Facts Only - no opinions here.

[nobody]

I am opening a new thread. The reason for this thread is that I am forgetting what the facts are - lost in all of this opinion, rumour, and 3rd person talk. If you have a fact to disclose, post it here. Be clear and provide reference to an article or some other proof that is available to everyone.

Items for discussion would include - proven alibis, receipts, phonecalls, etc.

Keep you opinion or bias statements for other discussions.

[nobody]

Nona Dirksmeyer,, is Miss Petit Jean Valley 2005, is a native of Dover and is the 19-year-old daughter of Carol and Duane Dipert of Russellville.
She is a graduate of Dover High School and attends Arkansas Tech University.
Her critical issue platform is, "Break the Cycle — Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness." Her talent will be a vocal performance of Con Te Partiro. Her e-mail address is afireinside911@hotmail.com.
Reference: http://www.atkinschronicle.com/6-22missarkansas.htm

[lorettalockhorn]

Originally Posted by nobody

Nona Dirksmeyer,, is Miss Petit Jean Valley 2005, is a native of Dover and is the 19-year-old daughter of Carol and Duane Dipert of Russellville.
She is a graduate of Dover High School and attends Arkansas Tech University.
Her critical issue platform is, "Break the Cycle — Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness." Her talent will be a vocal performance of Con Te Partiro. Her e-mail address is afireinside911@hotmail.com.
Reference: http://www.atkinschronicle.com/6-22missarkansas.htm

Nona was not the daughter of Duane Dipert. Duane was her stepfather. Her father's name was Paul Dirksmeyer, if memory serves.

[nobody]

Jones and his mother met Whiteman at the apartment of the victim. They discovered ND's body the evening of Dec. 15th, 2005. 911 was called - noting a male and female voice.

[nobody]

Nona, who was a sophomore music student at Arkansas Tech University, would have been anticipating spring break today as Friday is the official beginning of the break for Tech students, according to Dipert. Dipert also crowned the 2006 Miss Petit Jean Valley only weeks ago, an honor Nona would have done as the winner of the event last year.
Dipert also said Nona was scheduled to perform for Easter Service at First Christian Church in Russellville where she had planned to sing a solo as part of the ceremonies for the Passage of Christ.

[lorettalockhorn]

Originally Posted by nobody

Jones and his mother met Whiteman at the apartment of the victim. They discovered ND's body the evening of Dec. 15th, 2005. 911 was called - noting a male and female voice.

Whiteman? Is that a reference to Ryan Whiteside?

Does anyone actually remember who made the call? Was it KJ himself? Or did RW make the call and KJ got on the line for a few minutes and then when the operator told him to stay on the phone, handed it to JJones? Was there one call or two?

[lorettalockhorn]

Originally Posted by lorettalockhorn

Nona was not the daughter of Duane Dipert. Duane was her stepfather. Her father's name was Paul Dirksmeyer, if memory serves.

http://www.atkinschronicle.com/nonadirksmeyer.htm

[nobody]

Is there a way to edit or delete information that I posted? I know that initially you have that option - but then after it is viewed by others - that goes away. Thank you, Loretta. I did mean Whiteside - it was a typo. The initial reports just called Whiteside "another person" - so, I filled that in.

[nobody]

"and singing for Margie Huckabay's classes at Crawford (Elementary School)."
Dipert said Nona also enjoyed helping Huckabay prepare for classes, because education and children were close to her heart."

[nobody]

In a press conference held at noon on Friday, officials with the 5th Judicial District prosecutor's office and the Russellville Police Department announced that Kevin Nicholas Jones, 20, of the Dover area has been charged with murder.

Jones turned himself in to the lead investigator in the case at around 11 a.m. on Friday morning. He is now in the Pope County Jail, charged with first-degree murder.

Jones's attorney, Kenny Johnson, wouldn't comment on the case until he looked over some of the evidence and filings, but the Jones family said the attorney learned from the prosecutor, David Gibbons, that charges would be filed against him Friday, and Jones was encouraged to turn himself in.

Authorities now say they believe the murder weapon was a floor lamp, and they have recovered the lamp as evidence. The lamp was found separated into three pieces a few feet from Dirksmeyer's body. It had blood on it. A palm print recovered from the lamp is alleged to be that of Jones.

Authorities would not comment on a motive for the slaying, but did describe it as a "crime of passion" that took place when Jones allegedly lost his temper.

Russellville police said one week after the murder that they had narrowed the suspects down to one in the case. They confirmed Friday that Jones was that suspect.

