Cayce McDaniel Missing Person Case

Apr 15, 2010

Jan 30, 2024

Cayce

McDaniel

42

14

64 inches

120 lbs

White / Caucasian

Female

On the night of August 16, 1996, in Milan, Tennessee, 14-year-old Cayce Lynn McDaniel disappeared from her home. She had just attended a back-to-school party at her church and was dropped off at her residence at approximately 12:30 a.m. A chaperone from the party watched to make sure she made it safely inside. When her mother, Cindy, arrived home between 1:30 and 2:00 a.m., she found the house unsecured and her daughter gone. The scene inside suggested Cayce had been settling in for the night before she vanished. The television in her bedroom was on, the clothes she had worn to the party were laid out, and a snack of cookies and milk was left untouched on the floor. The back door was ajar, but this was not initially alarming as it often came open on its own. With no signs of a struggle, it was first thought that she might have gone to spend the night with a friend, a common occurrence. It wasn't until about ten hours later, after confirming Cayce was not with her friends, that she was reported missing to the police. The initial investigation into Cayce's disappearance was slow, with law enforcement at the time considering the possibility that she was a runaway. However, the evidence at the scene, such as her new shoes being left behind, suggested she had not left voluntarily. The lack of a struggle led investigators to believe that Cayce might have opened the door to someone she knew and trusted. Over the years, the case grew cold, though it did receive national attention when it was featured on "America's Most Wanted." The investigation saw the release of a composite sketch of an unidentified young man who was reportedly seen with Cayce, but this lead did not resolve the case. For more than two decades, her family was left without answers. A significant breakthrough in the case came in July 2018 when a suspect was officially named: Finis Ewin "Pete" Hill. Hill was a family acquaintance whom Cayce knew as "Uncle Pete." He had been a person of interest since 1997, but his name was not publicly released until years later. Hill had an extensive criminal history, including convictions for violent crimes. His alibi for the night of Cayce's disappearance, initially provided by his wife, was later found to be untrue. In October 2019, Hill was charged with the first-degree murder and aggravated rape of Cayce McDaniel. Subsequently, in August 2022, he entered a "best interest plea" to criminal responsibility to commit second-degree murder and abuse of a corpse. This plea agreement resulted in a 15-year prison sentence, and as part of the deal, the other charges were dropped. The agreement also required Hill to cooperate with authorities in their efforts to locate Cayce's remains, which have never been found. The case, which began as the mysterious disappearance of a young girl from the seeming safety of her own home, concluded with the conviction of a man she knew, though it did not bring the closure of laying her to rest.

Aug 16, 1996

Milan

Tennessee

Gibson County

No

3655

Milan Police Department

Milan

Tennessee

Gibson County

38358

7029 Telecom Drive, Tennessee

7316863309

Local

Law Enforcement

https://cityofmilantn.com/city-services/police-department

9608171430

Milan Police Department

Brown

Brown

Brown

07/07/2026