“The person who abducted and murdered 19-year-old Melissa Witt was familiar with the area where her body was found,” explains LaDonna Humphrey, executive director of the documentary “Who Killed Melissa Witt.”
According to Humphrey and her documentary team, over the past two decades, police have interviewed over 300 men they believe might have been involved in the disappearance and death of Melissa Witt.
The documentary team believes that the connection to the area in the Ozark National Forest in Franklin County could be the key to solving the murder Witt.
“The location,” says Humphrey “isn’t one you find by accident. The murderer had been to that location before. Most likely as a hunter, or a hiker or camper, but there is no doubt that the location has some sort of meaning to Melissa’s murderer”
According to the documentary team, the investigation into Witt’s murder shows that on December 1st, 1994, Melissa Witt woke up to get ready for her day.
She had a small argument with her mother over money and then left for school at what was then Westark Community College.
After class, she had lunch with a male friend and then dropped him off. Melissa then went on to work at the dental office of T. D. Jennings.
Records show that Melissa clocked out at 5:35 p.m. and went out to her vehicle, a 1995 Mitsubishi Mirage. Immediately, she realized that she had left her dome light or something else on to make the battery run down. At a man at the nearby Beverly Enterprises office saw her and jump started Witt’s car.
Around 5:45 p.m., she left the dental office and headed home. Witt lived on the north side of Fort Smith with her mother. She changed clothes, left them in a pile, and after reading a note left by her mother inviting her to come see visit her at the bowling alley, Witt then traveled across town to Bowling World.
In the note, her mother told her she loved her and invited her to come grab a hamburger with her at Bowling World.
From there, events aren’t as clear. Witt made it to the bowling alley, somewhere after 6:15pm. She never made it inside.
Forty-three days later, on Jan. 13, 1995, Melissa Witt’s body was found 55 miles away in the Ozark National Forest off of a logging road. She was naked and her clothes, purse and jewelry were missing.
“Someone out there has the key to breaking this case wide open,” says Humphrey.
“They may have that one tiny bit of information that’s needed to clear this case and they don’t realize it. If anybody has information, however small and insignificant it may seem, please come forward. Call our anonymous hotline at 479-221-9393.”
The documentary about the life and death of Melissa Witt is tentatively scheduled to air this summer. For more information about the “Who Killed Melissa Witt” documentary project, visit facebook.com/whokilledmissywitt.
