10 replies to this topic

[Lori Davis]

http://www.nampn.org..._deborah_f.html
Deborah Fortunato Dill

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Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: March 24, 2006 from Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia
Classification: Missing
Date Of Birth: circa 1958
Age at time of disappearance: 48
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 170 lbs
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Race: White
Gender: Female
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Details of Disappearance
Fortunato Dill was last seen on March 24, 2006 at 4.30 pm at her residence located 2300 Woodbine Drive, in Augusta, Georgia. She hasn't been seen since she had an argument with her husband.

Richmond County sheriff's investigators said they are treating the case of an Augusta woman as a homicide. John Dill, her husband, the man police call the prime suspect has left town and is living in Greenville, S.C & was arrest in Greenville, S.C.
And police still have the same suspect, but are lacking a body to prove a homicide took place.

Investigators have learned the husband of a missing woman searched the Internet for information about the rate of decomposition and how to handle interrogations and polygraphs.They found out about John Dill's interest in an item titled "How to Beat a Polygraph Test".
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Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Richmond County Sheriff's Office
Criminal Investigation Division
(706) 821-1020
Or
(706) 821-1080

[Lori Davis]

http://www.nbcaugust...al/7124726.html
A Daughter Speaks Out About Her Mother's Disappearance
By Navideh Forghani
Story Published: Aug 16, 2007 at 3:43 PM EST

From day one...too many questions surrounded the disappearance of Deborah Dill.

"Mrs. Dill had fallen off the face of this earth," said Investigator Steve Fanning, Richmond County Sheriff's Office.

As the search for her continued, Richmond County investigators learned Deborah and her husband, John Dill, had a fight the day she disappeared.

Deborah's daughter, Amanda Daniels, spent weeks trying to contact her mother with no luck.

"If she just left him, it seems like he would of called and said we got into a fight, she left. I'm concerned because I haven't heard anything in a few days," said Amanda Daniels, Deborah Dill's Daughter.

"It became odd to us from the beginning that a month had transpired and he had not reported her missing," said Investigator Fanning.

Amanda says John seemed like a nice guy.

"He always seemed concerned for her. He was fun and adventurous. She was always smiling like she was happy," said Daniels.

But investigators say John didn't seem that concerned about his wife.

"One thing that was a red flag was his lack of concern for finding Mrs. Dill. Again he seemed to think that she left me for the argument and never thought to look back," said Investigator Fanning.

These police reports reveal a history of violence between Deborah and John. She claimed he physically abused her and threatened her life. As the investigation continued deputies found several web sites on John's computer about how to decompose a body and how to pass polygraph tests...making him a prime suspect.

As Amanda looks through photographs of her mother, she says she has no doubt about what happened to her mother.

"I know in my heart and soul he had something to do with it," said Daniels.

We want to point out that John Dill has NOT been charged, he's only been considered a suspect. Investigators are treating Deborah's disappearance as a murder case.

John Dill is currently being held at the Greenville County Detention Center for unrelated charges.

If you have any information, contact the Richmond County Sheriff's Office at (706) 821-1020.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.charleypr...ll_deborah.html
Charley Project for Deborah Fortunato Dill

[Lori Davis]

http://www.wrdw.com/...es/7210531.html
Special Assignment: Whatever Happened to Deborah Dill? 

Reporter: Tom Campbell
April 26, 2007

AUGUSTA, Ga.---She was a wife, a mother, and a grandmother, and she has been missing for more than a year.

Right now it's a mystery. Relatives and law officers have their suspicions, but still no resolution.

Now we're asking you. Whatever happened to Deborah Dill?

"Whatever the reason, if somebody knows anything, if they would just call and help us put an end to this nightmare," Deborah's daughter, Amanda Daniels, told News 12. "This is an absolute nightmare."

Amanda's mother, Deborah Fortunato Dill, was 48 years old when she was last seen just over 13 months ago.

Her home was on Woodbine Road between Lake Olmstead and the Augusta National.

In May of last year, her husband, John, talked to News 12.

"The last thing she said is, 'You leave, I won't be here when you get back', and I didn't believe her. A lot of her stuff was gone. I just assumed that she left me," he said then.

