VA VA - Shaquita Bell, 23, Washington DC, 27 June 1996

Richard

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Shaquita Yolanda Bell
Missing from Washington DC: Thursday, 27 June 1996

Shaquita Bell, 23, of the 300 block of Raymond Street, Washington, DC was last seen Thursday by her family when she left her house with Michael Dickerson, 27.

Federal and local authorities investigating the disappearance of Shaquita searched Fort Dupont Park in Southeast Washington and were seeking the woman's ex-boyfriend for questioning.

Jackie Winborne, has been dreaming that her daughter Shaquita Yolanda Bell is still alive. That dream is what motivates her to spend her days contacting the media, telephoning police investigators, posting fliers and organizing vigils in her daughter's name.

"Lord God, thank you for all you are in our lives. . . . We don't know where Shaquita is, but we know you know. Please God, send her home to us."

Shaquita is still missing, after eight years of searching. About two years after her disappearance, a friend of Michael Dickerson, claimed to have assisted Dickerson in the burial of her body in a secluded wooded area of Charles County, Maryland. He agreed to testify before a grand jury, but the night before he was to appear, he was himself murdered in a pool hall in Washington DC.

Dickerson was convicted of assault on Shaquita, and given a prison sentence, but because there was no body and no eyewitness, he has not been tried for her murder.
 
This Monday, 27th of June, marks the nine year anniversary of Shquita Bell's disappearance. It is believed that she was murdered by her boyfriend, and that he and a friend buried her body in a remote area of Charles County, Maryland. Searches of the area have failed to produce a body or any evidence. The friend who related the story to police was himself murdered the night before he was to testify before a Grand Jury.
 
There's a UID in Charles County (Bel Alton) from 1998. Not Bell, from what I understand.
 
Richard said:
This Monday, 27th of June, marks the nine year anniversary of Shquita Bell's disappearance. It is believed that she was murdered by her boyfriend, and that he and a friend buried her body in a remote area of Charles County, Maryland. Searches of the area have failed to produce a body or any evidence. The friend who related the story to police was himself murdered the night before he was to testify before a Grand Jury.
In looking at the map, I realized that I made a mistake in the above post. Shaquita's alleged grave is in southern Prince Georges County, very close to the PG/Charles County line. She was living in Washington DC in 1996 with her boyfriend, but her family home was in Alexandria, Virginia. I am not certain which police department has jurisdiction in her case.
 
i was reading your message about the Shaquita Bell's case. A year ago, i have spoken with the actual Detective that assigned on this case. Micheal Dickerson is due to be release from jail since he served his 7 year sentence for assault on Shaquita Bell, but it does end there. Micheal Dickerson has a gun charge in the district of Columbia in which he probably do not serve no more than 35 months or less. Word thru the grapevine, i do not know how true it is that the family of Shaquita Bell has blocked his release in jail. The acutal spot where her body was supposed to be dumped by Dickerson and his friend that help him was located in Ft washington Maryland near old fort road. I visited the area, took pictures of where the detective told me that you will see the gravity been lifted by forensic and volunteers. the police tape is still surrounding the area. I been so taken by this case from the day she was reported missing because i too could have been dealt the same fate have i not left my abuser, and now my brother was murdered and his body found in suitland maryland on december 18th 2004. no motive or witnesses. i have been out there with flyers and talking to people that may have known what happened the night before he was last seen. i will never give up until they bring the killers to justice for both crimes. i never knew how hard it could be to lose someone until it happened to me. you can not put your minid at ease, and you never stop fighting. I just want to share that information with you. thank you for putting her name out there, i know her family would be happy
 
DC and Alexandria handle the case...I know who the DC detective is, but not hte Alexandria one.
 
Well, there is actually one detective that is handling the case, and the case is a dc case case
marylandmissing said:
DC and Alexandria handle the case...I know who the DC detective is, but not hte Alexandria one.
 
