MD MD - Donna Dustin, 17, Anne Arundel County, 17 Nov 1973

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Witnesses said Donna was last seen drinking with two men she'd recently met. At 10:30 a.m., two hunters discovered her naked body in an abandoned quarry at the Anne Arundel line behind the race track.

She died from repeated blunt trauma to the head, and there was evidence of sexual assault. Authorities said they found two sets of footprints at the scene.


http://washingtonexaminer.com/teens-murder-remains-a-bowie-mystery/article/2510714#.UH-TOIbmWVo

w200-3400ebcff99a09c4d0a953741e106a44.jpg
 
This excellent article from 2000 provides a wealth of information about the events leading up to Donna Lee's murder.

Sex, Drugs and Vicious Homicide
After 26 Years, Teenager's Slaying Still Touches Bowie
By Matthew Mosk and Michael E. Ruane
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, January 16, 2000; Page A01

snipped
Donna Dustin was, by all accounts, the typical, gregarious teenager, from a typical suburban community. She also was a child of her times--of Watergate, the end of the Vietnam War and the start of the oil embargo. The psychedelic age was giving way to the era of "All in the Family" and "The Waltons." But the risk taking and drugs lingered at the edges of teenage life. Even in Bowie.

snipped
Police, who say they have been checking into fresh tips, have contacted four of the men recently. At least two have hired lawyers. Investigators used a court order to obtain blood samples from the Syracuse man. They have gathered similar samples from others in the group, for the purpose of comparing their DNA against DNA recovered from around Dustin's body.

Police would not say whether they have matched any DNA to the evidence from the crime scene. The Syracuse man, in a brief interview, sought to explain why he fought the court order.
Much, much more at the link

Genetic testing ordered in killing --DNA could link man to beating death of girl, 17, in 1973
January 05, 2000|By Andrea F. Siegel | Andrea F. Siegel, SUN STAFF

snipped
One of the men from the party showed up at work the next day looking disheveled and wearing what appeared to be the same clothes from the previous day, co-workers told authorities. The clothes "had what appeared to be dark stains on them as well as briers and stickers stuck on him. His shoes appeared to be dirty also," the affidavit says.
He had shown an interest in Donna during the summer, it says, but during initial questioning by police he said he did not know her.
 
Hunt for murdered teen's killer continues decades later
By SCOTT MCCABE | MARCH 16, 2012 AT 4:15 PM

snipped
Chief investigator David Cordle, of the Anne Arundel County State's Attorney's Office, has been investigating Dustin's slaying for a dozen years. Each year he attends her class reunion, hoping that someone will come forward with information about the night she was killed that might help solve Dustin's murder.

Anyone with information is asked to call Cordle at 410-222-1740, ext. 3863.
 
I guess it would be fair to say the DNA tests came back negative?
 
Sadly, it sounds like there may have been so many different DNA samples on the body that it was impossible to tell which belonged to her killer.
 
I have a hard time buying a 17 year old girl consenting to let a bunch of "wild" grown men all have sex with her in a train. As in this being something she truly wanted to do.... I just cannot imagine it. Two guys? Maybe. A group? No.
 
This is a very sad case. This young girl went out for a good time and ended up raped and murdered. My question is, after this went down, did those wild parties and "Trains" stop.
 
I have a hard time buying a 17 year old girl consenting to let a bunch of "wild" grown men all have sex with her in a train. As in this being something she truly wanted to do.... I just cannot imagine it. Two guys? Maybe. A group? No.
Drugs do strange things to people. From what I gather, DD was unaware the pot she smoked was laced with PCP, so I'm not blaming her. But, under the influence of a powerful halluconogenic like phencyclidine, it's possible she started out as a willing participant, unwittingly. Very sad, indeed.

Apparently, the DNA testing went nowhere, which leaves me wondering about the guy who held out.
 
Bumping this case up. It occurred in 1973, 45 years ago this month.
 
What about Richard Nelson, the guy named by Richard McLeod in the Roberson murder, who said he was present during her murder? Does anyone know anything about his associates?
 
How many of these guys are still alive?
Of the 4 or 5 guys who were present, depending on whose version you believe, one is dead and another has not been seen since 1989 and is presumed dead. So there are either one or two still alive. There are others in the community who know what happened but won't talk.
 

Memorial plaque in Bowie's Acorn Hill Park

November 17, 1973: A seventeen-year-old Bowie girl was murdered. Donna Dustin's body was discovered by a hunter that morning in Anne Arundel County not far from the Bowie Race Track. Dustin's murder remains unsolved.

Much has been written about the Donna Dustin murder case. This January, 2000, Washington Post article provides a fairly complete summary:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/2000-01/16/076r-011600-idx.html
 
Woman dies without justice
Nicole Fuller
The Baltimore Sun
16 August 2008

Donna Dustin's mother died this week, without knowing who killed her daughter 35 years ago.

