Dana Lanell Stidham

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Benton County Sheriffs Office (AR)

Offense Location:

Bella Vista, Arkansas

Summary:

Dana Lynell Stidham was born on March 8, 1971, and went missing on July 25, 1989. She had gone out in the middle of the afternoon to buy some medicine for her father, but disappeared shortly afterwards. On September 16th, her remains were finally discovered, and her murder is still unsolved to this day.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

Dana lived with her brother Larry and her cousin Kristy Smith. On July 25, she went home to visit her parents at around 2:45 p.m., she left her parents' home to go to a grocery store in Bella Vista, just a four-mile drive away. She left the Phillips food store in Bella Vista at 3:17 p.m., confirmed by a receipt found in her car and cashier confirmation. She was last seen talking to an older man in the parking lot. Her car was found on Hwy. 71 at Wellington Road on July 26, 1989, with the keys still in the ignition. Some of her clothing was found on Ealing Circle, and checks, photos and her driver's license were found farther north, near Chaucer and Hanover roads, as if they'd been thrown from a moving car. On September 16, 1989, almost two months after Dana was last seen, a hunter in Benton County, Arkansas came upon a shallow grave in a heavily wooded area. According to Sgt. Jenkins, skeletal remains were in the grave, and Dana Stidham's clothes were found nearby.

Additional Details:

There are multiple persons of interest in Stidham's killing, though no arrests have been made in connection with her death. In 1998, Sydoriak and then-Benton County Sheriff Andy Lee told reporters that they believed they knew who killed Stidham, but for every lead uncovered, the detectives always found themselves lacking sufficient evidence to make an arrest. The investigation focused on a high school classmate of Dana's who was infatuated with her and displayed suspicious behaviour after her death. One person of interest was the man who stole a marker from Dana's grave. Another man would go into the Phillips Food Center, where Dana had previously worked, and sexually harass female employees. Family, friends, local industries and small businesses throughout the county helped raise $20,000 as a reward for anyone who had information that might help find her killer. The Arkansas State Police Cold Case Unit told us the Dana Stidham case is still active, and new leads are still being sought. While BCSO is the primary investigative organization, ASP has been involved since just 11 days after Dana's body was recovered. The Cold Case Unit is reviewing the file to find new leads related to this investigation, and as it stands now it is considered open and active. Georgia Stidham died in 2023, never knowing who killed her daughter. Her mother, father and brother have all since died without learning the answer to the one question that's haunted her family, friends and law enforcement: Who killed Dana Stidham.

Case Last Updated:

Sep 18, 2026