LAST SEEN ALIVE

UNSOLVED HOMICIDE: KELLE ANN WORKMAN

2/21/2024 UPDATE: 35 years after Kelle’s death, three men have been charged in relation to her murder. Their names are Bobby Lee Banks, Leonard Banks (AKA Dwight Banks) and Wiley Belt. Bobby Banks and Leonard (Dwight) Banks have been persons of interest in Kelle’s case from the very beginning; on the day of her disappearance, a Missouri Highway Patrol Officer pulled over both Banks brothers and–reportedly–asked them what they’d done with Kelle. Kelle had encountered the Banks brothers on the day of her death, in a store where she worked. A witness reported that Kelle “mouthed off” to the Banks brothers. She disappeared later that day, and her remains were found a week later in the Mark Twain National Forest.

An update episode on Kelle’s case is forthcoming.

When a young Missouri woman is abducted from a cemetery and murdered, her violent death haunts her rural community. The Ozark Mountains overshadow a heartbreaking mystery in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Kelle Ann Workman was 24 years old whenever she was abducted and murdered from a cemetery where she worked in Dogwood, MO on July 30th, 1989.

Sources used to research this episode:

Kelle Ann Workman (Find A Grave)

Report: Kelle’s Killer(s) Can Still Be Caught (Webster County Citizen / Fred Spriggs)

Untitled July 6, 1989 Article (Douglass County Herald)

Unsolved Slaying Haunts Family (Springfield News Leader, 1990, via Newspapers.com)

24 Year Old Woman Missing Since Friday (Douglas County Herald, 1989, via Newspapers.com)

Body of Missing Woman Found in Christian County (Douglas County Herald, 1989, via Newspapers.com)

Slaying Suspect Sticks by Alibi in Workman Case (Springfield News Leader, 1995, via Newspapers.com)

July 1996 Article (Springfield News Leader, 1996, via Newspapers.com)

Tommy Lyn Sells (Serial Killer Information Center, Radford University / Dr Mike Aamodt)

If you know anything about the abduction and murder of Kelle Ann Workman, please call the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department at 417-683-1020, or submit a tip to the FBI at fbi.gov/tips.

UNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCE: PAULA DEL MUNDO

When an experienced traveler disappears from one of the busiest airports in the country, her family is left desperate for answers. A tropical getaway takes a nightmarish turn in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

This Google Maps image shows the location where Paula was last seen on security footage: near the intersection of South 20th Ave. and South Airfield Dr.

Paula (bottom center) is pictured with her sisters, with whom she’s very close. Paula’s family have made extensive efforts to search for and bring their sister home.

A still image from DFW Airport security footage shows Paula walking within the airport, pulling a bright yellow carry-on suitcase. Neither Paula nor her suitcase have been located since her disappearance on 09-14-2019.

Paula Del Mundo, 59, disappeared from Dallas Fort Worth Airport property on 09-14-2019. Prior to her disappearance, she worked as a CNA and was a reliable employee who maintained close relationships with her family. At the time of her disappearance, she was suffering from pain due to a recent shoulder surgery. Despite search efforts, she has not been found.

Sources used to research this episode:

Family Searching For Fil-Am Trans Woman Who Went Missing At Dallas Airport (Klarize Mendenilla / Asian Journal)

Search Continues for Trans Woman Pauline Del Mundo Missing Since Last September (Tammye Nash / Dallas Voice)

Family Desperate for News of Missing Trans Woman, Pauline Del Mundo (Dallas Voice)

Florida Transgender Woman Vanishes During Layover at Dallas Airport (H. Alan Scott / Newsweek)

Mysterious Disappearance of Fil-Am Paula Del Mundo Still Unsolved (Cristina DC Pastor / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Transgender Tampa Woman Vanishes DuringLayover in Dallas, Family Says (Josh Sidorowicz / WTSP News)

Community United Effort (CUE)

Homicide Rates of Transgender Individuals in the United States: 2010–2014 (Alexis Dinno, ScD, MPH, MEM / American Journal of Public Health)

Texas Leads the Nation in Transgender Murders (Lauren McGaughy / Dallas News)

Man Admits to Shooting Transgender Woman in Hate Crime, Police Say (Karma Allen / ABC News)

Man Arrested in Death of Transgender Woman, 2 Others (Terry Wallace / AP News)

Man Charged with Murdering Transgender Woman and 2 Others in Dallas (Derrick Bryson Taylor / New York Times)

If you know anything about the disappearance or whereabouts of Paula Del Mundo, please contact the Dallas Fort Worth Airport Police at 972-973-3553.

