were positively confirmed to be that of Ebby Steppach. 

The drainage pipe was searched after a cold case detective decided the area from which Ebby disappeared deserved a second look. This time around, it did not take investigators long to find the remains at all–which is leading many to question the quality of the investigation when Ebby was first reporting missing. 

In fact, after Ebby's remains were found, Ebby's close friend Kailey Foley and her mother Margie Foley came forward stating that they tried to search the area where Ebby was found shortly after she vanished. Due to the fact that Ebby and Kailey were so close, Kailey was inevitably interviewed by detectives after Ebby went missing. 

Ebby Steppach (pictured right) and her friend Kailey Foley (pictured left) circa 2015.
As posted previously, Ebby went missing from her Little Rock, Arkansas home in October 2015. A day after her disappearance, her car was found abandoned at...
Kailey and Ebby pictured together in 2015

After the interview, Kailey and Margie decided to go to Chalamont Park themselves to see if they could find any clues. The two did not walk very far into the park before Margie said she was “hit with the smell of decomposition coming from a nearby drain.” Margie immediately called the detective who had just interviewed Kailey about Ebby’s disappearance, but he did not answer. Margie then called 911 and asked somebody to come investigate. She ended up calling 3 times before Little Rock Police finally showed up on the scene. However, once they were there, they dismissed Margie’s claims. When she expressed concern that the smell might be related to the case, an officer told her, “This park was gone through with dogs and they would have picked up on that. It must be an animal or something.”

As it turns out, Kailey’s mother was correct all along, as Ebby’s remains were found in the same drainage pipe almost three years later, in May 2018. It’s likely that Ebby was there the whole time. If the police had investigated when they were first asked, Ebby could have been found way sooner. 

Both Margie and Kailey believe that somebody should be held responsible for  for the handling of this information. Little Rock Police say this is an open investigation, but they won’t be doing any further interviews with the media.

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Lists including this case:

Monday, August 12, 2019

The Disappearance of Cassie Compton

Image result for cassie compton missing
(Courier Journal)

Cassie Compton disappeared at the age of 15 on September 14th, 2014. The day she vanished, Cassie spent most of her day with her best friend/boyfriend Hunter Smith at his mother Tracey Snyder’s home. Cassie had actually spent most of her weekend with Hunter and his mother. The previous day, Hunter picked Cassie up around 1:30pm at her home in Stuggart, Arkansas; where she lived with her mother Judy Compton and her mother’s fiancé Brandon Rhodes (pictured below). Cassie and Hunter then went to a demolition derby in DeWitt with his family. Afterwards, Cassie spent the night at the Snyder home and spent the entire next day there as well.

Judy Compton and Brandon Rhodes

Hunter dropped Cassie back off at her house around 6:25pm that evening. He noted that he saw Cassie’s mother’s fiancé Brandon standing out in front of the home, and that Cassie and Brandon made no attempt to talk to each other as Cassie walked past him. According to Cassie’s mother Judy, Cassie left the home again around 6:55pm after telling announcing that she would be back soon. She has never been seen or heard from again.

After Cassie was reported missing, Hunter’s mother Tracey told both investigators and news outlets that things were “weird” for Cassie at home, which is why she often spent time at Tracey’s home. Both Tracey and Hunter noted that Cassie seemed “unusually quiet” on the day she disappeared as well.

Additionally, Cassie’s half-sister Kimberly Compton alluded to Cassie having a secret that she thinks lead to her disappearance. On October 17th, 2014, Kimberly wrote the following to Cassie on Facebook: “Baby girl I’m putting the pieces together daily. I have a feeling I know what happened to you. Tonight I broke my silence and told your secret. I love you and I only told because I hoped it would help. I love you baby sister. STAY STRONG and remember you are loved. I know someone has taken you and I will find out who. I WILL help you if you reach out to me baby girl. You are beautiful you are smart and most of all you are important to many people”. There has since been very little information on the ‘secret’ and/or if it had anything to do with Cassie’s disappearance.

The full Facebook post

Cassie’s mother Judy and her fiancé Brandon were initially considered persons of interest in the case. Early on into the search, Judy and Brandon had their phones seized and searched but they were eventually returned and it is unclear if any significant evidence was found. Judy’s car was searched as well. Many rumors have gone around about Brandon’s behavior towards Cassie and Judy’s other children, however none of these rumors have been confirmed. Judy reportedly ended her relationship with Brandon about a month after Cassie’s disappearance, and then later told news reporters that Brandon was controlling and that she believed Cassie would come home if she knew that Brandon was out of the picture.

Despite Judy’s statements, investigators do not believe that Cassie disappeared on her own accord. She remains missing today and the FBI is investigating her case. If you have any information that could lead to Cassie’s whereabouts, please submit a tip here.
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Monday, May 13, 2019

The Disappearance and Murder of Sidney Randall

source: WREG

Sidney Randall (14) was reported missing by her mother Denise Cornell during the early morning hours of March 10th, 2013. Sidney was last seen the previous evening, at her family’s Walnut Ridge, Arkansas home. When Denise awoke the following morning, she noticed that both Sidney and her husband, John Cornell, were missing from the home.

However, John returned to the house shortly thereafter, without Sidney. Denise let him know that Sidney was missing, and John once again left the house, after saying that he was going to file a missing child report. After hours passed without any sign of John, Denise decided to report Sidney missing herself.


John Cornell. (source: Daily Mail)

The following day, on March 11th, 2013, John was found dead in a field on the side of the road. It was determined that he died of a self-inflicted gunshot. Sidney was still nowhere to be found, and by this point, it was believed that John was involved in her disappearance. The search for Sidney expanded all throughout Lawrence County - and Denise eventually announced that she, too, felt that John was involved in Sidney’s disappearance.

Then, in May 2013, a body was found in the Black River near the Lawrence and Randolph County lines. Just days later, the body was confirmed to be that of Sidney Randall. An autopsy determined that she died of blunt force trauma. Investigators also found the DNA of John Cornell on Sidney’s body and underneath her fingernails. It was concluded that Sidney was a murder victim, and that she died at the hands of her own stepfather, John Cornell.


Denise was reportedly very shocked by her husband's actions. She told reports that Sidney and John had a typical stepdaughter/stepfather relationship. However, Sidney’s friends and biological father tell a different story. 

Sidney's friends stated that Sidney was afraid of him. Sidney’s father, Victor Randall, told reporters that he suspected John was molesting his daughter and that Sidney threatened to tell police. It is believed that the motive behind Sidney’s murder was to keep her quiet about the abuse.

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Sources:
Action News 5
Imboden Live
KAIT 8
NY Daily News