In the winter of 1985, the quiet community of Pocahontas, Arkansas, was shaken by the discovery of a young woman's body. On January 19, a trapper stumbled upon the remains of 19-year-old Diana Lynn Hanley, a white female, in a remote area off the O'Kean Cut-off Road. Her body was partially concealed beneath branches. An investigation revealed she had suffered three deep stab wounds to her throat, inflicted with a large knife. There were signs of a struggle; bruises marked her jaw, and her wrists and ankles showed indications of being bound. Her clothing was in disarray, leading the medical examiner to believe a sexual assault had likely occurred.
Diana had been living in Jonesboro with her boyfriend, Darrell Meredith. In the weeks leading up to her death, Meredith had hired a man who called himself 'Michael Haroldson' for a construction job. This man, later identified as Michael Anthony Ronning, had been to their home and was present when Meredith paid him from a cash box. Meredith later noted that Ronning seemed unusually interested in the money. On the morning of January 6, Meredith left for work, leaving Diana at home wearing a red robe he had given her for Christmas. When he returned that evening, Diana was gone, though her car, purse, and other personal belongings remained. The cash box was empty, and a large Bowie knife was missing from the kitchen.
Suspicion quickly fell upon Ronning after witnesses reported seeing his distinctive, rusted 1965 Plymouth at Meredith's home on the morning of Diana's disappearance. Law enforcement discovered his true identity and that he was wanted on burglary charges in Michigan. On January 7, 1985, police located Ronning's vehicle and, after a search, found him hiding in some bushes behind his residence, where he was arrested. In 1986, Michael Anthony Ronning was convicted of the capital murder of Diana Lynn Hanley and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
