Disappearance of Donald Izzett

Donald Lee Izzett, Jr., commonly referred to as "Donnie", has been missing since May 1995 under mysterious circumstances. A young man at the time, Izzett was traveling the country after being discharged from the military for being gay. His last known contact was a Mother's Day phone call between him and his mother, Debra Izzett Skelley, on May 14, 1995. In June 2019, Pike County Police Department discovered human remains in McComb, Mississippi that may have connection to the Izzett case.[3]

Donald Izzett
Born
Donald Lee Izzett, Jr.

(1975-11-05) November 5, 1975[1]
Fort Knox, Kentucky, U.S.
DisappearedMay 14, 1995 (aged 19)[2]
Fernwood, McComb, Pike County, Mississippi U.S.
StatusMissing for 25 years, 8 months and 10 days
NationalityAmerican
EducationFrostburg State University
Height6'2"[2]

Personal life

Izzett was born on November 5, 1975 to Debra Skelley and Donald Izzett Sr. in Kentucky, before relocating to Western Maryland with his mother.[4] After graduating near the top of his class from Fort Hill High School, Izzett enlisted in the U.S. Army in July 1993.[5] After moving to Florida for basic training, Izzett wished to be discharged due to being far from family. Izzett reenlisted with the United States Air Force in February 1994.[4] After admitting he was gay, Izzett was discharged in March 1994 due to the Don't ask, don't tell military policy in effect at the time.[4] Izzett returned home to Maryland and began studying journalism at Frostburg State University.[1] The following year, Izzett departed Cumberland, Maryland for a cross-country road trip in May 1995.[6]

Disappearance

In May 1995, Skelley contacted the Maryland State Police after receiving a distressing phone call from her son while he was in Santa Monica, California.[7] State Police claimed Izzett left on his own free will and was not missing from Allegany County, Maryland.[4] In October 1995, Skelley received mail of an overdue speeding ticket for Izzett driving a Mazda Miata registered to George "Shane" Guenther from Buckeye, Arizona on May 22, 1995.[8] Research into the citation led Skelley to contact Guenther's grandmother, Sue Guenther, who witnessed Izzett and Guenther having an argument at the family's farmhouse in McComb, Mississippi, about 100 miles north of New Orleans.[9]

Guenther's college roommate, Kyle Barnes, came forward claiming Guenther killed Izzett by shooting him three times and burning the body on the McComb property.[10][11] After sponsoring numerous unsuccessful archaeological digs at the McComb property in the 1990s, 2016, and 2018, a team was successful in discovering human-like remains at the burn site in 2019, but require lab testing to prove their origin.[12]

Media

Beginning in May 2020, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation podcast Someone Knows Something focused on the case in its sixth season.[13]

See also

References
  1. "Donald Lee Izzett Jr". The Charley Project. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  2. "Missing Person Case". NamUs.gov. National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  3. "Correction: Cold Case-Excavations story". AP NEWS. Associated Press. June 6, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  4. "Someone Knows Something: S6 Episode 1: Mother's Day". CBC.ca. CBC/Radio-Canada. 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  5. Powder, Jackie (October 20, 2001). "A somber glimmer of hope". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  6. "Have you seen this child? Donald Izzett, jr". MissingKids.org. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  7. "1183DMMD - Donald Lee Izzett, Jr". The Doe Network. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  8. "Frostburg student missing 15 years after he went on vacation". Washington Examiner. June 14, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  9. "Someone Knows Something: S6 Episode 2: Pitfire". CBC.ca. CBC/Radio-Canada. 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  10. Williamson, Matt (June 23, 2020). "Cadaver dogs search for remains in Izzett case". Enterprise-Journal. McComb, Mississippi. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  11. "Mississippi dig may have found bones of missing Maryland man". ABC News. Associated Press. June 3, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  12. "Remains of Maryland student missing since 1995 sought in Mississippi dig". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. Associated Press. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  13. "Someone Knows Something: Season 6: Donald Izzett Jr". CBC.ca. CBC/Radio-Canada. May 12, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
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