On August 27, 2021, I uploaded a post about Boone County Jane Doe. Jane Doe was a young woman who was found murdered near Interstate 65 in Lebanon, Indiana in 1992. She remained unidentified for over 29 years, and has finally been identified as Margaret Sniegowski.
On May 3, 1992, Boone County Jane Doe was discovered by a farmer while he was tending to his crops. She was at the bottom of a hill near an entrance ramp on Interstate 65 in Lebanon, Indiana. The young woman’s body was only wearing a light green or yellow tank top and light green socks. Because of her state of decomposition, her cause of death could not be determined, but because of the circumstances in which she was disposed, detectives are sure that foul play was involved in Jane Doe’s death.
Upon further examinations, Boone County Jane Doe was determined to be a white female between the ages of 17-22, was between 5’3″-5’7″, and weighed about 130 pounds. She had short red or auburn hair, as well as several tattoos. These tattoos included the word “MOM” on her upper right arm, the word “LOVE” with a cross and two hearts on her right breast, a cross tattoo on her right hand between her thumb and index finger. Boone County Jane Doe is suspected to have died 3 to 5 days before she was discovered.
In 2018, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office released new facial reconstruction images of what Boone County Jane Doe looked like. These new advanced images may hopefully be what is needed for someone to finally recognize this young woman and give her name back to her. Isotope tests were also taken after her remains where exhumed for a second time, and it was determined that Jane Doe must have been from the southwestern U.S., the Midwest, or the Upper New England states. Hopefully with the new DNA technology available, Boone County Jane Doe’s identity will eventually be revealed.
After decades of the case going cold, there was finally a break in the case in 2021 thanks to genetic genealogy! In 2021, Boone County Jane Doe’s skeletal remains were sent to Othman, which is a company that specializes in DNA genealogy testing. With the DNA they obtained from the remains, Othram developed a DNA profile of the victim to help identify her. In January 2022, a DNA test confirmed the jane doe’s identification.
Boone County Jane Doe was identified as 17 year old Margaret Ann Sniegowski from Toledo, Ohio. She died just one month before her 18th birthday, and was the youngest of 8 siblings. Margaret’s siblings are grateful for her identification, but now they are focused on finding the person who hurt and took their sister from them. The investigation into Margaret’s death is continued to be treated as a homicide.
Franklin County John Doe is the name given to an unidentified young Asian male who was found deceased in Lockbourne, Ohio in September 1992.
On September 20, 1992, a couple went out fishing at Big Walnut Creek in Lockbourne, Ohio. As they were fishing, they noticed something odd along the creek. Upon investigating, the couple discovered the decomposing body of a teenager or young adult.
Big Walnut Creek, Lockbourne, Ohio
Autopsy reports found that the victim was an Asian male, between 15-23 years old. His height was between 4’11”- 5’3” and he had short black hair about 2” in length. The victim was found wearing jockey shorts and a gold chain with paintings of Asian women on both sides, held by a braided green nylon lanyard.
The necklace the victim was wearing
The victim’s cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound, classifying his death as a homicide. There is limited information available about the Franklin County John Doe, but bringing more attention to his case will help to get more work done to determine who he was and what happened to him.
The Unidentified Middle Child is the name given to a young murder victim who was apart of the Allenstown 4, a group of murder victims found in Allenstown, New Hampshire. Though the 3 other victims have since been identified as a young mother and her 2 daughters, as well as the discovery that the perpetrator was the victim’s own father, the young child remains unidentified.
On November 10, 1985, a hunter found a 55-gallon drum near an old burned down building in at Bear Brooke State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire. Inside of the drum were 2 decomposing bodies wrapped in plastic. Autopsy revealed that the bodies were that of a young woman and child. The woman was thought to be between 23-33 and the child was thought to be between 8-10; both victims died by blunt force trauma.
the site of the drums/barrels
Nearly 15 years later, on May 9, 2000, another drum was found near the original discovery site. Inside the second drum were 2 more decaying bodies. The next autopsy determined that the remains were that of a young girl between the ages of 2-4 and an infant female child; their causes of death were also blunt force trauma. Despite the second drum being found years later, investigators determined that the murders occurred at the same time. The reason that the second drum wasn’t found sooner was because it was outside the proximity of the first drum.
