Police: Pregnant Woman Kidnapped [Augusta GA--Tamara Dunstan]

www.11alive.com ^ | 4/16/2004 9:22:56 PM | Provided By: The Associated Press

[vikingchick]

Augusta (AP) -- Police are searching for a pregnant woman who may have been kidnapped during a burglary at her mother's house.

Twenty-nine-year-old Tamara Dunstan was last seen last night at her mother's Augusta home. Her vehicle was still at the house and her keys were inside the home when police arrived, authorities said.

Richmond County Sheriff's Major Ken Autry said Dunstan may have arrived at the house during the burglary. Autry said evidence of foul play had been found.

Dunstan's family has offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to her return and the arrest of those responsible.

Police don't believe Dunstan knew her abductor, Autry said.

Residents living in the area were asked to help find a dark-colored, newer model Ford Mustang with a University of South Carolina-Aiken plate on the front of the vehicle. The occupants were described as a white man and a black man, both in their mid-20s.

Dunstan is a 5-foot-4 white woman weighing 120 pounds. She has shoulder-length brown hair.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

WSB Radio in Atlanta reported that he led them to her body. They musy have been able to zero in on him fairly quickly. I had the feeling watching the family on Greta, they knew the outcome was not good.

My prayers are for the family.....

[Sandylapper]

I also had heard that he led them to her body. Chances are, if it's true he had dated her sister at some time, they did zero in on him fairly quickly. Wish I had seen the Greta report, but did not. Was unaware until yesterday via a ping to this thread that Tamara was missing. My prayers are for the family, too.

[Jackie-O]

Thanks for the ping sandy. My puter was down all weekend. I just read the thread regarding the perp. So sad, evidently he knew this girl...double homicide charges are in order.

[Devil_Anse]

Her......... BODY?!? This was the first I heard of her having been found dead! Horrible!


Yup. Furthermore, kidnapping is a state crime also. So Georgia, the state where she was kidnapped, can prosecute him under their state law.

Many times federal and state criminal jurisdiction overlap. Prohibitions against double jeopardy do not protect a criminal from being prosecuted by both the state and the feds--for the same crime.

[Devil_Anse]

Whoa! He was the ex-boyfriend of Tamara's sister? That fills in a lot, from my point of view. I was wondering why a mere stranger, who happened to be a burglar, would not simply run away really fast, if discovered burglarizing the place. Now it makes "sense"--in a twisted sort of way.

Poor girl!

[Devil_Anse]

Some of the reports I've just read make it sound like they got a hot lead from the type of truck. I wondered about this. Even though the truck had that plywood as a back panel, I wondered how it could be so easily found, since they never said anyone had its license number.

But if the guy used to date her sister, that would mean that when the family heard the description of the truck, probably one of them recognized it as a truck they already knew.

It sounds to me as though maybe this guy wasn't really going there just to take valuables, that maybe he wanted to do something worse to the family. And maybe Tamara walked in, saw him, told him to get out... maybe they had words and then before she realized how bad it was going to be, maybe he got violent, there was a struggle... Maybe, b/c she knew him, maybe she (perhaps being trapped) was trying to talk him back down to reality, and it just didn't work, and he killed her.

[Sandylapper]

I'll be glad when and if LE starts releasing more info. Some on the thread thought the perp(s) switched vehicles, but I'm wondering if LE just learned of some construction workers who were in the neighborhood and wanted to question them (red Mustang--see post #9). Maybe the truck with the board was spotted at the home, but the eyewitness was unaware that anything was amiss until later and came forward.

If the perp was there for paintings and valuables, he would have needed some way to haul them. Also, it seems to me that he would need a "fence". Was he a professional burglar?

Then, the news that he was an ex-boyfriend of Tamara's sister. Why and when did they break up? Is it possible that the parents put their foot down on someone they thought might be a "n'er-do-well", or someone they were suspicious of? I have a hunch the sister was younger than Tamara, probably younger than the perp.

I don't think we'll get much info for a few days, pending autopsy, further interviews, funeral, etc., but it's a very tragic, sad case with many unanswered questions.

