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.

[Devil_Anse]

The husband/boyfriend is almost the first suspect in any case like this, that doesn't mean anyone is trying to disparage this apparently very fine family.

Well said!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

ping

[Devil_Anse]

Higher education does not equal harmonious family health.

You're right!

[Devil_Anse]

How sad, how very, very sad!!!

I always felt sure that Dru was dead. I mean, they found blood in the suspect's car, and it matched Dru's. And if she'd been alive, the family would have heard about it by now.

But it's just so sad to hear it confirmed. Why do some people insist on killing good, sweet, attractive girls? Or kill any innocent person, for that matter? Sometimes the human race defies logic.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

Morning GA/SC BUMP

[mhking]

Who's got the GA list?

[SeeRushToldU_So]

Ronald Francis Burke: suspect in the disappearance of Tamara Dunstan. Special

 

   This a local boy. His younger brother goes to school with my daughter. The younger brother is a nice boy and visits our house regularly. I know nothing of the perp.

 

 

 

Police find body of missing woman

Suspect is custody Web posted Sunday, April 18, 2004 at 12:31 p.m.
Updated at 2:10 p.m.
By Dena Levitz Staff Write

Police found the body of 29-year-old Tamara Dunstan and arrested one man in connection with her death, Richmond County Sheriff Ronnie Strength announced at a Sunday press conference.

Ronald Francis Burke, 25, of the 3000 block of Wrightsboro Road, was charged with murder and kidnapping and is being held at the Richmond County Jail.

The sheriff said interviews with Mr. Burke on Friday led police to a wooded area in Edgefield County where Ms. Dunstan's body was found.

Sheriff Strength would not take questions after the press conference.

The victim was abducted on Thursday when she went to her mother's home on Kipling Drive to drop off a belated birthday present. Authorities said she arrived as a burglary was in progress and was kidnapped by the burglar.

[SeeRushToldU_So]

Here is the link to the latest info.

[eastforker]

This is so sad. Just sad. Prosecute and kill this bastard.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

So sad. My prayers to Tamara's family. No one knows when tragedy will strike any one of us. It is up to us to support the family with our prayers.

Prayers for the perp's brother and rest of family as well. Sometimes in spite of our best efforst, a bad apple will spoil regardless.

I have no sympathy for the perp....IMHO, if he confessed, spare us the cost of a trial and fry him. But as a mother who has one son who has been the source of much heartbreak, I am sure the heart of his family is as broken as the hearts of Tamara's family.

[Sandylapper]

Thank you for posting this sad news. This is so tragic. Prayers for her husband and family. I've been holding my breath for this horrible news.

Anse, as legal info, if I understand the story correctly, Tamara was kidnapped in GA (Augusta), but her body was found in Edgefield County, SC (home of Strom Thurmond). Guess that makes it a federal case, right?

[SeeRushToldU_So]

 They found her........dead.

[SC Swamp Fox]

It doesn't matter...both SC and GA have the death penalty. It matters where she was killed.

Even if the killing took place in SC, GA can charge him burglary and kidnapping. SC could charge for the murder and put him to death.

[Sandylapper]

Thanks, Swamp Fox, we don't know where she was killed, or do we? Apparently, there was evidence of "foul play" in the home, so possibly the murder happened there. But still, if that is the case, he would have had to transport her body across the state line. Somehow, like the Alice Donovan case, I believe this will end up in federal court. Kidnapping/murder in federal court can end in a death penalty. (I'm just surmising here).

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

The news report I heard was the perp was the ex-boyfriend of Tamara's sister.

[Sandylapper]

Ooooohhhh my! Thanks for that info, PBR! I'm located east of Cola, SC, but the only thing new I heard tonight on WIS-TV was that "there was a struggle in the house". From the earlier report that there was evidence of foulplay, I wasn't sure if there was blood or what.

Guess the fact that the perp had probably been in the home before tells us how he knew where the valuable art was kept and how to finesse the burglar alarm. So sad and tragic.

[mabelkitty]

Dear Lord.
Why didn't he just take his stolen goods and leave her alone.

[mabelkitty]

This is a Federal Crime.
He killed a child when he killed this woman, with the
Fetal Protection Act Congress and the President just passed. Remember? The Laci and Conner Law?

He's such an ignorant and evil man that I find relief knowing there is no chance of him going lightly.

[SC Swamp Fox]

He also crossed state lines. The burglary and kidnapping were in GA, the body was found in SC. They have not said where they think the murder occurred.

[Sandylapper]

No, and I don't think they've released how she was killed; i.e., gun, strangulation, other method. If he is talking and confessing (in order to save his life), maybe there will be evidence of how, where, and even when she died. She was missing since last Thursday.