The case of the 4 murder victims was highly publicized throughout the United States and some parts of Canada. Many identities were ruled out, and for a while, the victims’ case began to go cold.
the victims’s facial reconstructions
In June 2013, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children released updated versions of facial reconstructions of the 4 victims. Another updated version of the facial reconstructions were again released in November 2015. In 2014, DNA testing revealed that the oldest victim, second victim, and youngest victim were all maternally related. In 2015, it was found that the oldest victim was the mother of the 2 girls, and they were primarily from the NorthEastern United States.
The oldest victim, second victim, and youngest victim
The middle child was not related to the other victims, but it was found that she was primarily from the NorthEast or Upper Midwest United States. However, further testing in 2019 revealed that the child could also possibly be from Arizona, Texas, California, or Oregon.
In 2017, a break in the case came when Denise Beaudin was connected to the murders. Denise Beaudin was a woman from Manchester, New Hampshire, who went missing along with her daughter in 1981 after leaving with her boyfriend Bob Evans. Denise eventually went missing and Bob Evans later abandoned the young girl nicknamed “Lisa” at a campsite, and she never saw Bob or her mother again. Beaudin was not reported missing until 2016 when her daughter resurfaced in 2016 and was found to be alive and well living in California. Beaudin, however, remains missing.
Investigators soon found that Bob Evans’s real identity was Terry Peder Rasmussen, and he was the father of the Unidentified Middle Child of the Bear Brook Murders. Authorities then believed that Rasmussen was responsible for the Bear Brook Murders. Unfortunately, Terry Rasmussen died in prison in December 2010 after being convicted of the 2002 murder and dismemberment of his wife Eunsoon Jun, a chemist from California.
Terry Rasmussen’s mugshot
Further investigation found that Terry Rasmussen was born in 1943 in Denver, Colorado. He got married in 1979 and had 4 children. His wife left him in 1973, and his family last saw him in 1974. DNA samples provided by one of his sons confirmed his identity in June 2017. It was found the Rasmussen used up to 5, and possibly more, false identifies, leading him to be known as the Chameleon Killer.
In 1999, a young man created a post on Ancestry.com in hopes to find his half sister whom he shared a father with but never met. It was stated that the girl was born in Hawaiian Gardens, California. Nothing came of this post at first.
Nearly 20 years later, on June 6, 2019, New Hampshire investigators announced the identities of the young woman and her 2 children. It was revealed that the woman was 24 year old Marlyse Honeychurch, and her daughters 7 year old Marie Vaughn and 11 month old Sarah McWaters. They were last seen around Thanksgiving in 1978 in La Puente, California. Marlyse left her home after having an argument with her mother and never contacting her relatives again. She was dating Terry Rasmussen at this time and was believed to have used the alias Elizabeth Evans at some point while with him. It was found that it was Sarah’s younger half brother who made the Ancestry post in hopes to find her. At some point in their lives, both Marie and Sarah’s fathers had custody of them, but eventually Marlyse regained custody of them sometime before their deaths. Marlyse and her daughters were all laid to rest in funeral services sometime in 2019.
The Middle Child’s identity is the most mysterious of all the identifications in this case. DNA testing links her as the daughter of Terry Rasmussen, as well as the possible locations she grew up in. It is unknown who the child’s mother is, but it was found that her mother’s relatives were most likely from Pearl River County, Mississippi. In 2020, an updated facial reconstruction of the unidentified child was released to the media. The young girl was between 2-4 years old, she had wavy brown hair, a slightly noticeable overbite, and was between 3’3″ or 3’9″.
Amore Wiggins was a 5 year old girl from Alabama who went missing in 2011. Her remains were found in 2012, but she was not identified until January 2023. Amore’s killer was revealed to be her own father.
Amore Joveah Wiggins was born on January 1, 2006 to her mother Sherry Wiggins and father Lamar Vickerstaff. At some point, Lamar was awarded full custody of Amore in 2009, and she went to live with him and his wife Ruth Vickerstaff. Lamar Vickerstaff served in the Navy, making him to appear as the better fit parent for Amore. During the time Amore was in Lamar’s custody, Sherry was given visits and paid child support, but she tried multiple times to take Lamar back to court to get Amore back.