UNSOLVED SUSPICIOUS DEATH: AUTUMN LEE STONE

When a young mother discovers a shocking secret about her fiancé weeks before their wedding, her life is turned upside down. Her death soon follows, and experts struggle to determine whether it’s a homicide or an unlikely suicide in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Autumn Lee Stone was 23 years old whenever she died under mysterious circumstances in August of 2019. Days prior to her death, she’d called off her wedding after learning a gut-wrenching secret her fiancé had kept from her. In this family photo, she smiles while trying on a wedding dress (photo by Kjersty Rusch).

This image from Google Maps shows Seattle’s Green Lake Park, where Autumn was found dead in the water. The blue star (right) shows the approximate area of the park where Autumn parked her car. The red star (left) shows the approximate area of the park where Autumn’s body was found floating near the shore. I

Autumn Lee Stone gave birth to her second son shortly before her mysterious death. In this family photo, she smiles in the maternity ward along with her mother, then-fiancé and newborn. Photo by Kjersty Rusch.

This satellite image from Google Maps shows Seattle’s Green Lake Park, where Autumn was found dead in the water. The green star (right) shows the approximate area of the park where Autumn parked her car. The red star (left) shows the approximate area of the park where Autumn’s body was found floating near the shore.

Sources used to research this episode:

Undetermined: A Suspicous Death at Seattle’s Green Lake and an Investigation’s Limit (Daniel Gilbert / The Seattle Times)

Seattle Police Dept. Investigative Report 2019-324146: Death of Autumn Lee Stone Download

Father Accused of Assaulting 5-Week-Old Girl (Erik Stevick / Herald Net)

Father Sentenced to 5 Years for Abuse of Baby (Diana Hefley / Herald Net)

Family Searches for Answers in the Death of Autumn Stone (Siemny Kim / Kiro 7 News)

The Arterial Supply to the Central Nervous System (TeachMeAnatomy.info)

Examining the Intersections between Child Maltreatment and Intimate Partner Violence (Alessandra Guedes, MA MSc and Christopher Mikton, PhD)

Suicidal Ligature Strangulation Without A Knot–A Case Report (Kumar Pmv, Ahmed N and Anand Rayamane / Science & Justice)*

*Warning: Graphic medical / autopsy imagery.

If you have any information about the death of Autumn Lee Stone, please contact the Seattle Police Department at (206) 625-5011.

UNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCE: MIKE HEARON

When a Tennessee outdoorsman disappears in a remote area on the outskirts of a national park, he leaves behind a loving family and a thriving business. Extensive search efforts fail to solve a mystery that unfolds in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Michael “Mike” Hearon was 51 years old when he disappeared in August 2008. Despite extensive search efforts, no sign of Mike–beyond his abandoned ATV–has been found.

A screen shot from a WBIR news segment on Mike’s disappearance (link below) shows the Happy Valley, TN area where Mike disappeared from.

A Google Maps satellite image shows the Happy Valley, TN area. Bell Branch Road (where Mike’s farm property was located) is marked with a red indicator.

Blount County Sheriff’s Department personnel embark upon a horseback search for Mike days after his disappearance. Photo by Knoxville News Sentinel (source article linked below).

