The Resolution of 5 Spooky Mysteries

2023 has been an incredible year for cold case agencies such as Othram, who have made their mark on forensics and forever changed how we view cold cases.

Number five

On June 4th, 1981, drivers making their way down Interstate 35 in Texas noticed something lying on the side of the road. A handful of motorists passed without intervening, but finally, somebody stopped to see what was happening. When they got a closer look, they realized it was the body of an adult female. She had sustained several wounds to her body, and her bra and blouse had been pulled over her head. The Texas Rangers were immediately called to the scene, and motorists watched in horror as the scene was cordoned off. The woman's body was transported to the medical examiner's office, and investigators hoped that they would be able to identify her and her attacker quickly, but that was not the case. An autopsy confirmed that she had several gunshot wounds from a .25 caliber weapon. The medical examiner's office took the woman's fingerprints and cross-referenced missing person reports, but no connections were made. Investigators were stumped and had no choice but to dub her a Jane Doe. Months after being discovered, she was buried with no name to adorn her headstone. Local authorities had been shaken by the case and vowed to uncover her name. In 2009, there was renewed hope for the 1981 Jane Doe when her DNA was taken for analysis. Finally, after decades without a name, investigators discovered the body belonged to 18-year-old Carol Joyce DeLeon. In May of 1981, Carol graduated from Thomas Edison High School, and on June 3rd, she went to a nightclub in San Antonio, Texas, never to return home. Following Carol's identification, investigators submitted fingernail scrapings obtained during the autopsy for analysis. These scrapings contained the DNA of a male suspect, but no profile was found in CODIS. Once again, investigators found themselves at a dead end and thought that Carol's case would never be solved. That was until 2020. In 2020, Texas Rangers requested that the male DNA profile be sent for genealogical testing. Once the analysis was complete, genealogists had three possible suspects, one of them being 68-year-old Larry West. Texas Rangers visited Larry in Converse, Texas, with Larry voluntarily submitting to a DNA swab. Larry maintained his innocence throughout the visit, but when the DNA was analyzed, the probability of selecting an unrelated person at random was one in 422.1 quintilia. There was no doubt that Larry West was their guy. In April of 2023, Larry was finally arrested and charged in the case of Carol DeLeon. Those who knew Larry later came forward and told investigators that he'd been unusually cruel towards women and was known to drive near Bexar County visiting bars and looking for young women to pick up. Larry is currently being held on a bond of $125,000 and is awaiting trial in Bexar County Jail.

Number four

In July of 1987, Angela Hyatt, the daughter of Donna Sue Hayed, visited her mother's home at 708 North Elm Street in Carlsbad, California, late one evening. As Angela approached the front door, an uneasy feeling washed over her. When she stepped inside, she discovered a scene that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Inside the home lay Donna's body. She had been viciously attacked and assaulted before her attacker left her body. Angela immediately summoned the Carlsbad Police Department to the scene, who were equally shocked by the brutality on display. Investigators first began combing through Donna's personal life to see if anyone would have wanted to hurt her, but DNA evidence obtained from the crime scene was sent to Othram for analysis and within weeks they had established a person of interest. Paperwork was filed for an arrest warrant, and on March 15th, 2023, 62-year-old Mark Anthony Russo was arrested and charged with the murder of Donna Sue Hayed. Russo was not on the list of original suspects, and investigators had not previously considered him because he was not in the area at the time of the murder. However, DNA evidence proved that he had been at the crime scene.

Russo had a long criminal history, and his DNA was in CODIS. He had previously been convicted of burglary, assault, and possession of stolen property. Russo's connection to Donna Sue Hayed remains unclear, and he has not yet entered a plea in the case.

Number three

In 2008, the body of an unidentified woman was found in a wooded area near the town of Charles City, Iowa. The woman had been deceased for some time, and her body was badly decomposed. She had no identification on her, and investigators had no leads on her identity.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation partnered with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to create a composite sketch of the woman, hoping to generate leads from the public. The sketch was widely circulated, but no one came forward with information.

In 2019, the Iowa DCI sent a sample of the woman's DNA to Othram for analysis. Using advanced DNA sequencing techniques, Othram was able to create a genetic profile of the woman and identify her as 23-year-old Clarksville, Iowa resident Angela Marie Neuman.

Neuman had been reported missing in August 2006, and her family had been searching for her ever since. Her cause of death remains unknown, and the case is still under investigation.

Number two

In 1992, the body of a young woman was discovered in a shallow grave near the town of Livingston, Texas. The woman had been shot in the head, and her body had been left to decompose for some time before it was found.

Investigators were unable to identify the woman and had no leads in the case. The woman was buried in an unmarked grave, and her case went cold.

In 2020, the Texas Rangers partnered with Othram to solve the case. Othram was able to extract a DNA profile from the woman's remains and use advanced genealogy techniques to identify her as 19-year-old Suzanne Bowers, who had been reported missing from Houston in 1983.

The Rangers were able to locate and interview Bowers' family members, who confirmed her identity. The case is still under investigation, and no arrests have been made.

Number one

29-year-old Wendy OGG was working hard to secure a better future for her two children. When not caring for them, Wendy attended beauty school where she flourished. Wendy was excited to get her cosmetology license and even thought about opening her own salon in the future. Wendy's family described her as thoughtful and kind and knew that she was a dedicated mother to her two children, so they knew something was wrong when she failed to return home that evening on April 24, 1987.

Wendy arrived at beauty school with a beaming smile on her face. She told her co-workers that she had landed a date with a man that she had met earlier that day. Wendy's colleagues remarked that she was excited and nervous about her date, and when it was time to go home, she promised to tell them everything the next day. Wendy made it to her date at the La Paloma restaurant in Bellingham, Washington, and had a fun evening.

In the early morning hours of April 25, 1987, Wendy left the bar in the company of a man named Mike Johnson. The pair hopped into Wendy's red 1972 Ford Torino with a black vinyl roof and returned to her home at 2223 H Street. Unfortunately, Wendy never made it to work that day, and her parents and the Bellingham Police Department were informed of her disappearance.

When investigators arrived at Wendy's home, they found troubling signs of a struggle. Pieces of hair and pools of red were scattered across the house. DNA tests later confirmed that the evidence left behind belonged to Wendy, but where was she?

Wendy's colleagues at the beauty school were interviewed, which led investigators to Mike Johnson. They quickly discovered that this was not his real name and that his real name was Darren D O'Neal. On May 2, 1987, Wendy's beloved red Torino was found abandoned in Eugene, Oregon, and Darren D O'Neill's fingerprints were all over it.

Darren O'Neill was charged with stealing Wendy's car, but investigators struggled to uncover enough evidence to link him to the crime scene. In 2015, investigators discovered DNA evidence that did link him to the crime scene, and in 2020, the Bellingham Police Department obtained a cheek swab that confirmed their suspicions.

At the time of his arrest in October of 2022, Darren O'Neal was known to many authorities in the area and is now considered a serial killer. In May of 1987, he took the life of Robin Smith and was also charged in Oregon with kidnapping and assault.

In March of 2023, 63-year-old Darren D O'Neal pleaded not guilty, but the case is currently ongoing.