Amore Joveah Wiggins
On January 28, 2012, a resident at Brook Haven Trailer Park in Opelika, Alabama discovered a scull behind the trailer park. Police were called and searched more of the surrounding area, to which they discovered more remains, as well as a pink, long sleeve shirt with heart buttons and ruffles on it nearby a creek. They are unsure if the shirt belonged to the victim or not.
Autopsies determined that the remains were those of a young girl of African American descent between the ages of 4-7. Evidence determined that the child was malnourished and had a visible deformity on her left eye, which could have been natural or caused by an injury or abuse. Detectives looked into school or birth records to identify the victim, but nothing could be linked to her. Isotope tests were also done on the victim’s bones, which determined that she was from Southeastern United States.
Facial reconstruction of Opelika Jane Doe
Despite their tests, detectives were unable to identify the child, which led to her being known as Opelika Jane Doe or Baby Jane Doe. In September 2016, a former bible teacher at Greater Peace Church in Opelika provided law enforcement with photos of a young girl that attended the church that resembled the Opelika Jane Doe. The photos were taken in the summer of 2011, and the child was between 4-5 years old. The teacher stated that the child was very reserved and had trouble communicating with other children. The church was also 10 minutes away from where Opelika Jane Doe’s remains were found. Despite this strong lead, it did not lead to the identification of the Jane Doe.
Photos of the young girl from the church
As time passed, the Opelika Police Department teamed up with Othram laboratories to use advanced DNA testing and genetic genealogy to try and identify the child. In January 2022, Opelika Jane Doe’s remains were sent to Othram’s laboratory in Woodland, Texas to build a genetic profile of the victim. In January 2023, Othram labs confirmed that the remains of Opelika Jane Doe belonged to 5 year old Amore Joveah Wiggins. Her father Lamar Vickerstaff was identified in October 2022 before her remains were. At the time of the identification, Lamar was stationed at Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville. Detectives went to where Lamar was stationed to inform him of the discovery of the remains possibly connected to him. However, Lamar did not provide them with any information of his daughter’s identification and claimed that he did not know Sherry Wiggins when asked of her significance.
After Sherry was identified as the child’s mother, she too was informed of her possible connection to the remains. She was asked if she knew anyone named Lamar Vickerstaff, to which she replied yes. She was then informed of the Opelika Jane Doe whose case had been unsolved for nearly 10 years. Sherry lived hundreds of miles away from where Amore’s remains were found and had no knowledge of the Opelika Jane Doe case. After her issues with fighting to regain custody of Amore, Sherry decided to wait until Amore turned 18, that way she wouldn’t have to worry about taking Lamar to court. Unfortunately, Amore did not live to see 18 and her mother was unaware of her daughter’s death for over 10 years. Sherry states that she wishes Ruth or Lamar would have reached out and returned Amore to her if things were too difficult and they couldn’t take care of her.
After Amore’s remains were confirmed, her father Lamar Vickerstaff was arrested on January 17, 2023 and charged for felony murder; he and his wife Ruth were also charged with failing to report a missing child.
Lamar and Ruth Vickerstaff’s mugshots
It is heartbreaking that Amore’s young life was taken, and by someone who was supposed to love and protect her. Amore deserved a chance at her life. Her mother Sherry has set up a GoFundMe to raise funds for Amore’s burial and law expenses. I hope that Amore’s identification can help bring her mother some closure and heal from such a tragedy.
The Angel of the Meadow is the name given to an unidentified murder victim that was discovered in Angel Meadow, Manchester, UK in 2010. Although she was discovered in 2010, the victim is presumed to have died sometime between 1970-1980 at 18-35 years old. Due to the extensive decomposition of the remains and the time it took to be discovered, solving this case has come with some difficulties.
On January 25, 2010, a group of workmen were preparing a site for redevelopment located between Angel Street, Dantzic Street, and Miller Street in Manchester, England. This area is known locally as Angel Meadow, a notorious victorian slum. During the preparation, a workman noticed a scull in the area. This led to the discovery of a human skeleton hidden underneath sections of a blue carpet. The police were soon called to the scene.