Sources used to research this episode:

(Video) Mike Hearon: Man Missing in Mountains (WBIR News)

The Charley Project: Michael Edwin Hearon

Happy Valley’s Sad Mystery: Sons Reflect on Father’s Mysterious Disappearance (Knoxville News / Robert L Wilson)

Search Continues for Missing Blount Man (Knoxville News Sentinel)

NAMUS: Michael Hearon

Google Maps: Happy Valley, Tennessee (35°36’32.3″N 83°57’26.7″W)

When to Use Low or High Gear on an ATV (ATV Helper)

Illegal Pot Operations In Public Forests Are Poisoning Wildlife And Water (NPR)

Keeping Safe If You Come Across a Marijuana Grow Site (US Forest Service)

Tennessee Marijuana Laws and Penalties (NORML.ORG)

Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis 2009 (National Drug Intelligence Center)

Home Distilling (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau)

What is Snaring? (Lilongwe Wildlife Trust)

Investigators: Evidence Supports Theory Morgan Co. Man Who Disappeared in 2017 Crashed into Tree (WBIR News)

Morgan County Rescue Squad Looking for Missing Man (1057 News)

If you know anything about the disappearance of Mike Hearon, please contact the Blount County Sheriff’s Department at 865-273-5001 or click here for information on how to anonymously submit a tip online or via text.

UNSOLVED TRIPLE HOMICIDE: THE SHORT FAMILY

When an entire family is murdered in the dead of night, the investigation is complicated by a law enforcement agency teeming with secrets. Small town Virginia meets major crime in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Gerald Hooper of Martinsville, VA, has been convicted of the murder of a 14 year old girl, and the attempted rape of a 12 year old girl. Hooper has not been named a suspect in the Short family triple homicide.

Jennifer Short smiles in an undated photo.. She was 9 years old whenever she was abducted from her bed and murdered. Her parents were also murdered that night, and the case remains unsolved.

Henry County Sheriff’s Deputies serve as pallbearers at Jennifer’s funeral. Her remains were discovered more than a month after her abduction. Photo by Natalee Waters / Landmark News Service.

The Short family home was burnt in a possible act of arson in 2019. It remains unknown how or why the fire started. Photo by WDBJ7 News.

First responders are pictured at the site of the fire that destroyed the Short Family home in 2019. It remains unknown whether or not the fire was an act of arson.

In 2009, seven years after the Short family triple-homicide, the FBI released this sketch of a man reportedly seen in the area of the Short family home around the time of their murders.

This article from the 3-30-1979 edition of The News Leader discusses a double shooting perpetrated by Gerald Hooper. The shooting left one 14 year old girl dead, and one 18 year old man seriously wounded.

An article from the 12-28-1979 newspaper references Gerald Hooper’s charge for the attempted rape of a 12 year old girl, and the murder of a 14 year old girl.

Mary, Jennifer and Michael Short smile in an undated photo. The Shorts were a happy family of 3 who were looking forward to moving to coastal South Carolina at the time of their murders. On August 14th, 2002, they were murdered.

Sources used to research this episode:

Who Killed Jennifer Short? A FOX8 News Exclusive (Fox8 News)

Short Case Timeline (Ryan Falls / Martinsville Bulletin)

Remains are Those of Va. Child (Washington Post)

Cassell Silent on Paternity (Martinsville Bulletin)

Short Family Murders Still Unsolved After 10 Years (Fox8 News)

Man Couldn’t Have Killed Three, Friends Say (Star News Online)

Friend: Witness Wasn’t Fleeing (Tom Steadman, Jennifer Fernandez / News & Record)

Rockingham County Sheriff Announces DNA Analysis Results (CNN)

Henry County Sheriff Frank Castle Says Lemons Felt Maligned (News & Record)

Va. Sheriff and 19 Others Charged in Drug Scheme (Maria Newman / NY Times)

Juvenile Justice Bulletin, June 2000 (Department of Justice)

Gerald R. HOOPER, Petitioner-Appellant v. D.A. GARRAGHTY, Warden; Attorney General of the State of
Virginia, Respondents-Appellees (US Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit)

Lover’s Lane Murder Baffles Va. Police (The Free Lance Star, Dec. 27, 1978 ed.)