It has been over ten years now since Shaquita went missing. The area where Michael Dickerson's friend said she was buried is still wooded, but development has been going on nearby.

The night before Dickerson was to be tried, his admitted accomplice was murdered in a pool hall. What a strange coincidence.

Anybody know where Dickerson is today?
 
There's no Raymond Street in DC - I was born and raised in DC and still live in the metro area. Shaquita went missing from her granmother's house on E Raymond Avenue in Alexandria, VA, just a little S of Arlington, VA. In fact, I pass it every time I go to the gym at the YMCA, which is about 4 blocks from there. I've notified Doe that the street name is incorrect and requested a change

You also have an incorrect Doe Case # for her. Her link is
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1735dfva.html

Hope everyone had a good weekend. :)
 
There's no Raymond Street in DC - ... I've notified Doe that the street name is incorrect and requested a change ...
You also have an incorrect Doe Case # for her. Her link is
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1735dfva.html
...

Thank you for the update. When I origionally posted this case here in Cold Cases, Doenetwork did not list her. I got my information from the Washington Post newspaper, and from Yolanda's stepfather.

Later she was listed on Doe under the link that I posted. Seems that they have updated her file with the information you have provided.

This case involves actually at least three jurisdictions: Alexandria, VA where she lived, Washington DC, where she went to see Dickerson, and Maryland, where she was allegedly buried after being murdered by Dickerson.

Dickerson got a friend of his to assist in transporting her body to Charles County, Maryland, near Fort Washington which is just south of Washington DC. There, according to the friend, in a remote area near Old Fort Rd, the two dug a grave and buried her body.

A year later, the friend confessed to his involvement, but could not locate the exact spot where they buried her. He was scheduled to testify at the murder trial of Dickerson, but ended up dead in a Pool Hall the night before the trial was to begin. Bull dozers and search teams looked very hard for Yolanda's body, but no trace was found.

Dickerson is still serving his 15 year sentence, evidently. Perhaps he will be up for parole soon.
 
This evening the 6 o'clock news (ABC and CBS) reported that there is a search and dig being conducted by Law Enforcement in the same area of woods which were previously searched several years ago. Some bones may have been found, although there has been no identification as yet. The search resumes tomorrow.

Shown on TV was Jackie Winburne, mother of Shaquita, who expressed hope that she would be found.

A photo of Michael Dickerson was shown and it was stated that he is serving time for asaulting Shaquita about three weeks prior to her disappearance.
 
D.C. Police Search Yields Evidence

Remains Could Belong to Woman Who Disappeared 11 Years Ago
By Allison Klein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 27, 2007; 5:26 PM

D.C. police searched the Fort Washington area for hours today looking for the remains of a woman who disappeared 11 years ago. They found evidence but refused to describe the nature of the evidence.
Shaquita Bell was 23 when she disappeared in June 1996. Police believe she was killed in the District, and her body may have been dropped off in Maryland.

Investigators discovered the evidence this morning near the 13200 block of Old Fort Road but said they need to conduct additional tests to determine what they had.Bell, a mother of three who worked at a Giant Food bakery, was last seen leaving her grandmother's house in Alexandria with her estranged live-in boyfriend, who is also the father of her youngest child.

The boyfriend was convicted of a drug violation in 1989 and is currently serving a 15-year prison term after being convicted of beating Bell a month before she disappeared.Police have been looking on and off for Bell's remains for 11 years, police said. Her disappearance is considered a "cold case."

Investigators searched the Fort Washington area yesterday under orders from Chief Cathy L. Lanier, who recently reviewed the case and decided police should continue excavating the area.Police had unsuccessfully searched the Fort Washington area in the past for Bell's remains...

LINK:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-adv/tmo/flash.html

---------------------------------
Police Find Skeletal Remains During Search For Missing Woman


FORT WASHINGTON, Md. - D.C. police hope skeletal remains found Friday will help bring closure for the family of a woman missing for 11 years. Shaquita Bell was last seen at about 1 p.m. on June 27, 1996.