The victim’s autopsy revealed that they were a female between the ages of 18-35 when she was killed sometime between 1970-1980. She is believed to have been born between 1950-1954 and was between 5’1″ or 5’7″ tall. She is thought to be of European, Indian, or Middle Eastern descent, and also had notable dental work done. The victim suffered a fractured neck, clavicle, and jaw. Without an identity, law enforcement began to refer to the victim as the Angel of the Meadow.
Several items were found near the victim’s body, including: a plastic Guinness measuring chart from the late 1960s, an orange patterned carpet, dark blue and blue carpets, tights, part of a stiletto shoe, and a handbag. One of the carpet pieces was thought to possibly be from a Ford Cortina, with it being noted that it had a cut from the gear stick.
Clothes found near the victim
In May of 2011, law enforcement released a sketch of what the victim possibly looked like. Police confirmed that the victim’s dentistry did not match some of the records of victims who had gone missing in that area. DNA analysis’s were also done to determine if the victim was killed by some known serial killers, like Peter Tobin or Ronald Castree; there were no connections found.
Facial reconstruction of the Angel of the Meadow
In 2012, police announced that they created a list of over 20 potential identities for the Angel of the Meadow. Their strongest lead was a victim from Tanzania after a Tanzanian family made contact regarding the case. However, these did not lead to any identifications.
In March 2015, the Angel of the Meadow was buried in Southern Cemetery, Manchester, with only the 2 detectives working on the case attending the funeral. This same month, police confirmed hat a DNA profile for the victim was created and familial DNA testing had begun to possibly trace the victim’s identity.
There are still so many questions surrounding the Angel of the Meadow case. It is difficult that the victim’s remains were found decades after she was killed but with the new technology available now, there may be more advantages in finding out who this victim is, what happened to her, and who killed her.
Herbert Baumeister was an infamous serial killer and businessman who was active between 1980 and 1996, predominately targeting gay men. After his crimes were revealed, Herbert died by suicide before he could go to trial.
Herbert Richard Baumeister was born on April 7, 1947 in Indianapolis, Indiana. In his early childhood, Herbert exhibited behaviors characterized with Anti-Social Personality Disorder, such as playing with dead animals and urinating on his teacher’s desk. In his teens, Herbert was diagnosed with schizophrenia, but did not receive treatment for this.
Herbert Baumeister attended Indiana University in 1965, later dropping out and attending Butler University in 1972. During his career life, Herbert was known for having a strong work ethic, but exhibited odd behavior. Herbert went on to found the successful chain thrift store called Sav-A-Lot in 1988.
In November of 1971, Herbert married Jauliana Saiter, and went on to have 3 children with her. After Herbert’s case went public, Juliana revealed that they were only intimate about 6 times in their 25 year marriage. In the 1970s, Herbert’s father committed him to a psychiatric hospital several times, as his wife claimed that he was hurting and needed help.
In the early 1990s, Indianapolis became rocked by the frequent disappearances of gay men in the area who were all similar in height, weight, and age. Detectives began investigating the disappearances and received a tip from someone. In 1992, a man named Tony Harris claimed that another man whom identified himself as “Brain Smart” killed his friend and attempted to kill him during an erotic asphyxiation session. Tony saw the man again at the same gay bar in August 1995; he followed the man and took his license plate number. The license plate information revealed this man’s real name: Herbert Baumeister.
Herbert Baumeister in an unrelated interview
Investigators wanted to search the Baumeister farm and interview Herbert, but he refused and did not want to cooperate. Despite being originally uncomfortable of allowing the investigators to search their property, Juliana Baumeister later revealed to detectives that in December of 1994, she found what she thought was possibly human remains on a section of the property. These remains included a scull and bones. She notified her husband, but he claimed the skull belonged to his father, who was a physician. Juliana stated that she never saw the remains again after that.
