'It's a terrible shame that something like this had to happen. 'Dana was a friendly girl, a lot of people around here thought an awful lot of her,' the investigator for the Benton County, Arkansas, sheriff's department told The Examiner.

He was a class-mate of her parents, and he watched the petite 5-foot-2, 105-pound beauty grow up. Danny Varner has a special reason for his dogged determination to bring the kidnap-killer of 18 year-old Dana Lenelle Stidham to justice. This remains as unsolved mystery.ĭetective Sgt. But as tragedy often has in the past, it brought us together as neighbors and as friends.ĭana was laid to rest October 29, 1989, at Mt. Violent crime was new to us in this small community. Our community and surrounding communities were in shock! Horrified and angered, we struggled with the thought of why anyone would take the life of this beautiful young girl.įamily, 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. Her body was discovered by a hunter on September 17, 1989, in a remote wooded area of Bella Vista. As days and weeks went by, personal items were also found. Early the following morning her car was found on Hwy 71 north of the Bella Vista Town Center. On July 25, 1989, Dana left home on an errand to a nearby grocery store in Bella Vista but never returned home. She was a life long resident of Hiwasse and a graduate of Gravette High School. She was the daughter of Lawrence and Georgia Stidham and a sister to Larry Stidham. Dana Lenell Stidham was born March 8, 1971.

Arkansas cold case files