20/20 True Crime Vault: Gone Before the Storm

ABC News | Aired: March 24, 2026

Episode Overview

This riveting episode of 20/20’s True Crime Vault, “Gone Before the Storm,” delves into the tragic murder of 5-year-old Devin Duniver in New Philadelphia, Ohio, in 1998. The episode meticulously unpacks the botched investigation that led to the conviction and eventual exoneration of 12-year-old Anthony Harris. Through interviews with family, law enforcement, legal experts, reporters, and Anthony Harris himself, the episode explores themes of community trauma, wrongful conviction, coercive police tactics, legal missteps, and the haunting reality of an unsolved child murder.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Disappearance and Search for Devin Duniver

• Setting the Scene: On a stormy summer day in June 1998, 5-year-old Devin vanished while playing outside her apartment (03:15).
• Community Mobilization: Hundreds of community members joined law enforcement in desperate searches, combing woods and fields for Devin (07:30, 10:06).
  • Quote: “‘The whole field looked like fireflies.’” — Search Volunteer or Family Member [08:32]
• Discovery of the Body: Devin’s remains were found in a brushy patch less than a block from her home, just over 24 hours after her disappearance (12:35).

2. A Town in Shock & the Trauma of Murder

• Never Seen Before: The region had scarcely seen such violent crime, with typically only one homicide countywide per year (17:55).
• Community Grief: Residents and the Duniver family are shattered, struggling with shock and disbelief (17:32).
  • Quote: “‘You think this happens to other people… It is reality.’” — Lori Duniver, Devin’s mother [16:55]

3. Investigation, Suspicion & Focus on Anthony Harris

• Initial Suspects: Police first scrutinize Devin’s immediate family — her mother Lori, father, and brother — but clear them after alibis and tests (18:16 to 22:02).
• Anthony Harris: A 12-year-old neighbor and family friend, Anthony becomes a person of interest due to inconsistencies in his timeline and statements (22:06).
  • Quote: “I just do things that please people.” — Anthony Harris [22:32]
• Profiled for Race: The only Black family in a mostly white community, the Harris family’s outsider status is noted, and race is invoked during interrogations (28:36).
  • Quote: “‘A lot of African Americans got a lot of hate build up…’” — Chief Thomas Vaughn [28:36]

4. The Coerced Confession

• High-Pressure Interrogation: Anthony is questioned for 80 minutes, initially separated from his mother and subjected to leading, racially charged, and coercive tactics despite no physical evidence connecting him to the crime (28:01 – 31:40).
  • Quote: “‘It felt like I was in a maze and couldn’t find a way out.’” — Anthony Harris [24:32]
  • Quote: “‘They didn’t need to put him on the voice stress test. They had his confession.’” — Search Volunteer or Community Member [32:45]
• Legal Concerns: The confession, wrung from a scared, isolated, and emotionally distressed child, becomes the linchpin of the prosecution’s case.

5. Trial and Conviction

• Courtroom Drama: The trial, devoid of physical evidence, hinges almost solely on the dubious confession (38:26).
  • Quote: “‘There is no evidence in this case…’” — Taryn Hale, Defense Attorney [38:26]
• Conviction: Despite defense challenges, Anthony is found guilty by Judge Linda Kate and sentenced to eight years in juvenile detention (43:29).
  • Quote: “I do find that the state has proven beyond a reasonable doubt…” — Judge Kate [43:29]

6. Revelations About False Confessions

• Expert Analysis: Reporter and psychologist Saul Kasson discuss how psychological pressure can lead even adults, let alone children, to confess to crimes they didn’t commit (55:31).
  • Quote: “‘Any confession that came from it should have been tossed out of court.’” — Expert on Interrogations [58:12]

7. Appeal and Exoneration

• Appellate Victory: After a prolonged appeal, the confession is ruled coerced and inadmissible, and Anthony is released after two years in juvenile detention (60:02–61:03).
  • Quote: “‘An Ohio court of appeals says the confession of Anthony Harris was not voluntary.’” — Nancy (Witness) [61:03]
• Lingering Doubts: Some involved in the case, including Judge Kate and the prosecutor, continue to believe in Anthony’s guilt, despite the lack of evidence (62:17-62:43).

8. Civil Lawsuit and Settlement

• Legal Aftermath: Anthony and his family pursue and win a civil suit, ultimately settling for $3.7 million and receiving written apologies from some city officials (67:20–68:20).
  • Quote: “‘We apologize to you and your family for the events that led to your conviction.’” — Settlement Apology Letter [67:52]

9. Ongoing Questions & Alternate Suspects

• Possible Mishandling & Unanswered Leads: Multiple searchers recount that Devin’s body was not present at the spot initially searched, suggesting she may have been moved (73:08, 73:25).
  • Quote: “‘I have five or six witnesses who swear under oath there was no way she could have been there.’” — Taryn Hale, Defense Attorney [73:03]
• The Creepy Man: Eyewitnesses recall seeing a suspicious man in a flannel shirt near the crime scene shortly before the body was found, but police never fully pursued this lead (75:03–75:55).
  • Quote: “‘Something about him looked guilty.’” — Nancy (Witness) [75:59]

10. Aftermath: Forgiveness, Trauma, and the Unsolved Crime

• Anthony’s Resilience: Now a Marine veteran and ironworker, Anthony reflects on coping without bitterness despite a stolen childhood and ongoing pain (71:11, 81:46).
  • Quote: “‘There’s no sense to be bitter… it didn’t destroy my core as a person.’” — Anthony Harris [63:17]
• Search for Truth: The case remains unsolved, but Anthony, his attorney Taryn Hale, and community members remain committed to seeking closure for Devin (83:01–84:20).
  • Quote: “‘I didn’t quit on her. We gotta figure this out.’” — Anthony Harris [84:13]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Community’s Effort:
  • “‘We searched all night up until the next morning… flashlights… the whole field looked like fireflies.’” — Search Volunteer or Family Member [08:32]
• On False Confession:
  • “‘Basically, it was a trick. The investigator told me if you confess to this murder, you can go home…’” — Anthony Harris [51:28]
• On Legal System’s Failure:
  • “‘A 12-year-old can’t make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without making a mess, let alone commit murder.’” — Search Volunteer or Community Member [40:34]
• On Witness Credibility:
  • “‘I can see him in my mind as plain as day. He was so out of place. Something about him looked guilty.’” — Nancy (Witness) [75:37, 75:59]
• On Closure and Justice:
  • “‘No one knows who killed him… the girl's dead, my life has been destroyed... and this guy’s… still free.’” — Anthony Harris [83:27]

Important Timestamps

• Discovery of Devin’s Body (12:35–13:22)
• First Suspicions About Anthony (22:06–23:59)
• Coerced Confession & Interrogation (28:01–31:40)
• Trial Verdict (43:29–44:05)
• Exoneration/Release (60:02–61:41)
• Civil Settlement and Apology (67:20–68:20)
• Eyewitness Accounts of Unpursued Suspect (75:03–75:59)
• Reflections and Search for Justice (83:01–84:20)

Closing Reflections

“Gone Before the Storm” is a haunting narrative of loss, injustice, and steadfast resilience. The episode exposes the devastating consequences of a rush to judgment and highlights the fallibility of confession-based convictions, particularly with vulnerable children. Despite Anthony Harris’s exoneration, painful questions remain. The real killer of Devin Duniver has never been brought to justice, and the echo of the tragedy continues to haunt New Philadelphia, Ohio.

For anyone interested in true crime, criminal justice, or the psychology of confessions, this episode is both infuriating and essential — an unflinching look at the irreversible cost of injustice, and a reminder that some wounds never fully heal.