Donna Lee Fowler, a 7-year-old girl from Weaverville, California, was last seen on November 10, 1980. She had been kept home from school that day and told her grandfather that she planned to run away. Believing she was only pretending, her grandfather helped her pack a bag. She was last spotted at 2:30 p.m. near the Joss House Historical Museum on Main Street in Weaverville, but when she didn't return home, her mother reported her missing late that night.
Despite extensive search efforts, including the use of bloodhounds and volunteers, Donna was never found.
For decades, Donna's disappearance remained a mystery until 2008, when Wayne Harvey Smith, a man long suspected by investigators, confessed to her murder as part of a plea deal. Smith, who had lived near Donna's family, admitted to strangling her after an argument and disposing of her body at a local landfill. Unfortunately, due to the time elapsed and changes to the landfill, authorities determined it would be impossible to recover her remains. Smith, already serving a life sentence for another murder, will not face additional charges for Donna's death, and the case has been closed.
Donna's case deeply affected her community, and although the confession brought some answers, her remains have never been recovered, leaving her family without full closure.Last Seen: Nov 10, 1980