Open Case Virginia: Fire Fuels Fresh Suspicion About Short Family Murders (WDBJ7 News)

Short Family’s Former Henry County Home Destroyed by Fire; Cause Unknown (WSLS News)

If you know anything about the murder of the Short family, please call the FBI’s major case contact center at 1-800-225-5324, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov

UNSOLVED HOMICIDE: LINDSAY HARRIS

When a young New York woman trades her small town for the glittering lights of Las Vegas, her short life is torn away by a predator. The mystery surrounding her death spans the country, crossing paths with a possible serial killer in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Lindsay Harris was 21-years-old when she went missing from Las Vegas, Nevada in May of 2005. Her partial remains were discovered weeks later in Illinois, and several years passed before they were identified as hers. Image source: family photo.

Sources used to research this episode:

Henderson Police Department Report #05-09938

Mutual Misery When Daughters Disappear (Abigail Goldman / Las Vegas Sun)

Man Linked to Unsolved Murder Arrested on Prostitution-Related Charges (8 News Now Las Vegas)

Family Grieves, Yet Feels Relief (Lawrence Mower / Las Vegas Review Journal)

Nov. 23, 2005 Anderson Cooper 360 Transcript (Anderson Cooper / CNN)

Why Do Women Choose Street Prostitution in Las Vegas? (Las Vegas World News)

Prostitute Homicides: A Descriptive Study (Journal of Interpersonal Violence / C. Gabrielle Salfati et. al.)

‘Romeo Pimps’: Sex Traffickers Luring Young Women by Posing as Potential Boyfriends, Experts Say (Paula Duhatschek / CBC News)

What We Know About Sex Trafficking, Prostitution, and Sexual Exploitation in the U.S. (World Without Exploitation / Jody Raphael et al)

DNA Match Identifies Legs Found Along I-55 (Jayette Bolinski / The State Journal Register)

Lindsay Harris (Heather Sutphin / Neal Falls Investigation Blog)

Probe Widens After Suspected Serial Killer Slain (CBS News)

If you know anything about the murder of Lindsay Harris, please call the Henderson Police Department at 702-267-5000.

UNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCE: ASHA DEGREE

When a young girl vanishes into a dark and stormy night, her baffling disappearance becomes one of the most mysterious unsolved cases in North Carolina history. Decades later, major investigative breakthroughs renew hope of the case finally being solved in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Asha Degree was 9-years-old when she disappeared from Shelby, North Carolina on February 14th, 2000. She left her home on foot at night, for unknown reasons. Image source: family photo.

Sources used to research this episode:

Clues Sought in Disappearance of 9-Year-Old Who Disappeared 20 Years Ago (FBI)

Missing & Black: What Happened to Asha Degree? (Anslem Samuel Rocque / Jet Magazine)

Items Found, But Still No Asha (Andrew Dys / The Star)

Girl’s Disappearance Baffles Investigators (Star News, March 15, 2000)

FBI, SBI Join Search at New Locations in Asha Degree Case (Courtney Davis, Justin Pryor and Ashley Van Havere / Spectrum News 1)

Woman Involved in Asha Degree Case at One Point Refused to Talk with Investigator, Warrants Say (Luke Tucker / WBTV3 News)

Asha Degree Case: Read Warrants from Cleveland County, Shelby Raids Here (Cassidy Johncox / WBTV3 News)

Inspectors Find Fire Safety Deficiencies at Rest Home (Rick Rothhacker / The Charlotte Observer)

Fire Damages Rest Home Facing License Revocation (Jeff Diamant / The Charlotte Observer)

State Moves to Lower Home’s License (Rick Rothacker / The Charlotte Observer)

Officials Ask Public to Help Find Who Set Fire (The Charlotte Observer)

Autopsy Results of Man Involved in Asha Degree Case Leave Questions (Rebecca Sitzes / Shelby Star)

HPMS Teacher Tied to Cold Case (People Newspapers)

Asha Degree Disappeared in NC on Valentinee’s Day 25 Years Ago. What Do New Clues Mean? (Julia Coin / The Charlotte Observer)

Asha Degree’s 35th Birthday: Where Case of Missing Shelby Girl Stands Decades Later (Cassidy Johncox / WBTV3 News)

Sleep Walking & Sleep Talking (AASM)

Sleepwalking (Mayo Clinic)

National Estimates of Missing Children: An Overview (OJJDP)

Asha Degree Case Search Warrant Photocopies (Scribd)

‘Never Stop Searching’: New Asha Degree Billboards Show $100K Reward for Information in Disappearance (Spencer Christman and Cassidy Johncox / WBTV3 News)

If you have any information about the disappearance of Asha Degree, call the FBI at 704- 672-6100 or the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office at 704 484-4822.