Two days after an investigator with the Anne Arundel County state's attorney's office spoke Aug. 9 at a reunion of Donna Dustin's Bowie High School Class of 1973 in hopes of garnering new leads in the cold case, Dolores Dustin was hospital
ized with an irregular heartbeat.

Rather than keep her attached to machines, something she had said she would not have wanted, the family decided to let her go, said her husband and Donna's father, Joe Dustin. She died Thursday at age 74 at Anne Arundel Medical Center.

"I look at it the other way," Mr. Dustin said yesterday, of his wife's inability to obtain justice in their daughter's killing. "She's going to be with her now."...

... Donna Dustin was 17 on Nov. 16, 1973, when she went on an ice cream parlor double date while her parents were at Disney World. According to court documents, she dropped her date off about 1:30 a.m. and said she "wanted to get more beer and continue partying." She was later seen at a Bowie party talking with two men and is believed to have left with them.

Her nude body was found beaten in a deserted gravel quarry in Anne Arundel County the next day, about three miles from her home. Investigators believe she was assaulted at more than one location and that there are multiple crime scenes.

Over the years, investigators have questioned more than 200 people. Sixteen men have provided DNA samples, and a few witnesses have been brought before a grand jury. But no one has been indicted.

Capt. David Waltemeyer, commander of the Criminal Investigations Division of the Anne Arundel County Police Department, said yesterday that the reunion visit by investigator David Cordle yielded "no new information" but did provide "additional names of some people we might want to talk to that we haven't talked to."

"Our goal is to give family members the answers. And when one of them dies before you do that, it's certainly upsetting. But it doesn't deter us from continuing to pursue the case," Captain Waltemeyer said.

Mrs. Dustin was born in Washington in 1934. She lived for a short time in Philadelphia and was raised mostly in Cheverly, in Prince George's County. In 1954, she married Joe Dustin. In addition to her husband, she is survived by a son, Allen Dustin II; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

A housewife, she struggled after the death of her daughter. She displayed a large photo of her daughter in the family room, and she talked about her often.

"There was almost never a day she didn't cry," her husband said.

LINK:
Woman dies without justice
 
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The below link, relating to an appeal plea for a man who was jailed for another murder of another Bowie woman, has some interesting info. about a man who claims to have been present at Donna's murder. I thought it interesting that he refers to stabbing wounds he inflicted, while all previous stories refer to her "being beaten." Don't know if its credible or not. It may have revealed info. that the police did not want to get out.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ca4-07-06551/pdf/USCOURTS-ca4-07-06551-0.pdf
 
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The below link, relating to an appeal plea for a man who was jailed for another murder of another Bowie woman, has some interesting info. about a man who claims to have been present at Donna's murder. I thought it interesting that he refers to stabbing wounds he inflicted, while all previous stories refer to her "being beaten." Don't know if its credible or not. It may have revealed info. that the police did not want to get out.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ca4-07-06551/pdf/USCOURTS-ca4-07-06551-0.pdf

You're a quick poster! I've done digging on this case in the past and was going to say- this case you just mentioned does add a very interesting element and extra information to Donna's case. Ricky Nelson has been MIA since September 1989- as far as I'm aware. His divorce with his ex-spouse, who I believe is referenced in the case you posted, was finalized in 88. That seems to be the last "blurb" in Maryland. It would be pretty impressive if he ceased all criminal activity completely after the 80s.
___
There is also a news article from the 70s (will see if I can't find again to share here **the 1973 Evening Capital article referenced below**) in which the Baltimore Medical Examiner's office discusses her autopsy a bit more. A lug wrench is mentioned. Not that it's a "rare" or "telling" tool, but clearly something that was readily available to the perp(s) on the night in question.

The 2000 Washington Post article I felt had the most detailed account of the events, which you can obviously fill in the gaps with other news articles to create a more "whole" picture of the evening. We have Christopher Millers entire recount of the evening, which probably seemed the most cohesive, up until he drops Donna and her date off at 12:30 AM. One thing I found interesting and, while maybe not entirely important, it was always sort of weird to me that Donna's date that evening- his name is never mentioned anywhere. He is allegedly interviewed later on the condition that his "name not be used" (reference the January 2000 Wash Post article) .... I get that he doesn't want attention surrounding this, but it's just a minor interesting note to me since everyone else shares their name (or their name IS shared) without issue.

So, they go in her house, we can summarize and say they "partied" next until he claims it was late, he was "worried about chores" and work the next day. She allegedly drops him off at his house "about" 1:30 AM. In a 1999 Wash Post article (https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/1999-12/25/017r-122599-idx.html), it is noted her date lived in Bowie. Then looking back at the 2000 Wash Post article, we have the line, "investigators say three people told them they saw her shortly after 1:30 a.m. outside a house in Bowie.." The Evening Capital newspaper (November 19, 1973) includes an article in which the Dustin neighbor is interviewed. The neighbor reaffirmed having seen "another girl" at the home on Friday evening, which aligns with the 2000 Wash Post article where Donna's friend claims she was at the house with her before the date. The neighbor said that Donna's car was "in the driveway both Friday night and Saturday morning." Again, in The Capital (March 12, 1999) there is an article that states Donna's 1973 Chevelle was in her driveway that evening -- though doesn't mention the following morning.