Prosecutor David Gibbons said he would not comment further on specific evidence, because he wanted Jones to receive a fair trial in Pope County. He did say that the delay in filing charges in the case came because he was waiting for evidence from the FBI crime lab. That information was received last week, but Gibbons' would not describe the nature of the evidence.

Investigators also say that Jones watched crime-related programs on television and allege that he may have used information from those programs in an attempt to tamper with evidence in the case.


The affidavit filed in circuit court on Friday indicates how authorities believe Jones tampered with the crime scene. It details what Jones did when he saw his girlfriend laying on the ground: "He laid on top of the body and rubbed his hands over the blood to see how fresh it was."

According to detectives and the FBI Behavioral Science Team, "the actions of Jones at the crime scene were a deliberate attempt to destroy the crime scene and to provide an explanation for the presence of any incriminating evidence."

Police also say Jones may have planted evidence. A condom wrapper was found in the kitchen, but no condom was found. Investigators say the wrapper was "placed on the counter to make it appear as if rape was a motive for the attack."

Dirksmeyer was a popular student at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville and was known for her involvement in community activities and beauty pageants. Her family was notified of the arrest Friday morning.

University of Arkansas officials say Kevin Jones was enrolled as a student at the university in the fall of 2005. He was a freshman engineering student. He did not enroll in the spring.

Jones is expected in court for a bond hearing early next week.

Reference: http://www.5newsonline.com/Global/st...&nav=menu151_1

[nobody]

On the 15th of December, 2005, Affiant was notified at approximately 18:45 that RPD officers had responded to Apt. 12, Inglewood Apartments located at 1006 South Inglewood in Russellville, Arkansas. Affiant was informed that the nude body of Nona Dirksmeyer (w/f dob 12/26/85) was found lying in a pool of blood on the floor of the living room of the apartment and that it appeared she had sustained a cut throat and a head injury.

Affiant arrived at the apartment at 19:20 and observed that the apartment and adjacent areas had been secured by RPD. Affiant began processing the crime scene and assigned RPD investigators Virden, James and Waid to begin interviewing witnesses.

The investigation revealed that the deceased, Nona Dirksmeyer, lived alone in the apartment and was the girlfriend of Kevin Jones. It was determined that Kevin Jones, Jones’ mother, Janice Jones, and Jones’ friend, Ryan Whiteside discovered Nona’s body at approximately 18:30 that afternoon. On the 15th of December, Jones was interviewed by RPD investigators and Jones stated that during the afternoon of the 15th of December he became concerned about Nona because he had not heard from Nona so at approximately 18:00 as Jones and Jones’ mother, were driving to Dardanelle for a teacher’s Christmas Party, Jones text messaged his friend, Ryan Whiteside, a pizza delivery person, and asked Whiteside to go by Nona’ s apartment and check on her. Whiteside was interviewed on the 15th of December and stated that he went by Nona’s apartment and saw that her car was there and informed Jones of that fact. Whiteside said that as he started to drive off Jones told him to “knock on the door or something”. Whiteside asked Jones if he was sure because Whiteside thought “that would be kind of weird”. Whiteside stated that he did knock on the front door and rang the doorbell and no one answered. After receiving this information from Whiteside, Jones told Whiteside that Jones and his mother would come to the apartment. Jones stated in his interview that upon their arrival, he could not get the front door open because it was locked and he had forgotten his key. (Affiant’s investigation revealed that only three people had keys to Nona’s apartment: Nona, Nona’s mom, and Jones). Jones told investigators that he and Whiteside went to the sliding glass door which was located at the rear of the apartment. Affiant’s investigation revealed that normally the door was secured by placing a stick placed in the bottom of the door frame to prevent the sliding half of the door from sliding. However, on the afternoon of the 15th of December, there was no stick in the door frame and after an extensive search of the apartment and surrounding area, no stick was ever found. In his interview on the 15th of December, Jones stated that he was able to open the sliding door by using extra force to overcome initial resistance from the door. The action described by Jones during the interview was consistent with the action affiant was required to use to open the sliding door when the door was locked from inside. From Jones’ description and the experiments done by affiant with the sliding door, affiant believes that at the time Nona’s body was discovered, the door was locked from the inside using the locking mechanism but not braced by an object at the bottom of the door. Therefore, at the time of the discovery of Nona’s body, Affiant’s investigation indicates that both doors were locked and there was no evidence of forced entry into the apartment. Subsequent investigation revealed that nothing of value was missing from Nona’s person or apartment. The rear sliding door opened onto the living room where Nona’s body lay and according to Jones’ statement to law enforcement on the 15th day of December, he saw Nona laying there with blood underneath her head. He stated that after getting the door open, he ran inside and laid on top of her and “rubbed his hands over the blood to see how fresh it was.” As a result of laying on top of the body and rubbing his hands over the blood, Jones’ face, hands, and the front of his clothing became smeared in blood. Affiant believes Jones laying on top of the body and rubbing his hands over the blood was a deliberate attempt to tamper with the crime scene and provide an explanation for any of the victim’s blood, tissue or fibers being on him or any of his tissue being on the victim. Affiant’s belief is buttressed by the fact that while at the crime scene, Jones told RPD Officer Beyette that Jones watched a lot of Law and Order, a television show which Afflant knows to deal with forensic science and crime scene analysis. In addition, on March 22,2006, Affiant consulted with members of the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit and discussed the evidence collected in this case to include video taped statements of Kevin Jones, crime scene photos and autopsy findings. It was also the opinion of the members of the FBI Behavioral Science team that the actions of Jones at the crime scene were a deliberate attempt to destroy the crime scene and to provide an explanation for the presence of any incriminating trace evidence.

