Sunday, November 17, 2013

Seventeen-Year-Old Donna Dustin Murdered

Memorial plaque in Bowie's Acorn Hill Park
November 17, 1973 (40 years ago today):  A seventeen-year-old Bowie girl was murdered.  Donna Dustin's body was discovered by a hunter that morning in Anne Arundel County not far from the Bowie Race Track.  Dustin's murder remains unsolved.

Pictured here is a memorial plaque that can be found in Bowie's Acorn Hill Park.

Much has been written about the Donna Dustin murder case.  This January, 2000, Washington Post article provides a fairly complete summary:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/2000-01/16/076r-011600-idx.html

Although no one has been charged in Donna Dustin's murder, an attempt was made to link the Dustin murder to the 1987 murder of Jacqueline Roberson in Bowie.  Richard McLeod was convicted of the Roberson murder, but in an appeal, McLeod argued that someone else likely committed the Roberson murder.  He named several people that he suspected were involved.  One of the men that McLeod implicated, was, according to the motion filed by McLeod, likely present during the Dustin murder.  No one knows the whereabouts of the man that McLeod identified.  http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca4/07-6551/076551.u-2011-03-15.html

Jeff Krulik created this video in remembrance of the 40th anniversary of Donna Dustin's death.



28 comments:

  1. 46 years ago today. Though I've been retired for almost 6 years, I do not and cannot forget Donna's case. There are people still alive involved in her death; and there are still people alive that know about what happened the early morning of November 17, 1973. And...I am still out here too. This case can be solved. Step up, tell what you know. Better yet, make peace with your maker while you can if you were involved. It's never too late. Contact me, I'll point you in the right direction.....

    Dave C.
    Anne Arundel County State's Attorney's Office
    Chief Investigator (Retired)

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    1. Dave, any chance they can run the DNA through Ged Match like how they caught the GSK? No idea if it's the lack of identifiable DNA that's held this case up or not though.

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    2. Dave,
      I think about you and this case often. I still cannot believe with all the resources out there these days this case goes unsolved. Nobody back then was THAT SMART!!!
      You keep doing what you're doing. Something Someday will change.

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  2. Read this about the case: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ca4-07-06551/pdf/USCOURTS-ca4-07-06551-0.pdf

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  3. https://m.facebook.com/groups/194854887241857?view=permalink&id=197977576929588

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  4. If Richard Henderson, the person named by McLeod as allegedly participating in the Dustin murder is a viable suspect, have extensive efforts been made to locate him? Probably dead, but if there is any chance he is alive I would hope law enforcement could find him.

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  5. Correction on above: I meant Richard Nelson.

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    1. Rick Nelson (a/k/a Sick Rick) is presumed to be dead. I had the misfortune to have known him; considering the way he lived, he's not going to be found.

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  6. I wish the ID channel or Cold Case would pick this one up. Or perhaps CeCe Moore could get involved.

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  7. (Prince George’s Co) The Ardmore Elementary teacher, Jaquiline Roberson, in connection to this case, was my first grade teacher. Her case has stayed with me for all of these years. I wish there was more information on both cases

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  8. I was nine years old when this happened, but I remember it clearly. There's another unsolved murder case, also of a Bowie teenager. My friend, Jeanie Klein, was raped and murdered in 1982. The files make it clear who arranged the crime, but she has never been brought to justice. These crimes MUST be solved!

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    1. Jeanie Marie Klein is my moms older sister. I was actually curious to research what was found about Jeanie simply because it was always and still unsolved but I noticed the girl they were looking for originally who did get media attention and is national news back then and still today gets attention. (As it should) but they happened to find Jeanie during the other women’s search and ended up finding both on the same day within the same area. But I’ve always wondered why Jeanie was never brought up as being related to this or named at all. So I’m shocked coming upon this recent post by 1skydog, I believe if you were 9 my mom said she was also very young when Jeanie died.

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    2. I was 9 when Donna died, and Jeanie was my friend; I was 18 when she died. Donna died in 1973, Jeanie in 1982, and Jacqueline Roberson in 1987.

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  9. Who is the person who arranged the Jeanie Klein murder ?

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    1. I ordered the case file from the Charles County Police Dept. Even though it's redacted, the person who set it all up is right there.

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    2. The name is revealed or redacted but you can figure it out? Not clear whether you know who it was or not.

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    3. I know who arranged it. Since you're posting anonymously, I don't think that a) I know you, or b) if you knew Jeanie.

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    4. How do I join so that I can comment? I am doing research for the "In Memory of Donna Dustin" private FB page and am trying to understand possible connections with Jeanie's case. W.Z. Smith

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    5. Since you send my communications to spam, forget it.

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  10. Why Charles County? Wasn't her body found in Bowie?

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    1. Sure. Now, please leave me alone about the topic. I'm not telling you anything more about it...how do I know you weren't involved?

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    2. Yeah this is amazing that people are still remembering my aunt. And I hope and pray these girls one day have justice and someone or someone’s is caught. I believe Jeanie’s case may be re opened. 🙏🏻

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    3. How do you know Kelly

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    4. I was friends with Jeanie

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  11. No. She was taken from Bowie down Rte 301 right over the Charles County line. The whole thing is disgusting; she was set up by a grown woman who lived in Bowie.

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  12. Skydog, I am sitting here with Kelly now. Is there a way to contact you privately?

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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