A combined $100,000 reward is offered for information leading to the discovery of Asha’s whereabouts.

UNSOLVED HOMICIDE: LORI ZIMMERMAN

When a Maryland teen is abducted and murdered on her way home from school, the tragedy leaves a lasting impression on her community. Cold case investigators persevere decades later, striving to identify a killer they believe is still in the area in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Lori Zimmerman was 15-years-old when she went missing from Hagerstown, Maryland on her way home from school in 1984. Her body was found in a wooded area outside of town soon after. Her murder remains unsolved. Image source: family photo.

Sources used to research this episode:

Maryland Mysteries: Lorraine Zimmerman (WMAR-2 News)

Looking for Closure in Unsolved Murder of Lorraine ‘Lori’ Zimmerman (Herald Mail)

15-Year-Old’s Slaying a Mystery 27 Years Later (Washington Examiner)

Case of Missing Girl Raises Questions About Timing (Robert Benjamin / The Baltimore Sun)

Police Open 1984 Murder Case (The Capital)

Jeffrey Miles Pleads Guilty to Murder of Hagerstown Woman (Herald Mail)

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA v. JEFFREY ELDON MILES, SR. Appellant (Superior Court of Pennsylvania)

Skeletal Remains of 17-year-old Angie Daley Found on Farm in Washington Township (Denise Bonura / The Record Herald)

UPDATE: Police say Jeffrey Miles killed Angie Daley with 2-by-4 (Denise Bonura / The Record Herald)

Western Md. Man Pleads Guilty to Raping Child, 2 Women (Associated Press)

Man Gets Life + 100 Years for Raping 11-Year-Old Girl and Two Women (David Dishneau / Associated Press)

Four Decades Later, Police Still Piecing Together the Murder of Lorraine Zimmerman (Amanda Engel / WMAR2 News)

If you know anything about the murder of Lori Zimmerman, please contact the Maryland State Police Criminal Investigations Bureau at 410-653-4211.

UNSOLVED SUSPICIOUS DEATH: DEBBIE WOLFE

When a North Carolina nurse is found dead after being threatened by a stalker, investigators quickly write her death off as an accident. Questions abound in this episode of Last Seen Alive, such as: how does a body “accidentally” wind up in a barrel underwater?

Deborah Wolfe–who went by Debbie–was 28-years-old when she died under suspicious circumstances at her home just outside of Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1985. Image source: family photo.

Sources used to research this episode:

Debbie Wolfe (Unsolved Mysteries)

The Body in the Barrel: Questions Linger in 1985 Fayetteville Drowning (Michael Futch / The Fayetteville Observer)

Drowning Accidental? (Winston-Salem Journal)

Woman Criticizes Investigation of Daughter’s Disappearance (Associated Press)

SBI Requested to Investigate Death of Cumberland Nurse (Associated Press)

Parish Clerk of Court Shares Unsolved Mystery (Bienville Parish Journal)

Georgia Soldier Convicted of Two Murders (UPI.com)

RONALD A. GRAY, PETITIONER v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Drowning is one of the hardest homicides to prove. These investigators want to change that. (Cara Tabachnick / NBC News)

Investigation of Drowning Deaths: A Practical Review (Erica J. Armstrong MD, Kevin L. Erskine)

Cold Water Immersion Syndrome and Whitewater Recreation Fatalities (David J. Farstad, MD1; Julie A. Dunn, MD2)

If you know anything about the death of Debbie Wolfe, please contact the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office at: (910) 323-1500 – OR – contact Fayetteville / Cumberland County Crime Stoppers at (910) 483-TIPS (click to submit a tip online).

UNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCE: CLEASHINDRA HALL

When an Arkansas honors student and class valedictorian disappears just weeks shy of high school graduation, an explanation eludes investigators. Years later, hidden evidence is uncovered inside the walls at her after-school job, giving the case new life in this episode of Last Seen Alive.