Murder of Deanna Criswell

Deanna Criswell
Portrait of Deanna Criswell
Born Deanna Lee Criswell
September 20, 1971
Disappeared Summer 1987
Spokane, Washington, United States
Died November 1987 (1987-12) (aged 16)
Marana, Arizona, United States
Cause of death Homicide by firearm
Body discovered November 25, 1987
Resting place Pima County Cemetery, Tucson, Arizona
Nationality American
Other names "Jane Doe 19"
Known for Murder victim

Deanna Lee Criswell (known as "Jane Doe 19" while unidentified)[1] (September 20, 1971 - c. November 1987) was a sixteen-year-old American girl who was found murdered on November 25, 1987 in Marana, Arizona. Her body went unidentified for 27 years until February 11, 2015 when relatives came across her unidentified person's profile online and submitted their DNA. She had been shot to death, most likely by William Ross Knight, who was known for his criminal career in the 1980s.[2]

Background and disappearance

Criswell's parents divorced when she was three years old. Her father was a trucker and her mother, who had custody of Deanna in Spokane, Washington, worked two jobs to support their family. Her older sister, fourteen years her senior, had left home a year after their parents divorced. She often spent time with her grandfather while her mother was away and became a "rebellious teen" following his death and was involved with a questionable group of older peers. She later moved into her father's residence in Seattle, where her behavior improved until age 15 when similar pattern of actions resurfaced. She then took a bus back to Spokane to live with her mother once more.[2]

Six months before her death, she had run away from home and lived on the streets, still calling her father on occasion.[2] She eventually began a relationship with 36-year-old William "Bill" Ross Knight, who then relocated to Tucson, Arizona and sent Criswell a bus ticket in September 1987 to reunite.[1] She failed to call with her father after arriving. He was not immediately concerned due to the fact that she was able to "take care of herself." By the time Christmas arrived, he attempted to file a missing person report, yet local officials declined to cooperate due to her history of running away.[2][3]

Discovery

Criswell's decomposing body was located in a culvert along Interstate 10 on November 25, 1987 in Marana, Pima County, Arizona by a homeless man.[4][5] The man walked to the local police station to report the find. Tire tracks were present at the scene, indicating she had been killed at another location and deposited out of sight after death.[2]

She was estimated to have been between seventeen and twenty-one, at a height of around five feet, three inches and a weight of 138 pounds. It was believed that the victim was white or possibly a Hispanic or Native American female with fair skin. The victim's brown hair was determined to be short and curly. Her eye color could not be determined, as she had begun to decompose after exposure to the hot environment for several days or weeks.[6][3] There were no distinctive scars, birthmarks or tattoos on the body.[2]

She was wearing several layers of clothing, including a denim jacket with its sleeves rolled, a white jacket, gray sweater, a multicolored flannel shirt, black jeans, white shoes and purple underwear, the large amount of clothing indicating she was a runaway or perhaps a migrant.[6] A purple sweater had been placed over her face, indicating her killer knew her during life.[2] The victim also had unusual and large upper front teeth that had a gap in between and had cared well for her teeth, also receiving adequate dental care.[7][8] She was shot five times with a .22 caliber firearm.[1] Criswell suffered four wounds to the torso and one to the neck at close range.[2]

Investigation

3D reconstruction of Criswell, created by the FBI

After the discovery of the body, the remains were transported to the Pima County Medical Examiner for an autopsy, where the cause of death would be determined and physical characteristics were estimated. It was discovered the victim had recently had sex, but had not been raped, as no trauma characteristic of a violent attack was found.[2]

Details of the case were released in efforts to identify the victim but proved fruitless. Several missing females were compared to the case; many of which were excluded based on dental characteristics. Additionally, fingerprints were used for comparison. After the investigation stalled, she was buried in the Pima County Cemetery in 1989.[2]

