Episode 6:
Pageant Queen Found Naked, "Condom Wrapper DNA" Boyfriend or Neighbor?

In December 2005, 19-year-old college student and beauty pageant contestant Nona Dirksmeyer was found murdered inside her apartment in Russellville, Arkansas. The scene showed signs of a violent struggle.

She had suffered severe head injuries and was ultimately strangled to death. What initially appeared to be a straightforward homicide would soon become one of the town's most controversial unsolved cases.

Two Suspects

Investigators quickly focused on Nona's longtime boyfriend, Kevin Jones. His behavior after discovering the body raised suspicions, and a palm print found on a lamp near the victim appeared similar to his.

But another piece of evidence complicated the case. An empty condom wrapper found at the scene contained male DNA that pointed investigators in a completely different direction.

A Different Theory

The DNA eventually led police to Gary Dunn, a local man with a history of violent crimes against women. Investigators believed he may have known Nona and gained access to her apartment without raising suspicion.

Yet despite years of investigation, neither suspect could be definitively linked to the murder. One suspect was connected to the crime scene. The other was connected to the DNA.

Neither connection proved enough.

Suspicious

The case produced two separate murder trials. Both ended without a conviction. One jury couldn't agree on Kevin's guilt.

Another couldn't agree on Gary's. Many later questioned whether investigators became too focused on Kevin early in the case and failed to properly explore other possibilities while crucial evidence was still fresh.

Final Thoughts

Some unsolved murders lack suspects. This case had two.

One was linked by a palm print. The other by DNA. Yet nearly twenty years later, nobody has been held responsible for Nona Dirksmeyer's death.