With this information, investigators began digging on the Baumeister property. This investigation uncovered the remains of 11 men, 8 of which have been identified as: John Lee Bayer (20), Richard Douglas Hamilton (20), Steven S Hale (26), Allen Wayne Broussard (28), Jeffrey A Jones (31), Manuel Resendez (31), Roger Allen Goodlet (33), and Michael Frederick Kiern (46). The other 2 bodies remain unidentified.
The Baumeister property
Days after the bodies were found, a warrant for Herbert’s arrest was released. Herbert then fled to Ontario, Canada, and killed himself with a gunshot to the head in Pinery Provincial Park on July 3, 1996. He left a suicide note, claiming his failing marriage and business drove him to suicide. However, his note did not reveal any confession to the murders of the men found on his property.
Following his death, Herbert was also suspected to be the I-70 strangler, a murderer that killed 12 young men along Interstate 70, between Indianapolis and Columbus, Ohio sometime between 1980-1991. An eyewitness claims that he saw Herbert leaving a bar in 1983 with 22 year old Michael Riley, who was later found strangled to death and nude in a river. Despite the suspicions of Herbert’s involvement, the I-70 murders remain unsolved. As of 2022, investigators are still searching Herbert Baumeister’s property as new remains are still being discovered.
The crimes of Herbert Baumeister doesn’t seem to get as much media coverage as other cases of serial killers, like Jeffery Dahmer or Ted Bundy. I personally had never even heard the name Herbert Baumeister until just a few days ago. Although he was not formally convicted for his crimes, I believe the evidence and the circumstances surrounding this case reveal that Herbert is the obvious perpetrator. I believe it is important to bring cases like this to light to help and solve other cases, like giving the 2 remaining victims their names back, or finding the true identity of the I-70 killer. Do you think that Herbert Baumeister was responsible for more murders? Do you think he is the person behind the I-70 killings? Leave your thoughts below.
Latanisha Carmichael was a 3 year old girl who was beaten to death by her mother and older brother in 1979. Her case went unknown until her twin brother contacted the police with suspicions of her disappearance in early 2000.
Latanisha Carmichael was born in 1976, and had a twin brother named Andre. She also had 2 older siblings, a sister named Sabrina and a brother named Gregory. Their home was described as a place of constant abuse at the hands of their mother Madeline and brother Gregory, who was 19. Latanisha soon became a vague memory to her brother Andre after she seemingly disappeared at just 3 years old.
Growing up, Andre and Sabrina were rarely allowed to leave their home unless it was for school. They also were not allowed to have any friends or see relatives. Andre first began suspecting his sister’s death when he was 12 years old after his visiting aunt asked him about her. After some confusion, Andre asked his mother about his aunt’s question, to which she beat him. After years of abuse, Sabrina and Andre were eventually put into foster care.
When he was 22, Andre married a woman and went on to have a daughter with her. Despite the abuse he went through, he wanted to introduce his baby to his mother Madeline. However, after 1 visit, Madeline demanded that he wouldn’t bring the baby over anymore. She went on to tell her daughter Sabrina that the baby, “resembles someone,” and brought back too many bad memories.
Andre and Madeline Carmichael
Andre began going to his sister Sabrina about his speculations, but she denied his suspicions. It wasn’t until after his 3rd time asking, Sabrina shared the details of what happened to Latanisha.
Sabrina first made Andre sign a contract stating he wouldn’t share the details she was about to give him. She then went on to detail what happened to the 3 year old girl. Sabrina stated that in November 1979 when she was 8 years old, she witnessed their mother and brother kill Latanisha. Sabrina stated that as she was eating breakfast, her mother was also feeding little Latanisha. She stated that Latanisha became ill and vomited on the kitchen floor, angering their mother Madeline. Their mother then began brutally beating Latanisha. Their brother Gregory joined in on the beating as he was angry he had to clean up her vomit. The young child died because of her injuries. After her death, Madeline then wrapped her body in plastic, put it in a trunk, and hid it in a closet. Latanisha’s body remained there for nearly 20 years until investigators searched the house and found her.
Sabrina stated that she did not speak up before out of fear for her life as well. She went on to say that although their home was abusive, she still had pleasent memories with her mother. She also didn’t want to lose her family bonds because of something she viewed as an accident.
