Murder of Deanna Criswell

"Deanna Criswell" redirects here. For the FEMA Administrator, see Deanne Criswell.
Deanna Criswell
Portrait of Deanna Criswell
Born
Deanna Lee Criswell

September 20, 1971 (1971-09-20)
DisappearedSummer 1987
Spokane, Washington, U.S.
DiedNovember 1987 (1987-12) (aged 16)
Marana, Arizona, U.S.
Cause of deathHomicide by firearm
Body discoveredNovember 25, 1987
Resting placePima County Cemetery, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Other names"Jane Doe 19"
Known forMurder victim

Deanna Lee Criswell (officially known as "Jane Doe 19" until she was identified)[1] (September 20, 1971 – c. November 1987) was an American girl from Washington state who was murdered by firearm at age 16 and remained unidentified for 27 years. Criswell's body was found on November 25, 1987, in Marana, Arizona, near Tucson.[2] The Marana Police Department announced her identification on February 11, 2015, aided by the sophisticated technology of forensic facial reconstruction and DNA analysis, and by websites set up by amateurs to help identify missing and unidentified persons.

After Criswell's parents divorced, family members became estranged, and Criswell had periods of running away from home. She was never officially reported as missing. In 2014, Criswell's aunt and uncle, who had last seen her when she was only a baby, began to look for her. They began to search newly available online databases, focusing on unidentified persons in Arizona after learning that their niece had called her sister from Tucson in late 1987. They came across "Jane Doe 19"'s profile online at the Doe Network and believed the young woman's image, from a forensic facial reconstruction prepared by the FBI in 2010, resembled their niece. The aunt and uncle contacted law enforcement, who obtained DNA from family members and were able to confirm the match.

Authorities strongly suspected that William Ross Knight was the killer; Criswell had been involved with him when she went to Tucson. He died of illness in 2005, while in prison, where he had been sentenced on robbery charges. He had used a .22 caliber pistol in a robbery, the same size of the gun that killed Criswell.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference spokesman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Ronquillo, Ina (11 February 2015). "Cold case homicide victim from 1987 identified" (KGUN 9 News). ABC. Retrieved 16 February 2015
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference who was invoked but never defined (see the help page).