[nobody]

Nona Dirksmeyer’s body was sent to the medical examiner’s office for autopsy. The autopsy was performed on the 19th of December 2005 and a final report was issued on the 16 day of March, 2006. The ME concluded that Nona’s death was a homicide caused by multiple blunt and sharp force injuries. Among the medical examiner’s findings was a large horizontally oriented laceration centered on the posterior occipital scalp directly in the midline which was four (4) inches below the top of the head and three (3) inches in length. The wound was associated with hemorrhage and contusion of the brain. Affiant was told by the ME that this injury was the lethal event and that it was caused by an object similar to and consistent with the base of the lamp which had Jones’ fingerprint on it.
During the processing of the crime scene, Affiant found a condom wrapper on a kitchen counter next to the living room. An extensive search was made for a condom, including the removal of the toilets in both bathrooms. No condom was found. The medical examiner in his report of the 16th of March, 2006, found no evidence of injury of any type to the external genitalia, vaginal introitus, or vaginal canal and stated to affiant that there was no evidence of sexual assault or trauma. Affiant knows from his training and experience that rape/murders are very rare. In 2004, there were 14,121 murders committed in the United States, and of those victims, only 36 were raped. Based on his training and experience and consultation with the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, it is Affiant’s belief that the condom wrapper was placed on the counter to make it appear as if rape was the motive for the attack.

The Medical Examiner has opined that the approximate time of Nona’s death was from approximately lO:OO to approximately 12:30. The last known contact Nona had with a person other than her killer occurred at 10:25 when she finished a phone conversation with a professor. During that 3 to 4 minute conversation, Nona confirmed to the professor that she was at her apartment. At 11:04, Nona received a text message which was apparently opened but not responded to by Nona. At 12:5 8 she received a text-message but it was neither opened nor responded to. Affiant believes that Nona was killed very soon after 11:04. The Medical Examiner stated that the homicide to include all non-lethal wounds could have been completed within a matter of minutes.

Kevin Jones was interviewed on December 15th and stated that Jones had last seen Nona at her apartment at approximately 00:3 0 on the 15th when he left her apartment and went to Jones’ parent’s home north of Dover to spend the night. He further stated that he called Nona at approximately 01:30 and talked for a few minutes before going to bed. He then stated he had received a text message from Nona at 09:07 on the 15 . He stated that he stayed at his house until 11:45 at which time he left for his parent’s gas station on Hwy 7 South of Dover. He stated he arrived at the station at noon and while there he talked with Blake Walters. Blake Walters was interviewed and stated that he did not see Jones at the Station until 13:00 on the 15th of December. Jones stated in his interview that he first tried to call Nona around 11:00 or 12:OO on the 15th and that Nona’s phone rang and went straight to voice mail. Affiant obtained the cell phone records for Nona’s phone and Jones’ phone and both sets of records show that the first call to Nona’s phone by Jones (after the very early morning call) was at 14:10. After that time Jones made several calls to Nona’s phone to include a text message at 16:28. Affiant obtained Nona’s phone and submitted it to the State Crime Lab for SIM card analysis. The Crime Lab determined that the text message from Jones to Nona at 16:28 read “U ALIVE”.

[nobody]

RUSSELLVILLE - A $250,000 bond has been set for Kevin Jones, the man charged with first-degree murder in the December death of Arkansas Tech student, Nona Dirksmeyer.