On Friday, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier organized a search along Old Fort Road near Route 210 to try to find Bell's body. Police said they believe that her body may be buried in the area. Cadaver dogs were also brought in to aid in the search, police said, and located an area of interest. Police initiated the search after getting new information that they would not disclose. A spotter found the bones Friday morning. They were taken for testing.

Lanier said authorities have searched the area before, but now have extended the search area. Police said they believe Bell's body is in the Fort Washington area. They said they will continue their search if necessary.

Police said Bell left her grandmother's house on East Raymond Avenue in Alexandria with her estranged boyfriend and father of her youngest child, Michael Dickerson, just before she disappeared. Relatives said they were perplexed by Bell's decision to leave with him.

A month earlier, Bell called police to report that the estranged boyfriend had beaten her during a squabble in the Laurel apartment that they shared. He was arrested, and Bell moved back in with her grandmother in Alexandria.

Three weeks after that incident, police said, Bell called police to say that he had held a gun to her head during a fight. He was arrested in Washington and charged with possession of a machine gun the same day. On the day of Bell's disappearance, the estranged boyfriend had driven Bell to take two of her three children to a doctor's appointment. Family members said she called at 2 p.m. and said she was on the way home, and that was the last time anybody heard from her.

The boyfriend told the family that they had gone into southeast Washington, where they got into an argument and she left him. Police said Bell had provided information in at least two investigations -- one of them a homicide.

According to her mother, Bell was afraid for her life. "It's been very hard, especially on the holidays and her birthday and things like that," said the victim's mother, Jackie Winborne. "Sometimes, the least little thing that someone might say I may start crying because I miss her that much, and sometimes it doesn't even seem real. You always hope and pray that it's a dream because it's your child."

Police said they hope that advancements in technology and crime-solving methods will help get them a lead in this case. Police said Bell worked at a Giant Food bakery and did not have a criminal record. Her estranged live-in boyfriend, who police said was the last person known to have seen her alive, was convicted of a drug violation in 1989. He is currently serving a 15-year prison term after being convicted of beating Bell a month before she disappeared.

Alexandria police are also investigating a missing person report in this case. ...

Source:
Police Find Skeletal Remains During Search For Missing Woman - News - MSNBC.com

LINK:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20000641/

----------------------------

Dead End In Decade-Long Search for Missing Woman Fort Washington, Md. - UPDATED - Saturday July 28, 2007 5:22 pm

Area police hoping for a break in the case of a missing woman who vanished without a trace 11 years ago were met with a dead end Saturday.

D.C. and Prince George's County investigators were searching an area of Fort Washington Friday for the body of Shaquita Bell, a D.C. mother of three who was last seen June 27, 1996 after discovering bones in a wooded area near a new housing development.

The bones were later revealed to be from an animal.

Bell disappeared while in the company of her estranged boyfriend, Michael Dickerson.

Bell's family blames Dickerson for her disappearance and presumed death. He was never charged in the case, but is serving time in North Carolina for a previous assault and battery charge related to Bell.

Police have previously searched in Fort Washington, after one of Dickerson's friends reportedly confessed to helping him bury her body.

Bell's family has led frequent campaigns to raise awareness of her disappearance and focus police attention on the case. ...

Source:
ABC 7 News - Dead End In Decade-Long Search for Missing Woman


LINK:
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0707/442865.html
 
Shaquita Yolanda Bell
Missing since June 27, 1996 from Alexandria, Virginia
Classification: Involuntary

Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: October 13, 1972
Age at Time of Disappearance: 23 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5’ 6” – 5’ 7”; 150 - 170 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: Black female. Black hair; brown eyes; pierced ears. Unknown tattoo on her left breast.
Clothing/ Jewelry: A black and white plaid tank top, black spandex pants, black high-heeled shoes and a diamond bracelet.
DNA: Pending

Circumstances of Disappearance

Bell, a mother of three, was last seen about 1 p.m. June 27, 1996, leaving her grandmother's house on East Raymond Avenue in Alexandria with her estranged boyfriend, the father of her youngest child. Relatives said they were perplexed by Bell's decision to leave with him.