The case was eventually reopened in 2009 and the victim's body was exhumed.[9][10] There were no suspects at the time, as the man who discovered the body had long since been cleared of any involvement. Additionally, another person of interest was eliminated from the case in 1988. Benjamin Batson, a convicted sex offender, previously seen with an unknown teenage girl, was stopped by police for a traffic violation near the location where the body was found. No trace of Criswell was located in his vehicle[2] At their location in Virginia, the FBI completed a forensic facial reconstruction of the victim in 2010, after her exhumation, in hopes that someone who knew the victim in life could possibly recognize her.[1][11] Her DNA was also processed by the agency.[3]

In 2011, a partial DNA profile was generated from evidence at the crime scene, which was not possible to perform in the past because of limitations with technology.[1][4] The profile matched William Knight, who was now known for his spree robberies in the 1980s.[12] One particular robbery in 1987 involved a .22 caliber pistol, which was the same caliber used in Criswell's murder.[2] Knight died in 2005 due to liver complications while serving time in prison and was never charged with her murder.[9] Although a suspect was identified, the victim's DNA had yet to match with any individual in the CODIS database.[11] Investigators feared with Knight being deceased, they would be unable to identify the victim, due to the fact that he could not be questioned or prosecuted.[2]

Identification

It was announced that Criswell's body was identified on February 11, 2015.[12] Her estranged aunt and uncle, who at first were hoping she was still alive, eventually turned to online databases, to search through unidentified persons cases after their hope dwindled.[1][13][14] Criswell was never reported missing by her family members, which is most likely a major reason why she remained unnamed for decades. Because of her history of running away from home, her family made the assumption that she would "contact them when she wanted to," as she had called her sister once after arriving in Tucson.[1][14] The pair began to search through cases in Arizona, as they eventually learned that Criswell had been given a bus ticket by Knight to the area that she was later found dead.[1]

Approximately five to ten months before her identification, they had discovered the unidentified person case on The Doe Network and believed that the Jane Doe was their missing niece, as the reconstruction bore a strong resemblance to her.[4][14][15] Other characteristics, such as the height and weight approximation, were also similar.[9] After the pair contacted authorities, DNA samples were taken from Criswell's immediate family members to compare to the then-unidentified remains.[10] The gravestone that stands over her remains was removed and updated to bear the victim's name.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Brunt, Jonathan; Culver, Nina (14 February 2015). "With persistence of aunt and uncle, 'Jane Doe 19' becomes Deanna Criswell". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Hendin, Linda (20 February 2018). "The Disappearing Doe". Who Killed Jane Doe?. Season 2. Episode 2. Investigation Discovery.
  3. 1 2 3 "Victim of 1987 Killing in Arizona Identified as Spokane Teen". ABC News Now. ABC. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Batarags, Matiss (12 February 2015). "28-Year-Old Cold Case Solved, Victim Identified As Deanna Lee Criswell". Opposing Views.
  5. ↑ Ronquillo, Ina (11 February 2015). "Cold case homicide victim from 1987 identified" (KGUN 9 News). ABC. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  6. 1 2 "NamUs UP # 6773". identifyus.org. National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. 9 March 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  7. ↑ "Case File: 753UFAZ". doenetwork.org. The Doe Network. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  8. ↑ "Jane Doe 1987". missingkids.org. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 Murillo, Lupita (11 February 2015). "Crime Trackers: Marana PD solves 28 year cold-case". News 4 Tucsan. NNC. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  10. 1 2 "Marana Police Solve 1987 Cold Case". Arizona Daily Independent. 13 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  11. 1 2 "Deanna Lee Criswell poster". tucson.com. Manara Police Department. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  12. 1 2 "1987 shooting victim identified as Spokane girl, police in Arizona say". Oregon Live. Associated Press. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  13. ↑ Ames, John; Lisaius, Som (11 February 2015). "Marana Police ID victim in 1987 murder case". Tucsan News Now. WorldNow. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 LeFriec, Alex (11 February 2015). "Missing Spokane teen identified as Arizona cold case victim". KXLY. CNN. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  15. ↑ Smith, Craig (11 February 2015). "Cold case murder solved after 28 years". KGUN 9 News. ABC. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
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