After learning this information, Andre immediately went to the police. Andre began to recall memories of his mother and older brother beating him to keep him away from the closet his sister was hidden in. He also stated that there were often incense sticks and baking soda near the closet to keep the smell away.
After Andre’s reports, law enforcement began their investigation into the case. They found the record of Andre and Latanisha’s birth, but as the years went on, they could only find records for Andre, but none for Latanisha past November 1979. Investigators then went to the home of Madeline and stated they were looking for Latanisha. Madeline responded stating that Latanisha moved out of town and she hadn’t seen her in 23 years.
The investigators obviously didn’t buy her claim, so they began searching the house. They found the closet, which had been closed off like Andre stated. Despite Madeline trying to stop them from further searching, the investigators broke into the closet. They then found the trunk with Latanisha’s remains inside of it.
The trunk with Latanisha’s remains
Madeline and her son Gregory, who were 61 and 38 were arrested for Latanisha’s murder in 2000. During their trial, their defense tried to claim that there was no way to determine if Latanisha was beaten to death and her death could have been an accident. The trunk that held Latanisha’s remains was shown in court during the trial, reminding everyone that a young child’s remains were put in there for over 20 years. Both Madeline and Gregory were sentenced to 15 years to life in prison on October 24, 2000. Madeline died of cancer 2 years into her sentence. Andre and Sabrina went on to write a book about their sister’s murder titled Family Skeleton: A Brother and Sister’s Journey from Murder to Truth.
It’s really disturbing how a person who’s supposed to care for and love their child can beat and kill them, and continue to live with their body in the same home with seemingly no remorse. Latanisha and her siblings were supposed to be loved and cared for by their mother and older brother. Absolutely nothing can justify the murder of a child. I’m glad that Latanisha’s story was brought to light, and by her own siblings at that, and she was given justice.
Olivia Lone Bear was an Indigenous woman from North Dakota who went missing in October of 2017. Her remains were found a few months later inside of her car at the bottom of a lake. Olivia’s case is still unsolved.
Olivia Lone Bear was born on October 11, 1985. She was apart of the Three Affiliated Tribes Indigenous community in New Town, North Dakota, and was also a mother of 5 children. Olivia was known to her community for being a vibrant woman who often enjoyed many activities that include: playing poker, golfing, going to concerts, and most importantly, spending time with her children.
Olivia Lone Bear
On October 24, 2017, Olivia spent the evening at a local bar enjoying recreational time with some friends. She was last seen leaving the bar in a truck she borrowed from a friend.
Olivia’s father Harley became worried after not hearing from his daughter in 2 days, prompting him to contact law enforcement. A search quickly began for the young mother, with law enforcement and tribal council leaders searching for answers to her disappearance. On October 26, Olivia’s brother Matthew posted a Facebook status stating that they could not find Olivia and it wasn’t in her nature to just suddenly disappear like that.
As the search for Olivia continued into December, a Dateline episode with an interview with Matthew and his theory of what happened to Olivia was released. Matthew stated that he believes Olivia returned home after leaving the bar because her phone, wallet, and money, as well as the clothes she was last wearing, were found at her home after the search for her began.
Olivia and her brother
Law enforcement searched the million acres of the Fort Berthold Reservation, suspecting that Olivia could possibly be there. On July 27, 2018, a group of volunteers on a fishing boat discovered a truck submerged in Lake Sakakawea. The truck, which was in more than 20 feet of water and 400 feet from the shore, was removed from the water and a body was recovered. On July 31, 2018, it was publicly confirmed that the truck found in the lake was the one Olivia was driving and the remains of the 32 year old mother were found inside. She was found less than a mile and a half away from her home.
Lake Sakakawea
Strangely, Olivia’s body was found strapped into the passengers seat of the truck, not the driver’s seat. Her autopsy revealed that there were no obvious injuries on her body, but Olivia’s cause of death was undetermined.
Olivia’s case is still open, and her community and family continue to search for answers of what happened to her. Tribal leaders and law enforcement do as much as they can to investigate her case, however, with their limited authority of criminal jurisdiction, tribal police are limited to what they can do in the investigation. Olivia’s case is one of thousands of cases of Indigenous women disappearing or being murdered, and the case going unsolved. A lot of these cases aren’t known because of the limits set on tribal authority across the U.S. Changes must be made within this system and the cases of these Indigenous women must be taken more seriously because Olivia and the victims of cases like hers deserve justice.
