On July 25, 1989, 18-year-old Dana Stidham was last seen leaving Phillips Food Center (now Harps in Town Center) in Bella Vista.
Dana had graduated from Gravette High School in June and was living in Centerton with her brother and friends. On the day she disappeared, Dana had run an errand to pick up medication for her father, Lawrence, who was unwell. She stopped for gas and bought Alka-Seltzer, dish soap, and sugar at the store.
Dana's checkout time was recorded at 3:17 p.m., and she briefly chatted with friends and an older employee in the parking lot before driving off. When Dana didn't return home, her family began searching for her and contacted the authorities.
At 6:30 a.m. the next day, Sgt. Karen Myers found Dana's abandoned 1984 gray Dodge Omni on U.S. Highway 71 near Wellington Road. The keys were in the ignition, the driver's window was halfway down, the rear tire was deflated but drivable, and Dana's purse was missing.
The driver's seat was adjusted for a much taller person.
The case saw a breakthrough on August 5 when a resident's dog brought home Dana's denim purse. An extensive search revealed her checkbook, driver's license, and photos, believed to have been discarded from a moving car.
A local hunter discovered Dana's skeletal remains in a seasonal creek bed in far eastern Bella Vista, near the Arkansas-Missouri border. Investigators found her clothes, a T-shirt with duct tape, and pieces of jewelry nearby.
Despite efforts, no arrests have been made. In 1998, authorities claimed they had a suspect, but insufficient evidence prevented an arrest. Failed polygraphs and dishonesty implicated the man, but it was all circumstantial. The FBI reached the same conclusion.
If you have information about Dana Stidham's abduction and murder, please contact the Benton County Sheriff's Office at (479) 271-1008.