So, what is my fixation surrounding this? Bowie isn't huge and at that time, it was even smaller and more "rural". The unnamed date says he is dropped off "about" 1:30 AM at his home, which we've referenced as being in Bowie. Donna's neighbor indicates her car IS in her driveway the following morning, presumably while her body lays about 2.5- 3 miles NE of her home. The recorded time she is last seen IS shortly after 1:30 AM at this party.... so, where exactly was this party? Did she drive there directly after leaving her dates, which would have had to have been streets away from hers and the party-- or did she go home to drop off her car first? My point- the closeness of these locations I think is important to accurately repaint the events that evening. I'm positive detectives have that information, but just for the purposes of this board, it would be interesting to know.

---
This isn't a cohesive message, my apologies, just some things I've thought about.. The Roberson-related case you posted though I think holds a wealth of information that, as for now, seems as if it leads to a cut off road... namely because Nelson is MIA. I would be hesitant to name other individuals that are listed in that report.. though they very well may have more information that would lead to either the location of Nelson (though I doubt its widely known) OR further information on HIS relation to Donna's case.
I'd expect that it was an opportunist crime... based on what we know of Donna's evening. I recently saw the name of the "third" murder (referenced I think in the case you posted) that I would be interested in looking further into... can't remember the name though.
 
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I'd love to see those Evening Capital stories if you can find links to them. I've tried on-line and can't find them.

I don't know if you're aware of a Facebook page called "You Know You're From Bowie if . . .," but it has at least four threads of conversation about the case, all of them very interesting and each shed some light and fill in some of the blanks on the story. The threads range in age from starting in 2011 near the founding of the group which has over 7,700 members, to one from just a few weeks ago. I've included a link to one of the threads below.

Bobby Cox

From reading these, even though I certainly don't take everything that's said at face value and some of it is confusing, conflicting etc., it's pretty clear that Nelson was probably abducted and killed by a motorcycle gang because he had provided testimony against them (thus explaining the sudden end to his criminal career) in order to get a favorable and light prison sentence.

Two of the discussion threads include statements from a woman who saw and spoke with Donna at the Hillside 7-Eleven in Bowie the night or morning of the murder. She says that Donna invited her to come along with her and a group of guys to party, but she didn't like "the vibe," and (wisely) declined to go with her. She then saw her walk off and get in a car.

To your point about timing, I wish she had said something in the posts about what time of night that this happened as it would help clear fill in some of the gaps. It also partially explains why her car was in the driveway at her house. At some point, she seems to have left the house voluntarily with a bunch of guys, probably the ones who assaulted and murdered her. I'm sure she provided this info. to the police. I tend to think that the police and Anne Arundel prosecutor's office know who did it but don't have enough evidence to prosecute, and as has been mentioned, two of the four (or more) who were present at her murder are apparently dead. That being said, it seems that there is at least one person who should be brought to justice and at least one other who could speak to what happened if he could be persuaded to.

I get your intrigue about the guy who she went out on the date with, but the more you delve into this it becomes pretty clear that he didn't have anything to do with it. I also get the sense from the Wa. Post story that he was a little turned off by her PCP use. Speaking of PCP, I also think that the guys who assaulted/murdered her were pretty wacked out on it. Not an excuse, but it may partially explain the level of violence (though what she did to make them mad is still a major unkown - maybe nothing).

This is a frustrating case, but I think it is still solvable. The other murder victim mentioned in the link I sent earlier was Jeanine Kline, but I've never been able to find anything about her case and it is still unsolved also.
 
I'd love to see those Evening Capital stories if you can find links to them. I've tried on-line and can't find them.

Hi.. one year later! hah sorry! Please find the clips I have of the articles where I was able to find Donna's case mentioned. It's interesting to read these news articles. Do you have any new theories or updates? I'm still interested in learning something more about that Kline case, but you and I are on the same page about never having been able to find anything regarding it. With another anniversary for Donna approaching, hopefully someone will post and more information will be generated. Someone has to crack some day.. I mean, not really, but it would be nice to think someone would.

I'd also be interested in learning if there is any DNA left (since they last tested nearly 20 years ago now). With the "explosion" of utilizing GED match (and I'm sure other methods) to work genealogical connections, it would be interesting to see if anything could come of that angle. I read about a case from over 25 years just now utilizing touch DNA, presumably on that victims clothing or a rope found by that body. From Donnas case, though it doesn't appear they ever found her clothing,
 

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