Jones did not appear at a bond hearing Tuesday morning in Russellville, but was represented by his attorneys. He is expected to be released from jail after posting bond.

Although the judge set a bond of $250,000 for Jones, he can be released by paying 10 percent of that amount, or $25,000. Under the terms of his release, however, he must check in with authorities once per week, is not allowed to leave the state, and must not contact or go near members of Dirksmeyer's family.

[nobody]

Dirksmeyer's family has expressed distress at a sign in front of a restaurant where Jones used to work. The sign at the Bayou Bridge Cafe in Dover says, "We Love You Kevin.''

Reference: http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0406/316315.html

[nobody]

(Kenny Johnson, Defense Attorney)"He's holding up pretty good… about as good as you can after being accused of murdering the girl you love."

Jones was released contingent upon paying $25,000 cash to the county. He can't leave the state and he must check in with the sheriff's department no later than 4:00 every Friday. He's also been prohibited from visiting the slain beauty queen's parents.

[nobody]

Lawyers for Kevin Jones argue that prosecutors helped create an "extraordinary amount'' of media coverage on the death of Nona Dirksmeyer.

Reference: http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0506/332360.html

[nobody]

Taken from probable cause statement - "Despite his actions at the crime scene (laying on the body, putting his hands in the blood) Jones denied ever touching the lamp when the body was discovered. This was confirmed by a sworn statement by Whiteside who stated that he didn’t see Jones touch anything other than Nona and a greeting card."

[nobody]

As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 23,682.

[nobody]

Originally Posted by nobody

Lawyers for Kevin Jones argue that prosecutors helped create an "extraordinary amount'' of media coverage on the death of Nona Dirksmeyer.

Reference: http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0506/332360.html

Prosecutor David Gibbons did not object to a request by the defense for the gag order in the case in an effort to reduce news coverage off the case.

Reference: http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0606/333899.html

[nobody]

Post claiming to be Detective Frost -

"I am Detective Mark Frost. I have just recently been reading your posts. I decided to reply to some of your comments. I will not discuss the case in this forum however; I would like to set something straight. All three of you have assumed an anonymous name so nobody will know who you are. As you can see I have not done this. I have given my real name and you can go to my profile and get my e-mail address to contact me directly, if so desired. I ask that the three of you do the same if you decide to reply. You have stated that LewisM was a paid consultant for the Russellville Police Department from December 05 thru April 06 when you quit because you were upset that Kevin Jones was to be arrested. I am the lead detective in this case and at no time did the Russellville Police Department ever hire a consultant to assist with the investigation. If you so desire please feel free to file an FOI to determine if what I am saying is true. I have talked with my chief and he has advised me that we will honor a FOI request of that nature. Obviously any other request for information reference this case will not be honored because as you all know this is an ongoing investigation. Just because an arrest has been made does not mean that the investigation stops. I look forward to your replys, however please resond with your real names or please feel free to e-mail me direct. If you need assistance in filing the FOI please feel free to contact me direct."

[nobody]

Originally Posted by nobody

Post claiming to be Detective Frost -

"I am Detective Mark Frost. I have just recently been reading your posts. I decided to reply to some of your comments. I will not discuss the case in this forum however; I would like to set something straight. All three of you have assumed an anonymous name so nobody will know who you are. As you can see I have not done this. I have given my real name and you can go to my profile and get my e-mail address to contact me directly, if so desired. I ask that the three of you do the same if you decide to reply. You have stated that LewisM was a paid consultant for the Russellville Police Department from December 05 thru April 06 when you quit because you were upset that Kevin Jones was to be arrested. I am the lead detective in this case and at no time did the Russellville Police Department ever hire a consultant to assist with the investigation. If you so desire please feel free to file an FOI to determine if what I am saying is true. I have talked with my chief and he has advised me that we will honor a FOI request of that nature. Obviously any other request for information reference this case will not be honored because as you all know this is an ongoing investigation. Just because an arrest has been made does not mean that the investigation stops. I look forward to your replys, however please resond with your real names or please feel free to e-mail me direct. If you need assistance in filing the FOI please feel free to contact me direct."

It is official, it was Detective Mark Frost that posted yesterday! Mark was not aware that the e-mail link would not work and he gave me his e-mail address to post here (if the moderator removes it try contacting Mark with a private message): mark.frost@russellvillearkansas.org
For the record, he was a real nice guy!