[kelpier]

Just want to add a few things here. I'm in Augusta and an acquaintence of the families. The truck that was mentioned, was described as a teal truck with no tailgate (but with a piece of wood in place of it). There aren't many like that in town. Burke's girlfriend actually owns the truck and she turned him in Friday night/Sat morning as soon as she learned of the vehicle description. After he disposed of the body, he and family went out to dinner! He dated Meredith (Tamara's sister) several years ago and knew the family and home well. He entered the home thru a floor as to not set off the alarm in the home and was there to steal artwork, etc as a gift for his girlfriend. She walked in on him robbing the home. Instead of facing the music and getting possible probation for attempted robbery, he's facing the death penalty (which he truly deserves). This kid was only 6 months away from graduating college and got in with the "wrong" crowd from what the news is saying. According to the autopsy results, she was strangled (and killed) by human hands. There was a struggle at the home (possibly where she was actually killed), but he disposed of her body on Federal land in SC. SC will not (as of now) be pressing charges since the robbery, kidnapping and double murder charges will be in GA (where it all took place). All of the artwork AND her wedding rings were found in a field of a local school earlier this week. Her funeral was today, so I'm praying that the family can begin to move forward hour by hour and day by day. All of the stories can be found at www.augustachronicle.com You have to register for an online account, but there is no fee to do so.

[Sandylapper]

Thanks so very much, kelpier! I can't imagine going out with his or his girlfriend's family after disposing of her body! Surreal! How could anyone hold a knife or fork, much less eat!

Since news of this case in my area has been nil for several days, I did go to the augustachronicle.com website and read several articles. One article said that he had confessed to strangling her in the home.

Yes, I had seen or read where he was only 6 months away from graduating college. Also had seen that he was drinking heavily the night before until 2 a.m.

This is such a tragedy! It's only fitting that he's facing the death penalty.

I'll be interested to learn if GA will try the case or if it will be tried in federal court. I didn't know it was federal land that he used to dispose of her body. If you learn anything new, please share! Thank you!

Sandylapper

[Devil_Anse]

Post 69: I think it's back.

[Jackie-O]

You mean #68? I don't know..seems a little off of the usual troll's MO. Staying tuned.

[netmilsmom]

Hmmmm.
Caps key used, Hmmmmmmm.

[Devil_Anse]

Ooops! Yes, I meant Post 68!

[AnAmericanMother]

I vote no on this one.

For one thing, the writer is literate. Also the detail seems to be accurate.

Sometimes people really DO know folks involved in a news story. Augusta's still a small town (my mother's people are from there) and this sounds quite plausible.

[Devil_Anse]

Okay, your opinion is welcome.

Hey, I admit it did flash across my mind that maybe this person was a reporter for the Augusta Chronicle. Note how they give the address, and refer posters to that newspaper.

[hellinahandcart]

I agree with AAM. Too many deviations from standard MO. Plus, it hasn't become maudlin, combative, or profane at all. Stand by.

[Sandylapper]

I didn't find any new articles in today's augustachronicle, but did read her obit as of April 21 (yesterday). Things must be at a standstill.

The obit, of course, gave info about Tamara's background. Here are some of the things I learned. Her parents were divorced and both remarried. She had one sister and one brother. Her husband had only one sister. She graduated from Furman University and got MBA from Clemson University cum laude. She was angel-like, loved children, and people loved her.

Kelpier, here's a question for you. What does Tamara's stepfather do? I saw a picture of the home on TV, and it was said that it was an 8 bedroom house. Who, in the past, needed 8 bedrooms? The obit didn't mention any stepbrothers or stepsisters. I know this isn't relative to Tamara's murder, but enquiring minds want to know. (Money, you know).

[kelpier]

So sorry to disappoint a few of you. No, I am not a troll and no, I am definitely not a reporter for The Augusta Chronicle or any other news media. I own a small retail business here in town. I lead a quiet boring life and do not "troll" the internet looking to start trouble. Think what you will, as I am a new name here, but over time you will see that I am a "real" poster.

[kelpier]

Tamara didn't have a step father, hence her mother still being called by her former married name. Good try. Her FATHER is remarried, so she has/had a step mother. Joan, the step mother, has a daughter from her first marriage. Her daughter would be in her mid 20's now. Her father as well as her uncles are/were cardiologists and have been serving this area for many, many years, so they have never had financial difficulties. I cannot answer why they would choose the house they did. I am not a realtor, nor am I their financial planner. I can tell you that the house is in a quiet area on a dead end street that would have been terrific for kids and grandkids growing up. It is also in the school zone for some of the best Elem, Middle and High schools in the area.

[kelpier]

Thank you. Yes, Augusta is a fairly small town. Big enough, but not even close to the size of Atlanta or a larger city. For many of us who were born and raised here, it seems almost impossible to go anywhere without running into someone you know. I can tell you that having a father in the public eye made my getting away with anything growing up almost impossible lol. I couldn't even go on a date without running into some friend of the family.