The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has brought attention to the case of a missing woman from Indiana who has not been seen in six years.
Every week, the bureau highlights a person of interest in its “Case of the Week.” It is now raising awareness of the unsolved whereabouts of Donna Hatfield, who was last seen at her home in Boonville, Indiana, in 2019.
Newsweek has contacted the Warrick County Prosecutor’s Office for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Shannon Martin, Hatfield’s daughter, has said she and other family members are still looking for answers and have encouraged efforts to rekindle the case, according to the Evansville Courier & Press.
One of Hatfield’s children is a person of interest in the case: Thomas Rainey Jr., her son, whom she was living with at the time of her disappearance.
Shannon Martin, Donna Hatfield’s daughter, center, discussing her mother’s disappearance at a news conference on May 9, with an inset of Hatfield. Shannon Martin, Donna Hatfield’s daughter, center, discussing her mother’s disappearance at a news conference on May 9, with an inset of Hatfield. Main: Boonville police department, Inset: FBI
What To Know
Detective Adam Wilmes of the Boonville Police Department said there was no evidence that Hatfield, who was 72 years old when she disappeared six years ago, was still alive.
Her missing person poster said: “Donna has dementia, requires medical attention, and may be in danger.” Wilmes said her medication was left at home when she went missing.
Hatfield was last seen on May 25, 2019, at the 613 N. First Street home she lived in with her son, who still resides there.
After she was declared missing in August 2019, investigators used various resources, including following tips and searching lakes for her body, but they have not found Hatfield.
Almost six years after opening the investigation, the Boonville Police Department, in coordination with the Warrick County Prosecutor’s Office, held a news conference to discuss the renewed interest in Hatfield’s case.
While members of her family used the news conference to call for action regarding the case, Rainey declined to attend.
According to Warrick County prosecutors, Rainey has given differing accounts to the police and other family members about what happened to his mother.
Martin said her brother called her on August 26, 2019, saying he had taken their mother to a hospital, where she died. However, Martin said no hospitals in the area had proof that Hatfield had received treatment.
The family also said Rainey told other family members that Hatfield left the house with a suitcase full of cash that summer. In September 2019, he told a reporter from 14 News that his mother was not missing and was being looked after.
Rainey was charged in 2016 with assaulting a woman, the Courier & Press reported, citing a sworn affidavit. The woman said in the affidavit that she became unconscious after Rainey choked her. She also said Rainey had told her he was in a white supremacist group. Prosecutors dropped the charges in 2017.
What People Are Saying
Boonville Police Department Detective Adam Wilmes said at a news conference on May 9: “The purpose of this news conference is threefold: to bring the case back to the public’s attention, to give a background on Donna and to find Donna so she can have a proper burial amongst her family.”
Shannon Martin said at the news conference: “She was patient, strong, kind and creative. … She deserves to be found.”
What Happens Next
The Boonville Police Department has asked anyone with information to contact one of the following law enforcement agencies: Boonville Police Department at 812-897-6550, Warrick County Dispatch at 812-897-1200, Warrick County Prosecutor’s Office at 812-897-6199, Indiana State Police at 812-867-2079 and the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
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