[nobody]

The Courier Article reads as follows: "Father Of Murder Suspect to Pay Fines" - "The father of murder suspect Kevin Jones was sentenced this week in Russellville District Court to pay $455 in fines and court costs after allegedley slamming a chair into a wall at the Russellville Police Department. Hiram Jones, Jr., 50, was not present at his court hearing Wednesday, but his attorney Micheal Robbins pleaded no contest on behalf of his client for the misdemeanor disorderly conduct and and criminal mischief charges against him"...... There is quite a bit more to the article, appearing as a second page story in today's paper.

[nobody]

Nona, who died a couple of weeks before her 20th birthday, was planning to sing during the Christmas Eve worship service.
Music was an important part of Nona's life.
Not only did she play the flute in her high school band, but she sang in the church choir, Tech choir and as talent in area scholarship pageants.
"She had a beautiful voice. We were so glad when she would sing at church," Peggy said. "Via Dolorosa." She did a beautiful job on that one."
In addition to music, Nona cared about the welfare of others. That's why she became involved with the Big Brother Big Sister program.
At the time of her death, Nona was "Big Sister" to an 11-year-old girl.
"The night she was murdered, she was supposed to take that little girl out to eat," Peggy said.
Showing kindness and caring for others were important to Nona, and it showed.

Reference: http://www.couriernews.com/archived_...a%20Dirksmeyer

[nobody]

Originally Posted by nobody

Prosecutor David Gibbons did not object to a request by the defense for the gag order in the case in an effort to reduce news coverage off the case.

Reference: http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0606/333899.html

Circuit Judge John S. Patterson granted defense lawyers' request for a gag order. Patterson's order this week said media coverage could make it difficult to seat a fair and impartial jury in the trial of 20-year-old Kevin Jones of Dover, Dirksmeyer's boyfriend.

Patterson's order limits discussion of the case to court filings and related courtroom activity.

Reference: http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0706/342993.html

[nobody]

By Brooke Vermillion
Reporter
Friday, Dec. 15, 2005, was Detective Mark Frost's first scheduled night of the week to be on call after-hours at the Russellville Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division (CID).
The evening had been fairly quiet prior to a call that came in at about 6:30 p.m. requesting his assistance in an unattended death at 1006 S. Inglewood.
But the call was not an unusual one. Frost had been on several calls that started out similarly.
"They told me a person was found dead," Frost said. "That's all I knew when I left (the office). I've responded to numerous calls like that and it ranges from a natural death to a suicide. They (dispatchers) don't give us (detectives) a whole lot of information on the front side."
When he arrived at the Inglewood apartment complex and saw the chief of police standing near a barricade of yellow caution tape, Frost said he knew this was no natural death.
CID Sgt. John Waid met the detective on his way into the apartment and briefed him on what they had seen. A crime log was started to document who entered and exited after Russellville police officers finished securing the scene.
The nude body of a 19-year-old woman had been found lying in a pool of blood on the living room floor, according to police reports. She had visible cuts on her throat, and was pronounced dead at the scene by Pope County Coroner Leonard Krout.
After the three people who found the body were ushered away to the police department where they were interviewed and released by Detectives David Virden and Carey James, Frost and Detective Jayson Crabb stayed at the scene to photograph and collect evidence.
"That's standard," Frost said of the interview and collection process the detectives used that night. "You try to get as much information as you can in the first 48 hours of an investigation, because after that, [people] start to kind of scatter. ... So the first 48 hours are crucial. We just get as much as we can as quick as we can -- document, document, document."
To process the scene meant detectives looked for fingerprints, blood, hair, clothing fibers, etc., Frost said.
"There's nothing we don't look at," he said, noting he took photographs upstairs and downstairs, close up and at a distance. "That's what takes time -- we look at everything."
But Frost said that procedure is also customary during an investigation.
"Processing a homicide scene is no different than processing a burglary scene," he said. "The principles are still the same; it's how in-depth you go that makes all the difference. ... We just look at it in a different light."
When asked how long he stayed the first night, "I couldn't tell you; I never looked at my watch. Time was not an issue."
But Frost estimated he stayed at least five or six hours on the night of Dec. 15.
Officers then kept watch over the scene all night until detectives could return the next morning to finish gathering evidence.
The officers' role, he said, was important because, "When we get there to process a crime scene, whether it's a break-in of a house, car, whatever, we focus on the scene itself. ... So we're not paying attention to what's going on outside of the scene. That's why we need officers there -- to keep people from contaminating the scene.
"They are there to watch our backs while we do our jobs."
Handling the pressure
Police, firefighters and emergency personnel deal with critical incidents quite often. But the general public often wonders how they handle pressure in those tough situations.