A month earlier, Bell called police to report that the estranged boyfriend had beaten her during a squabble in the Laurel apartment that they shared. He was arrested, and Bell moved back in with her grandmother in Alexandria. Three weeks after that incident, police said, Bell called police to say that he had held a gun to her head during a fight. He was arrested in Washington and charged with possession of a machine gun the same day.

On the day of Bell's disappearance, the estranged boyfriend had driven Bell to take two of her three children to a doctor's appointment. She called at 2 p.m. and said she was on the way home, and that was the last time anybody heard of her. The boyfriend told the family that they had gone into Southeast Washington, where they got into an argument and she left him.

Bell worked at a Giant Food bakery and did not have a criminal record. Two of her former boyfriends have been shot to death, and police classified one of those cases as drug-related. Her estranged live-in boyfriend, who police said was the last person known to have seen her alive, was convicted of a drug violation in 1989. He is serving a 15-year prison term after being convicted of beating Bell a month before she disappeared. Bell provided information in at least two investigations, one of them a homicide. According to her mother, Bell was afraid for her life. Foul play is suspected. Police believe she was killed in the District, and her body may have been dropped off in Maryland.

Alexandria Police is investigating the Missing Person report; D.C. Metropolitan Police is investigating the possible homicide.

Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Alexandria Police Department 703-838-4444
Or
D. C. Metropolitan Police Homicide Division
Detective James Trainum
202-727-9099
Email: unsolved.murder@dc.gov

NCIC Number: M-941151755
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

Source Information:
D. C. Metropolitan Police
Washington Post
Charley Project
The Doe Network: Case File 1735DFVA

LINK:
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1735dfva.html
 
A police informant and mother of three vanished. It became a cold case collecting dust since the '90's. Until now: Tomorrow morning, DC's mayor has scheduled a major announcement in the presumed murder of Shaquita Bell. Mayor Fenty plans to announce that the us attorneys office will go forward with prosecuting Michael Dickerson, Bell's estranged boyfriend and the father of one of her three children.

http://www.myfoxdc.com/myfox/pages/...n=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.2.1
 
It took 12 years, but authorities closed Shaquita Bell’s murder case this week, thanks in part to one anguished mother’s plea and another’s personal connections.

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier reopened the case last summer after her own mother told her about a television news report describing the anniversary of Bell’s death. On TV, Bell’s mother pleaded for the then-newly appointed Lanier to reopen the case.

On Tuesday, Lanier announced that police have charged Bell’s former boyfriend, Michael Eric Dickerson, 38, with the 1996 murders of Bell and Sean Anthony Thomas. Police believe Dickerson fatally shot Bell because she told police Dickerson was responsible for Thomas’ slaying earlier in the year.

Detectives have long suspected Dickerson in Bell’s death, but until now police have said they haven’t had enough evidence to file charges.

Dickerson is serving a 15-year sentence in a federal prison in North Carolina on gun charges and for brutally beating Bell, though she was not around to testify in that case.

http://www.examiner.com/a-1160842~A...lice_bring_charges_in_area_homicide_case.html
 
While the case has been closed, Shaquita's body has still not been found.
 
Shaquita has been missing for over 15 years now.
 
Find Our Missing: Domestic Violence Is Key Indicator In Missing Cases

Shaquita Yolanda Bell, 23, was in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend Michael Dickerson in 1996. Dickerson had been charged with beating Bell in the past, with Bell even claiming that he held a loaded gun to her head.


More: http://newsone.com/2052273/shaquita-yolanda-bell-domestic-violence-murders/
 

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