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An Alabama Mystery Endures as Three Men Who Vanished in 1956 Have Yet to Be Found | Crime Alert 6AM 01.13.2026
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At this hour, a decades old disappearance in north Alabama remains one of the state's most perplexing mysteries. On the Rainy night of March 3, 1956, three relatives, Billy Howard Dye, Robert Earl Dye, and their cousin Dan Brasher, left a party in rural Jefferson county and simply vanished without a trace. Billy Dye was 19 years old. His brother Robert, 23. Their cousin Dan Brasher was 38. The three men drove away together in a dark green 1947 Ford and were never seen again. Investigators quickly suspected foul play. Witnesses later told authorities the men may have been involved in an argument earlier that night with local bootleggers at a time when illegal moonshine operations were widespread across rural Alabama. In the days following the disappearance, rumors began circulating throughout the community. Some claim the men's car had been buried, buried beneath what later became highway construction sites. Others reported seeing men carrying shovels and tools late into the night near wooded areas. One detail that drew particular attention came from a local store clerk who recalls selling cleaning supplies to a man seeking to remove what appeared to be a blood stain shortly after the disappearance. Over the years, law enforcement has reopened the case multiple Times. In the 1970s, investigators drilled into areas along U.S. highway 79 following metallic readings that raised hope of finding the missing car. Those efforts turned up nothing more than scrap metal. In the 1980s, a prison inmate claimed responsibility for the killings, but investigators were unable to corroborate his story and the confession ultimately collapsed. Today, the disappearance of Billy and Robert Dye and Dan Brasher remains the oldest active cold case in Jefferson County. The men's vehicle has never been recovered and no physical evidence has ever confirmed what happened that night. Even after nearly 70 years, investigators say they're still willing to review credible tips holding out hope that advances in technology or a long kept secret could one day bring answers to one of Alabama's most enduring mysteries. When we return, a deadly shooting spree in Mississippi, a closely watched double murder trial in Virginia, and an execution scheduled in Florida. Stay with us.
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New Details Now In a deadly shooting spree that has devastated a rural Mississippi community, authorities in Clay County, Mississippi have charged 24 year Derecka Moore with multiple counts of murder after a series of shootings left six people dead, including a seven year old child. Investigators say the violence unfolded across three separate locations near the town of Cedar Bluff, just outside West Point. Police allege Moore first killed his father, his brother and an uncle inside a family mobile home. Authorities say Moore then drove to a nearby residence belonging to relatives, forcing his way inside and shot a young cousin. Another child in the home was able to escape without injury. The final shootings occurred at a third location where two additional adults, including a local pastor and his brother, were killed. Law enforcement officers arrested Moore later that night at a roadblock without incident. Authorities say there is no ongoing threat to the public, but they have not publicly identified a motive. Prosecutors have indicated they may seek the death penalty as the case moves forward. The community remains in mourning as investigators continue to piece together the events that led to the violence. In Northern Virginia, a high profile murder trial is getting underway in Fairfax County. Former federal law enforcement agent Brendan Banfield is standing trial on charges of aggravated murder in in the 2023 deaths of his wife Christine Banfield, and a man named Joseph Ryan. Prosecutors allege Banfield conspired with the couple's Brazilian au pair, Juliana Perez Magala, to lure Ryan to the family's home under the guise of a consensual encounter. According to prosecutors. The plan was to make it appear that Ryan was an intruder who stabbed Christine Banfield, prompting Banfield to shoot Ryan in self defense. Investigators say the scene was staged. Magalaesh later pleaded guilty to a reduced manslaughter charge and has cooperated with prosecutors. Authorities say digital evidence shows a fake online profile created in Christine Banfield's name was used to communicate with Ryan before the killings. Defense attorneys dispute that version of events, arguing the online communications originated directly with Christine Banfield. Banfield has pleaded not guilty. In addition to murder charges, Banfield faces child abuse and neglect counts because his younger daughter was inside the home at the time of the killings. Jury selection is underway and the trial is expected to last several weeks. Finally, this hour, Florida is preparing for its first execution of the year, 64 year old Ronald Palmer Heath. Heath is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection February 10th at Florida State Prison in Stark. Heath was convicted of first degree murder for the 1989 killing of Michael Sheridan, a traveling salesman who prosecutors say was lured from a bar in Gainesville to a remote area. Authorities say Heath and his brother Kenneth Heat robbed Sheridan, then beat and stabbed him. The brothers later used the victim's credit cards. In the days following the killing, Kenneth Heath received a life sentence after accepting a plea deal. Ronald Heath has spent decades on death row and his attorneys are pursuing final appeals in state and federal courts. If carried out, the execution would mark Florida's first of 2026, following a year in which the the state conducted a historically high number of executions.
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