Reference: http://www.couriernews.com/archived_...a%20Dirksmeyer

[nobody]

Detective Frost Defending RPD

Since the December 2005 day when a 19-year-old Arkansas Tech University student lost her life in the first known homicide in the city in several years, questions have been asked and rumors have flown about the competence of the city's police department in handling a case of its magnitude.
Even with the negative talk on the street and letters to the newspaper editor voicing personal concerns, the police have just smiled and remained quiet about how they actually handled the case -- until now.

Reference and more information:
http://www.couriernews.com/archived_...a%20Dirksmeyer

[nobody]

Facts in Bold

Moore & Co - a local realty company had/has it (Jones Gas Station) listed. I'm not sure if it sold or what but it was listed in the paper (for sale) several times.

Logically, you'd think they were selling because of the press and maybe because of mounting legal fees.

[nobody]

The owner of the cafe where Kevin worked/works was killed tonight in a car wreck on I-40. Paul Eells the voice of the Arkansas Razorbacks was also killed.

http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0806/349055.html

[nobody]

According to the Dover Times, the Burtons recently sold the Bayou Bridge Café. . .

[nobody]

The greeting card (at the scene) was from Nona's mom.

[nobody]

"Attorneys representing Kevin Jones of Dover are formally requesting certain evidence be handed over to them that they believe could implicate another person in the December 2005 murder of Arkansas Tech University student Nona Dirksmeyer.
In a second formal request filed in Pope County Circuit Court Sept. 18 compelling the district prosecuting attorney’s office to supply additional evidence, the attorneys accuse the office of refusing to hand over interviews and forensic evidence collected from third-party individuals during the Dirksmeyer investigation.
“Several of the items requested were of an exculpatory nature in that they point to the possibility of a third party’s guilt,” the document states. “Such evidence is discoverable and ... the defendant’s right (to) have a meaningful opportunity to present a complete defense includes the ability to present evidence of a third-party’s guilt.”
. . . Robbins and Johnson also accuse the prosecutor of withholding certain physical and forensic evidence for defense expert examination; and “results of physical or mental examinations, scientific tests, experiments or comparisons.”
The attorneys asked that Circuit Judge John Patterson make a decision on when Gibbons should provide the requested evidence. . ."

[nobody]

Russellville Police Chief James Bacon says he is leaving to take a job in Missouri. The 44 year-old police chief says his move has nothing to do with the arrest and death of Bobby Joe Rylee this summer. He says his reasons are personal.

The F-B-I is conducting a civil rights investigation into Rylee's death. Rylee's family has filed a lawsuit over it.

Prosecutor David Gibbons exonerated the officers involved in Rylee's arrest, saying they were justified in using the force they did in arresting him July 15th. Rylee died five days later at a Little Rock hospital. The state medical examiner's office said he had a broken neck with spinal-cord injury and fractured ribs.

Bacon says he learned of the job in Missouri in June and has always wanted to live in Missouri. He says his last day will be October 19th. He is taking a job as police chief of Nixa.


Reference: http://www.katv.com/news/stories/1006/366706.html

[nobody]

Following the death of her bilogical father, "Nona later told her mother, Carol Dipert, that the assaults by an adult male began in 1991, when she was 5, and continued for about five years."

[nobody]

Nona Dirksmeyer

Nona Carol Dirksmeyer, 19, of Russellville, died Thursday, Dec. 15, 2005 at her home.

The daughter of Paul and Carol Yvette Larpenter Dirksmeyer, she was born Dec. 26, 1985 in Zachary, La.

She was a 2004 graduate of Dover High School. She attended Arkansas Tech University and was a sophomore music education major, participating as a member of both the Concert Chorale and the Chamber Choir. She was a member of the First Christian Church Disciples of Christ and in the church choir. Also a member of the Big Brother and Big Sisters; former Pope County Fair Queen and Miss Teen Nebo; she was crowned Miss Petit Jean Valley 2005 and went on to compete in the Miss Arkansas Pageant in 2005.

She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Nona Blanche and William Mewburn Dirksmeyer; maternal grandparents, Mary and Carl Larpenter; her father, Paul D. Dirksmeyer; and a an aunt, Lucille McWhorter.