D’Asia Johnson was a young woman who was brutally murdered and dismembered by her ex boyfriend. The investigation into her death is ongoing.
D’Asia Johnson was a 22 year old woman from Brooklyn, New York. She worked at Macy’s and was actively in school in hopes of becoming a teacher. Her family described her as loving and full of life. She was a client of HousingPlus, a non-profit organization that provides stable housing and support to people who are vulnerable, facing domestic violence, have criminal histories, and suffer from mental health issues.
D’Asia Johnson
For the last 2 years, D’Asia faced domestic violence at the hands of her now 23 year old ex boyfriend named Justin Williams. Those close to the victim state that they witnessed the abuse D’Asia faced, as well as hearing Justin make threats of murdering her. Close friends and family stated that she relocated to Cypress Hills in hopes to get away from him. However, this didn’t go as planned as neighbors of D’Asia claim to hear the couple fighting often in their apartment. The cops were often called, but every time they arrived, D’Asia would always tell them everything was okay. She eventually got a restraining order against Justin which he did not abide by.
After Dasia had not been seen or heard from in nearly a week, concerned building security guards went to her apartment to check on her on September 21, 2022. However, Justin and another man in the apartment denied them access inside. They threatened to call the cops, and at some point the men snuck out of the apartment. The guards returned to the apartment soon after and used a master key to open the door. Upon entering, they discovered large amounts of blood, to which they exited the apartment and contacted the police.
Authorities removing the victim’s remains
Upon searching the apartment, the officers made a horrifying discovery of what happened to D’Asia. In the bathroom, there was a meat cleaver and blood inside the bathtub; officers also noted that there was a strong foul smell throughout the apartment. Next to the bathtub were 2 large suitcases. Upon opening the suitcases, officers discovered D’Asia’s dismembered remains inside.
Authorities began searching for D’Asia’s ex boyfriend Justin, who was considered the prime suspect in her murder. After finding him, he was questioned for her murder. Authorities are now searching for 6 witnesses who are believed to be present in the apartment after the time D’Asia was presumed murdered.
Witnesses the authorities are looking for
D’Asia’s family questioned why the apartment security kept allowing her ex-boyfriend into the building when it was known that he abused her often, with several neighbors being a witness to the abuse; as well as the known fact that D’Asia had a restraining order against him and previously locked him out. As of November 2022, Justin Williams was charged with the brutal murder of D’Asia Johnson.
D’Asia’s neighbor/friend mourning her death
It is so heartbreaking what happened to D’Asia. She was working on herself and working to get this man out of her life. Unfortunately, she was in a vulnerable position and obviously afraid of this man. D’Asia’s case shows people that a lot of times victims of these situations need a helping hand and encouragement to get out. Many people may think, “Why don’t the victims just leave?” As someone who has witnessed and was a victim of an abusive relationship, leaving isn’t that easy. Victims have to calculate and plan their escape in fear of what their abuser may do to them. D’Asia had a plan, but the monster got in the way of that. I truly feel for D’Asia and her family and I hope she gets the justice she deserves.
Harmony Montgomery is a young girl who went missing in December of 2019 when she was 5 years old. Her disappearance has now become a homicide investigation, with her father and stepmother as prime suspects.
Harmony Montgomery was born in June 2014 to her mother Crystal Sorey. She was born with a visual disability, which rendered her blind in one eye. Her father Adam Montgomery was in prison at the time of her birth. In August 2014, Harmony was removed from Crystal’s care 3 times as a result of her addiction.
Harmony Montgomery
In January and July of 2015, Harmony was taken to visit her father in prison on 2 separate visits. By September, Adam Montgomery was released from prison and moved to New Hampshire. About a year later, Adam Montgomery contacted the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families to resume visits with Harmony. Their visits continued for about 5 months, until Adam stopped responding to future visit requests in February of 2017. In August 2018, Adam went back to visiting Harmony after 11 months.
