The Murder of Dana Stidham

In the summer of 1989, 18-year-old Dana Stidham vanished after a quick trip to the store in Bella Vista, Arkansas. Two months later, her remains were discovered near the state line, but her killer has never been found. More than three decades later, questions remain: What really happened to Dana? Why has no one ever been charged? And could a new lawsuit bring long-awaited answers? In this episode of Crime in the Ozarks, we retrace Dana’s life, her disappearance, and the decades-long investigation that followed. From the night she went missing, to the discovery of her car and the search that gripped her tight-knit community, to suspects, rumors, and forensic dead ends—we uncover how a case that shocked Northwest Arkansas remains unsolved. Join us as we examine the people closest to Dana, the detectives who spent years chasing leads, and the ongoing fight for transparency that could finally shed light on this haunting mystery. This is Crime in the Ozarks: The Murder of Dana Stidham.