NV NV - Camille Dardanes Dotson, 30, Las Vegas, May 1994

Hi, Ashley! I am terribly sorry about your mother's disappearance.

The thread on the Jane Doe was closed because she was ruled out as being your mother, but we can start a new thread here to generate new leads if possible.
 
Missing: May 1994 LV Nevada
Endangered Missing
DOB: February 23, 1964
Height/Weight: 5'7"-5'8", 125-145 lbs.
Hair/Eyes: Br/Br

Distinguishing characteristics: Tattoo R Hip, heart with the word Cruz inside of it. Discolored teeth and prior fracture of her nose, athletic lower body. May use alias' of Dotson, Diaz or Clark. Preferred Marlboro cigarettes.

Circumstances of Disappearance: Camille was married to an accused murderer at the time of her disappearance. She had ties to drug use and prostitution and was thought to be in fear for her life when she vanished.
 
Ashley, have you ever provided a DNA sample in the event that your mom is somewhere and she cannot speak for herself? If we get it entered into CODIS, possible matches like the Jane Doe in IL might pop up.
 
Sorry about this disappearance, Ashley. Hopefuly you get answers soon.

Is there a location that has more information on the case? I am unfamiliar with it.
 
Ashley, is there anything you remember or have heard from others about your Mom's disappearance?
 
I remember that the guy Cruz used to beat her and rape her. One night her and Cruz came into my room when i stayed the night with them ( cuz i mainly lived with my grandma) and said do you want a little brother or sister and I said yes. They left the room and shortly after I heard my mom screaming. I ran out of my room and peaked around the corner and just then her friends were running in and pulling Cruz off of her and she grabbed me and we ran down the strip (in las vegas) and i remember that the Pirate show was going on at Treasure Island and she made me crawl through the people to hide.
 
And yes, there is a new detective on the case right now. I am now living in Utah and he had me go to the local police department and submit my DNA.
 
Cruz Diaz showing up on Clark County website, for lawsuit auto neglagence filed 6/2009. Maybe they have records at Clark Co of next of kin if he was arrested for this or any other offense.
 
Camille Dorothy Dadanes Dotson Charley Project page:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/d/dardanes_camille.html


All the information on the link about Camille Dadanes is wrong. It names Gary Dotson as being an accused murderer, which is incorrect. Dotson was falsely imprisoned in 1977 for kidnapping and rape. He was one of the first people ever exonerated through DNA testing in the late 1980's. Dotson and Camille were married for a brief time, from 1985 to around 1988. They had a daughter before getting divorced.

It is unfair to label Gary Dotson a accused murderer, as he had some minor problems with the law once he was released from prison (mainly DWI's), and inability to seek full time employment before DNA proved he was innocent of his crime. The accused murderer was someone Camille met years later, shortly before she went missing. There is no connection between Dotson, who stayed behind in Illinois, and Camille's disappearance in Las Vegas, like the Charley project seems to insinuate.

I have contacted the webmaster of the Charley project, and hopefully they will make changes, as the information about the case is not factual.
 
Is there another thread for this case? Is everything still ongoing? Is the LE contact still the same?
 
Camille Dorothy Dardanes

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  • Missing Since 05/01/1994
  • Missing From Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Female
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 02/23/1964 (55)
  • Age 30 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'7 - 5'8, 125 - 145 pounds
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Dardanes has a tattoo on her right hip of a heart with the word "Cruz" in the middle. At the time of her disappearance, her teeth were discolored. She has previously fractured her nose. Dardanes has an athletic build in her lower body due to ice skating. She may use the alias last names Dotson, Clark and/or Diaz. She smoked Marlboro cigarettes at the time of her disappearance.
Details of Disappearance

Dardandes was last seen in the vicinity of the 300 block of south Casino Center Boulevard in Las Vegas, Nevada during May 1994. She was married to Gary Dotson at the time. She had told friends she was afraid but did not give the reason for her fears.

Dardanes was involved in crack and marijuana use and prostitution at the time of her disappearance; she also had a misdemeanor warrant out for her arrest.

Dotson was wrongfully convicted of rape in 1975; DNA testing later proved he could not have committed the crime and the victim admitted she had made up her story and gave him $17,500 compensation. He met and married Dardanes after his release from prison.

Dardanes was reported missing in 1994 or 1995, but the report was deleted three months later. A new report was made in 2003. Dardanes has worked as a bartender, a waitress, a dancer, and a store clerk in the past. She left behind a child when she disappeared.

Her loved ones say it is uncharacteristic of her to leave without warning, and she is considered to be endangered.

New Charley Project link - Camille Dorothy Dardanes – The Charley Project
Edit to add: (Mind you, details about her first marriage are still incorrect, also the month when she went missing. In Sept 94 she was in police custody in NV. She disappeared shortly after)
 
Last edited:
Her first husband is in wikipedia and Camille is mentioned there a lot too.
===
Gary E. Dotson[1] (born August 3, 1957) is an American man who was the first[2] person to be exonerated of a criminal conviction by DNA evidence.[3] In May 1979, he was found guilty and sentenced to 25 to 50 years' imprisonment for rape, and another 25 to 50 years for aggravated kidnapping, the terms to be served concurrently. This conviction was upheld by the appellate court in 1981. In 1985, the accusing witness recanted her testimony, which had been the main evidence against Dotson. He was not exonerated or pardoned at that time, but due to popular belief that he was a victim of a false rape accusation, Dotson went through a series of paroles and re-incarcerations until DNA evidence proved his innocence in 1988. Dotson was subsequently cleared of his conviction.
---
After his first release from prison in 1985, Dotson married Camille Dardanes, a woman who had come to know him during the hearings following his conviction. In March 1986, under difficult financial circumstances, the couple moved in with Dotson's mother. In January, 1987, they had a daughter, Ashley. Near the end of 1987, Dardanes requested a divorce. She filed the formal paperwork in April 1989.
---
Aftermath

In 1985 Crowell co-wrote a book about the incident called Forgive Me and gave Dotson more than $17,000 in proceeds from its sale, keeping nothing for herself except the taxes due on that payment. In return, Dotson promised not to sue her over her false accusation. Dotson used the money to finance the start of his post-prison life, including a trip to Las Vegas to marry Dardanes. In 1985, Dotson had planned to write his own book with New York City author Jeannie Ralston. If written, the book was not published. By April 1989, Dardanes filed for separation. By fall of 1989, Dotson was working part-time as a construction worker in Illinois and was hoping to register for college classes to become a counselor. Dotson underwent treatment for alcoholism after his release.

After their 1989 divorce, Dardanes and their daughter moved to Las Vegas, near Dardanes' mother, Barbara Kritzalis.

Gary Dotson - Wikipedia
 

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