But John Dill was still on the radar of Richmond County deputies.

They found out his computer had information on lie detector tests and body decomposition. That raised suspicions.

"The fact she had been missing a month before she had been reported missing, only from her family, and that her husband never reported her missing at all," Lt. Scott Peebles said.

'"Because my mother did have problems--people are aware of this," Amanda said. "At this time, he never called me. It was up to me to say, 'I haven't heard from my mother in a while. Let me see what's going on.'"

In February of this year, John Dill was arrested in the Greenville area on burglary and other charges.

Deborah Dill's family has even more suspicions.

"We definitely, definitely think so, but without knowing for sure where she is, or how she is...we just don't know."

So the family is left with questions. That's not unusual. But so are others, including me.

For you see, I knew Debbie. I would see her often at the former Michael's Restaurant on Washington Road. I too am asking: Whatever happened to Deborah Dill?

Last May, search dogs went through the home and cars on Woodbine.

In late March of this year, some skeletal remains were found off Laney Walker Boulevard. They were those of a white woman, but there are indications it was a woman younger than Deborah Dill. So there is still no definite word.

"We don't know if they know more," Amanda said. "They don't tell us more, or if they can't tell us more. It's hard being in our situation."

Here is the situation for Amanda and her family. No sign of Deborah, no activity on her bank account, and John Dill not cooperating. Here's what he said last year:

"I have been as cooperative as I can, but there is a point where I'm not going to let them push me into something where I feel like I'm guilty of something regardless."

So now what happens?

That may be up to you. Somebody knows something. But what will it take to find an answer?

You see, a six-year-old little boy wants to know too.

"My son asks me all the time, 'Is Nana in Heaven?' And how do I answer that?" Amanda asked.

"All we have is the loneliness. We don't have anything else. It's awful."

Awful indeed...simply not knowing.

I've been in TV news a long time. I know you do some stories because you want to, you do others because your boss tells to you, and there a few you do because you have to.

This is one of those.

Every time I drive by Woodbine on Washington Road, I ask myself: whatever happened to Deborah Dill?

Somebody knows something. Maybe that somebody is you.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.wrdw.com/...s/40879567.html
Augusta woman missing for three years is remembered
Posted: 9:43 PM Mar 6, 2009
Last Updated: 9:43 PM Mar 6, 2009
Reporter: Katie Beasley
News 12 at 11 o'clock, March 6, 2009

MARTINEZ, Ga.---It's been almost three years since Deborah Dill went missing, vanishing from her home on Woodbine Road, near Lake Olmstead. Foul play was suspected and her husband, John Dill, is still considered a person of interest.

The case is still listed as a missing persons case and today, would be Deborah's Birthday.

If she's still alive, Deborah Fortunato Dill would be 51 today and her sister is doing everything she can to keep her memory alive while the search for Debbie continues.

Jan Cliett is making sure her sister's memorial is just right. March 6th is Debbie Dill's birthday. She would be 51 today. It's been three years sent she went missing, but for Jan, it feels like a lot longer.

"They say time heals all things, but the more time that goes by the worse it gets," says Jan.

She set up this memorial, to show she'll never stop looking for her big sister. "I just didn't want anyone to think she'd been forgotten about," Jan chokes out. "Do you think she's still alive?" Asks reporter Katie Beasley. "In my heart no," answers Jan.

Deborah went missing in March of 2006 from her home near Lake Olmstead. Her husband, John Dill, is still considered a person of interest.

Richmond County deputies found information on Dill's computer about lie detector tests and body decomposition. He spoke with News 12 after Deborah's daughter reported her missing.

"The last thing she said is, 'You leave, I won't be here when you get back,' and I didn't believe her. A lot of her stuff was gone. I just assumed that she left me," said John Dill back in April of 2006.

But Jan doesn't believe he's innocent. "I'm very convinced he had something to do with it and he had to have some help," says Jan.

Jan wants more than anything for her only sister to come home and her memory to be laid at rest.

"There is no closure. It's like a never ending nightmare you wake up everyday hoping your going to hear something, some body's found her," says Jan.