Survivors include her mother and step-father, Carol and Duane Dipert of Russellville; four brothers and two sisters-in-law, John Dirksmeyer of Russellville, Mike and Pat Dirksmeyer of Kirbyville, Texas, Greg “Duke” and Dana Dirksmeyer of Friendswood, Texas, and Paul Dirksmeyer of Metairie, La.; a sister, Judy Smith of Baton Rouge, La.; her fiancé, Kevin Jones of Dover; a step-brother, Erich Dipert and wife, Sara, of Centerton; two step-sisters, Sarah Duvall and husband, Josh of St. Louis, Mo. and Aileen Dipert of Bentonville; three aunts, Elaine Trimble of El Centro, Calif., Sue Rome and husband, Mike of Tallulah, La., and Theresa Thom and husband, Albert of Topeka, Kan.; numerous nieces and nephews and a host of friends.

Funeral services will be Thursday, Dec. 22 at the First Christian Church Disciples of Christ in Russellville. Reverend Stan McDougal will officiate. Burial will be at Rest Haven Memorial Park in Russellville, by Humphrey Funeral Service.

Visitation will be Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Internet obituary may be found at Legacy.com.

Active pallbearers will be Erich Dipert, Scott Rome, Hiram Jones, Jr., Dan Huckabay, Josh Kanady, Ryan Whiteside, Jeremy Huggins, and Justin Poynter.

Honorary pallbearers will be Russell Jones, Josh Dalzell, Brent Honeycutt, H.C. Martin, Roger Pierce and Brian Featherston.

Reference: http://www.atkinschronicle.com/nonadirksmeyer.htm

[nobody]

Dipert Family shocked by Suspect

"Right now, we're relieved an arrest has been made," Duane Dipert, Nona's stepfather, said. "Our sympathies go to the Jones family and friends. While the worst has already happened to us in the death of Nona, the worst is just beginning for the Jones family."
Carol Dipert said Kevin and Nona had been in a relationship for about five years and had planned on getting married.
"Nona told me that marriage was something they wanted to do, and Kevin wanted to wait to get a ring that Nona could be proud of," Carol said. "I liked Kevin, and through the years, I looked at him like he was my son."
"I'm glad an arrest has been made," Greg Dirksmeyer, Nona's brother, said. "It's just so sad. I still shed tears everyday when I see her pictures or hear my kids express their feelings for a person they cared for very much."
Both of Nona's parents said they would have never imagined Jones could have possibly been a suspect.
"He was the last person I thought would be a suspect," Carol said.
The Diperts not only endured Nona's tragedy, but they buried her knowing her longtime boyfriend was a suspect, and they couldn't say anything about it.
"During the funeral we knew he was a suspect, and we requested for him not to sit with the family. Members of the Russellville Police Department visited us the night before the funeral (Dec. 21) and said that Kevin (Jones) was a suspect," Duane told The Courier in his living room as he watched Friday's press conference. "It was difficult to have that information as time passed and the investigation went on."
The investigation carried on for 106 days and faced massive criticism from numerous sources and was riddled with rumors.
"Kevin was one of the last people we thought could be suspect. I can assure you, it was like a double blow to us to find out that Kevin was a suspect. He was a person that Carol had known for years and someone she trusted."
As the investigation continued, residents began to speculate about authorities' silence in the case and questioned if the Diperts were in communication with investigators.
"We'd like to thank the Russellville Police Department and the prosecutor's office for their thorough work and arresting the suspect," Duane said. "Detective Mark Frost of the Russellville Police Department and David Gibbons, prosecuting attorney, have been in contact with Carol and I about once per week since Nona's murder."
The Diperts shared their relief Friday with members of the media, however they again said the case is just entering another phase.
"The police, especially Mark Frost, have been exceptionally thorough in this case. Mark, David Gibbons and Chief (James) Bacon assured us that they had resources at the state and federal levels that they could call upon when needed. And they did."
Duane said not a day nor even a minute goes by he and Carol don't think about Nona.


Reference: http://www.couriernews.com/archived_...a%20dirksmeyer

[nobody]

The lady who printed "Justice for Nona" bumper stickers (her name is Connie Goff), as well as Nona's mom, will be in front of Hobby Lobby (Russellville) today from 2 pm until.... Bumper stickers are free.

