In the summer of 1987, a 22-year-old mother named Donna Mae Jokumsen disappeared from her home in Chandler, Arizona. She was last seen on July 5, 1987, a day she had planned to leave her husband, Kevin Dale Jokumsen. The couple, who had two young sons, lived in the 900 block of West Gary Drive. Friends and family described their relationship as volatile and abusive. Just two days before she went missing, a friend saw Donna with a split lip and bruises, which Donna attributed to her husband.
Determined to escape the violence, Donna had called her father in Enumclaw, Washington, and made arrangements to move back home with her children. She had planned to attend a friend's barbecue on July 5th, return home to pack, and then leave for Washington the next day. However, Donna never returned to her friend's house and was never seen or heard from again.
Concerns for Donna's welfare grew when she failed to arrive in Washington. Five days after her last contact, her father reported her missing to the Chandler Police Department. When officers visited the Jokumsen home, they found Kevin with their two sons. Kevin had not reported his wife missing. He claimed that Donna had packed her belongings and that he had given her $1,100 for the move, stating she left because she was unhappy with the Arizona weather and her job prospects. However, investigators found that Donna had left behind all of her possessions, including her car and her two children. Her jewelry was later pawned by her husband. Police also noted that her blue Chevrolet Chevelle, which had been dirty from a recent trip, had been thoroughly cleaned.
Despite suspicions of foul play, the case went cold for decades due to a lack of evidence. In 2013, the Chandler Police Department reopened the investigation. Years later, in September 2017, a grand jury indicted Kevin Jokumsen on a charge of second-degree murder in connection with his wife's disappearance. He was arrested in Auburn, Washington, where he had moved with the children after Donna vanished. During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence of the couple's toxic relationship and Kevin's inconsistent statements. However, without a body or a murder weapon, the defense successfully argued for a directed verdict of acquittal, and in October 2019, the judge dismissed the case. To this day, Donna Mae Jokumsen's remains have not been found, and her case remains an unresolved and sorrowful mystery.Last Seen: Jul 5, 1987