"Do you think there are people out there that do know something, that are just keeping quiet?" Asks Katie. "Yeah I do, I do. I feel that stronger every day," answers Jan.

Again, John Dill has not been ruled out as a suspect. After investigators searched the home, Dill moved back to Greenville, South Carolina and has had some run ins with the law there.

Deborah's sister and the Richmond County Sheriff's Office are asking for your help in this case.

There is a reward for information in Deborah's disappearance, if you have any information you are asked to please call 706-821-1080.

[Deborah]

Deborah's case remains open.

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Richmond County Sheriff's Office
Criminal Investigation Division
(706) 821-1020
Or
(706) 821-1080

[Lori Davis]

http://chronicle.aug...some-kind-trail

'There's always some kind of a trail'
By Bianca Cain
Staff Writer
Friday, Nov. 5, 2010

Ten missing person cases remain unsolved in Richmond County.

Missing Persons Investigator Shane McDaniel estimates that eight out of the 10 have likely been killed.

"It's kind of hard to just up and be missing," he said. "There's always some kind of trail."

All of the missing person cases since 2007 have been solved. The 10 unsolved cases date back as far as 1991, and the most recent is from 2006.

With today's technology and the popularity of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, it's easier to find people quickly.

The longest McDaniel has ever seen before someone returned alive was three weeks. The woman showed up in Alabama, saying she was tired of her husband and decided to leave.

Aiken County authorities are currently reviewing a skeleton discovered by a utility worker off of Edgefield Highway on Saturday. Investigators believe the body might have been on the side of the road for 10 to 20 years. At this time, authorities are attempting to match the remains to cold cases from the past two decades.

The majority of those missing tend to be drug users whose families are trying to find and help them, McDaniel said.

The investigator also sees numerous juveniles who run away, usually rebelling against house rules. Most disappear for the weekend and then return home. Ninety-nine percent are repeat offenders.

Several weeks ago, a Harlem mother reported her 16-year-old daughter missing.

Parents and friends created Facebook and Blogspot pages looking for clues on the girl's disappearance. She had last been seen on her bicycle.

More than 24 hours later she walked home.

"(A police officer) asked her why she left. She said, 'I don't even know,' " her mother wrote on Facebook.

Marlin "Lilly" Dean, the 17-year-old daughter of Columbia County Commissioner Scott Dean, was found in Mexico and is expected to be returned to her Harlem home next week. She was reported missing after she was last seen Oct. 19 near Augusta Mall.

Missing children cases are always the hardest for McDaniel, followed by the elderly, he said.

Several times a month, a personal care home will report someone missing.

On July 4, 2009, 85-year-old Elizabeth Bert wandered from her personal care home. She was in the late stages of Alzheimer's disease.

Three days later her body was discovered. An investigation determined her death was heat-related.

"Time is of the essence when it comes to Alzheimer's patients," McDaniel said. "We don't know what they're thinking. They could be going anywhere. They don't even know where they're going."

One Alzheimer's case went cold in 1992 after 76-year-old Sadie Edney wandered from her personal care facility.

"We know more than likely she is deceased," he said. "We just don't know where or by what means."

One cold case was cracked in June, nearly nine years after James Thomas Mills disappeared.

Aiken County authorities unearthed his body on Nautilus Street in Aiken. A Richmond County grand jury indicted four men for his murder.

If someone does go missing, authorities suggest reporting it immediately. McDaniel said there is no validity to the rumor about having to wait 24 hours before filing a missing persons report.

Unsolved Cases
DANIEL ALAN BIRCHFIELD was last seen leaving his Stoneybrook Drive residence with two men in 1991. He left his wallet behind. His family believes the terminally ill man might have left to die. He was 30.

SHEILA CANE was last seen leaving her Boyds Lane residence on Nov. 16, 1998. She was 35.

DEBORAH FORTUNATO DILL was last seen on March 24, 2006, at her home on the 2300 block of Woodbine Drive.

SADIE EDNEY wandered from her personal care home on Clanton Road on May 11, 1992. She was 76.

JUDSON LEE FIELDING was last seen Dec. 4, 1994, when he left his mother's residence. He was 40.