[nobody]

The Arkansas River Valley became flooded with rumors during the past few days about the identity of the person responsible for ending 19-year-old NONA DIRKSMEYER's life nearly 70 days ago in her Russellville apartment.
There has even been speculation that a relative of a prominent city official confessed to the crime.
"No elected official or the family member of an elected official is a suspect in this case. There has been no arrest in the Dirksmeyer case, nor has there been a confession," said David Gibbons, 5th Judicial District prosecuting attorney.
After months of silence and no name to put with the crime except for the victim's, the public's need for answers has manifested into wide-spread speculation.
On Tuesday, many readers -- and even members of the media -- called The Courier to ask if it was true a suspect turned himself in to authorities and confessed Monday night.
"There's zero truth to it," Russellville Police Chief James Bacon said. "It's idle gossip."
Gibbons agreed, saying "Nobody's in custody, and any official booking would fall under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, and media would be privvy to that information."
Dirksmeyer, who was an Arkansas Tech University sophomore, was discovered Dec. 15 in her off-campus apartment allegedly the victim of blunt- and sharp-force trauma.
Rumors have accompanied Dirksmeyer's story since the beginning, however, as of late, they have increased in volume and have grown more and more detailed.
Several readers called The Courier inquiring about an apparent radio report Monday night stating the same information about a suspect being in custody and a confession.
The Courier cannot confirm the alleged report aired, and has no information supporting the claims.
"I remind people to not pay attention to rumors and wait until all the facts come into light," Bacon said.
Background
During a Dec. 22 press conference, Bacon said all but one of the persons of interest have been eliminated as a suspect and that person is still at the center of the investigation.
Gibbons has yet to file charges and has requested the Russellville Police Department to not release the name of the suspect until formal charges are filed.
About Dirksmeyer
Dirksmeyer, a 2004 graduate of Dover High School, was discovered Dec. 15 by her boyfriend Kevin Jones, his mother, Janice Jones and acquaintance Ryan Whiteside.
The daughter of Carol and Duane Dipert of Russellville, Dirksmeyer, a Dover native, was elected Miss Petit Jean Valley 2005 and went on to compete in the Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant in Hot Springs.
Her platform was child-abuse prevention and treatment.

Reference: http://www.couriernews.com/archived_...a%20dirksmeyer

[nobody]

"How accurate is a polygraph?
While the polygraph technique is highly accurate, it is not infallible and errors can occur. According to the American Polygraph Association over 250 studies have been conducted on the accuracy of polygraph testing during the past 25 years. Recent research reveals that the accuracy of the new computerized polygraph stytem is close to 100%.
Most errors occur with inexperienced polygraph examiners. Just as one doctor can look at an x-ray, and not see a problem, while the next, more experienced doctor can, so it goes with polygraph charts." from..

Reference: http://www.truthorlie.com/accurate.html

[nobody]

The following includes segments of a phone call made to the Pope County 911 Dispatch Center at 6:30 p.m., Dec. 15, from 1006 South Inglewood Apt. 12.
The call was from Janice Jones, mother of NONA DIRKSMEYER’s fiancé, Kevin Jones. Kevin Jones and Ryan Whiteside were also present at the time of the call.
Because of the quality of a phone conversation recording and idle conversation, not all of the 10-15 minute call is transcribed below:
Call
Woman: I need the police. (Distressed)
911 operator: I need to know what’s going on, please.
Woman: My son’s girlfriend — I think she’s dead. There’s been a terrible accident. (Sobbing)
911 operator: OK. What kind of accident ma’am?
Woman: I don’t know ma’am. She’s ...
911 operator: OK. What is the address?
Woman: She’s lying on the carpet and there’s blood all over her face. I’m trying to find the address. ... This is the first time I’ve been here. ... We just came to check on her because she didn’t answer the phone. (Sobbing)
I need the address, boys. I need the address! ...
Her name is NONA DIRKSMEYER. ...
(Caller switches to a male at the scene)
911 operator: Sir, I know you’re very upset, but I’ve got to find out where the apartment is.
Male: OK. It’s on Inglewood in Russellville ...
911 operator: Is she breathing at all?
Kevin: No, no. She’s cold. She’s not breathing, she doesn’t have a pulse, and I think she’s dead. ...
911 operator: OK. Stay on the line until somebody gets there.
Male: OK. I’ll be here.
(Caller switches back to woman at the scene)
(General conversation while waiting for EMS to arrive)
911 operator: How long has it been since he talked to her?
Woman: She sent him a text message at 9 o’clock this morning. ...
(Ambulance arrives after further conversation. Call ends at about 6:40 p.m.)

Reference: http://www.couriernews.com/archived_...a%20dirksmeyer

[nobody]

"A Pope County jury trial is expected to begin Jan. 16 for the man charged with murdering the young Nona Dirksmeyer — her long-time boyfriend, Kevin Jones of Dover. The trial is expected to take 10 days, with more than 100 witnesses slated to testify — including Jones."