Harmony’s mother Crystal Sorey
During the previous month of July 2018, Harmony’s mother Crystal lost custody of Harmony, and Harmony was placed in foster care. In December of 2018, the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families ordered an investigation at Adam’s home, but this did not follow through. In February of 2019, a family court judge granted Adam legal custody of Harmony.
Harmony Montgomery & her father Adam Montgomery
Harmony’s mother Crystal stated that on Easter of 2019 she FaceTimed Harmony, and that was the last time she saw her daughter. On July 29, 2019, DCF received an anonymous tip that they observed what appeared to be a black eye on Harmony while visiting the family’s home the previous week. A CPS worker visited the home, but reported that Harmony appeared uninjured.
On August 7, 2019, a social worker visited the family’s home to interview Harmony as well as her father and stepmother Kayla. The social worker observed that Harmony had a red mark in one of her eyes and a faded bruise under her eyelid. When questioned, Adam claimed that Harmony was struck by a toy while playing with one of her siblings. On October 1, 2019, a social worker visited the house for a final time, during which they reported that Harmony appeared happy and healthy. The assessments concluded that the report of abuse was unfounded, but the family was at high risk of future welfare concerns.
According to Harmony’s stepmother Kayla, between November and December of 2019, Adam told her that he was taking Harmony to live with her mother in Lowell, Massachusetts. She claims that around this time was the last time she saw Harmony. Around this time, friends of the family claim they remembered seeing the couple with their 2 kids and Harmony, but by December, Harmony was no longer with them.
On January 8, 2020, DCYF received a referral about the family’s home. Adam Montgomery told CPS that Harmony was living with her mother and had been living with her since Thanksgiving of the previous year. On the 21 of January, CPS left a voicemail to Harmony’s mother Crystal to confirm Harmony’s address, but they never got a response.
By September of 2021, a close friend of Crystal contacted DCYF after concerns that Crystal hadn’t seen Harmony since Easter of 2019. It was also confirmed that Harmony had never been registered in the Manchester school system. On November 18, 2021, Crystal contacted the Manchester police, reporting that she hadn’t seen her daughter since their last phone call over 2 years before.
After being unable to locate Harmony, Manchester police began trying to locate Adam Montgomery in December of 2021. Around this time, Crystal sent a letter to the Manchester Mayor begging for help in finding Harmony. On December 31, 2021, police found Adam living in his car with a new girlfriend. They stated that he was uncooperative and unwilling to provide information regarding Harmony’s whereabouts. Adam’s new girlfriend, Kelsey Small, was found dead in a hotel room about 3 months later, but detectives say this is unrelated to Harmony’s case. A press conference was later held in regards to Harmony’s disappearance as the case began to gain national attention.
On January 3, 2022, a 24-tip hotline was set up for people to leave information regarding Harmony’s disappearance. The following day, investigators searched the previous Montgomery family’s home located on Gilford street, but no evidence was found. The same day, Adam Montgomery is arrested and charged with second-degree assault, interference with custody, and endangering the welfare of a child. On January 6, 2022, Harmony’s stepmother Kayla is also arrested and charged with felony welfare fraud, which was later dropped for a charge of felony theft.
Harmony’s stepmother Kayla Montgomery
In early 2022, investigators continued their search for Harmony. They collected several pieces of evidence from Harmony and her family’s previous home, including a refrigerator. It was then announced in August 2022 that Harmony was likely murdered in December 2019 when she was 5, changing the investigation from a missing persons case to a homicide investigation. Investigators stated that they received multiple sources of investigative information, as well as finding biological evidence that led them to this conclusion. They are now trying to determine where Harmony’s remains are, how she was killed, and who is responsible.
What happened to Harmony is a tragic mystery, but I know the truth will be revealed very soon. With her father and stepmother in custody and the evidence building against them, they are likely to be brought to justice. The biggest focus is bringing Harmony home and giving her the justice she deserves. She was a happy and sweet child with a bright smile who deserved so much more in life.
Harmony Montgomery
CASE UPDATE- On October 24, 2022, New Hampshire law enforcement announced that Adam Montgomery has been charged for Harmony’s murder.
TRUE CRIME REPORT 