DANNIE HAMPTON FISHBURNE was last seen Nov. 4, 2005, walking from his residence on the 2800 block of Culverton Way.

JAMES CLYDE GRAMLING was last seen leaving his south Augusta residence March 30, 1997, to ride his four-wheeler. The ATV was recovered in a wooded area one week later. He was 21.

DAVIS HOLLOMAN was last seen March 4, 2003. He might have boarded a bus for Philadelphia. He was 79.

TIMOTHY ELIAS MALPASS, aka Elias Shane Wells, was last seen Sept. 29, 1998, leaving south Augusta residence. He was 19.

MARQUIS LAVOY NUNNALLY was last seen in 1999. He was 35.

[Jenn]

NamUs Profile: https://www.findthem...rg/cases/493/2/

[Lori Davis]

New billboard, new hope for missing Augusta woman Deborah Dill
If you're driving on I-20 near the Wheeler Road Exit, you can't miss it. It's a new billboard, with a smiling face -- the face of Deborah Dill.

Posted: 5:50 PM Nov 8, 2011
Updated: 7:29 PM Nov 8, 2011
Reporter: Katie Beasley

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Deborah Dill has been missing for more than five years now. Her husband, John Dill, has been a person of interest from the start.

News 12 caught up with the investigators to talk about the case that's grown cold.

Deborah's family says they hope someone driving by the new billboard will pick up the phone and call in information to help them find her, dead or alive.

"It never hurts to get the exposure out there," explained Richmond County Investigator Steve Fanning.

Read more: http://www.wrdw.com/..._133490268.html

[Lori Davis]

http://www.wrdw.com/..._144293245.html

 

Investigators still searching for clues in missing woman's case 6 years later

 

Updated: Mon 8:00 PM, Mar 26, 2012

News 12 First at Five / Monday, March 26, 2012

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- It's been six years and still no sign of then-48-year-old Deborah Dill. Her husband is still considered a suspect in her disappearance.

 

Despite little information, Dill's family has not given up hope, putting up billboards along highways and keeping her name in the news.

 

Investigators have not closed this case, either. In fact they're still doing interviews and working the crime scene all these years later.

 

"Obviously, six years later, we realize that it's probably not just a missing person's case, it very well is more than likely going to result in a homicide case," said Richmond County Investigator Steve Fanning.

 

Dill disappeared March 24, 2006, from her Augusta home. It was six weeks before her family reported her missing. Her husband, John Dill, never called 911.

 

"Mr. Dill has not been eliminated as a suspect in the case," Fanning explained.

 

Investigators continue to work the thick file, even re-interviewing Dill last month.

 

"So while some of the facts he maintains are the same, pieces of the story have either come to light or have or disappeared from what was originally said," Fanning said. "There's also been some evidence that's been resubmitted for further testing, and so we're hopeful that we'll get the final piece of the puzzle that will break the case."

 

And they say that puzzle piece is likely Dill's body.

 

"We've been tracking bodies not only for the Augusta area, but obviously the South Carolina area, even as far as Greenville, South Carolina," Fanning said.

 

And Greenville is where John Dill and his family live now. Deborah's family is also focusing efforts there, paying to put up billboards along Interstate 85.

 

"In some homicide investigations, you find that time can be on your side, in some cases, people that are initially scared to come forward at the early stages of an investigation, years later, may come forward," Fanning said.

 

And investigators are not giving up hope.

 

"With the amount of people in the world now, I think that it's very, very likely that she will be discovered and I hope that that's done within my tenure here on the Sheriff's Office," Fanning said.

 

There were also searches made on John Dill's computer, in the days following Deborah's disappearance. Searches included information on how to beat a polygraph test and about the rate of human decomposition.

 

Investigators also say John and Deborah had a heated relationship with reports of multiple domestic disputes, including death threats. There were even witnesses who saw them fighting the day she went missing six years ago. If you know anything, call the Richmond County Sheriff's Office at (706) 821-1080.

[Deborah]

Deborah is still missing, her case remains open.

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Richmond County Sheriff's Office
Criminal Investigation Division
(706) 821-1020
Or
(706) 821-1080