After 32 years, the victim of a 1990 cold case homicide has finally been identified as 28-year-old Donna Sue Nelton
dnasolves.com
Summary
On May 7, 1990, the remains of a female were located in the remote area of Maysville. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office was called to investigate and the manner of death was determined to be a homicide. After investigation, the identity of the victim remained unsolved and the case went cold.
On January 6, 1995, it was determined that a facial reconstruction from the skull in this case would not be a possibility due to the extensive damage. On February 24, 1995, evidence in this case was submitted to the Arkansas Crime Lab in hopes of identifying the victim. The testing failed to identify the victim. On December 8, 1995, additional evidence in this case was submitted to the Arkansas Crime Lab in hopes of determining the identity of the victim. This testing was also unsuccessful in identifying the victim.
On October 8, 2008, remains of the victim were sent to the University of North Texas in an attempt to develop a DNA profile. A mitochondrial DNA profile was developed. On December 4, 2008, a case entry was created in the
National Missing and Unidentified Persons Database (NAMUS) as UP2847.
On November 18, 2017, Lieutenant Hunter Petray began a case review to determine the best options for identifying the victim. Dental records from the victim were compared against numerous other known missing individuals with no success. On January 9, 2019, Lieutenant Petray contacted the Arkansas Crime Lab in reference to resubmitting evidence in this case for further testing. The Crime Lab was willing, but noted they had little hopes of developing a profile in this case. On March 28, 2019, Lieutenant Petray contacted the Arkansas Crime Lab and inquired about using genealogy in cold cases. The Crime Lab advised they did not but that a private lab could possibly help.
On March 19, 2021, Captain Thomas See and Lieutenant Hunter Petray met with Othram, Inc. After meeting with Othram, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office communicated with the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office in an effort to help facilitate this advanced testing through Othram. On April 22, 2021, Lieutenant Petray requested the Arkansas Crime Lab ship testable portions of the remains to Othram for testing. On September 23, 2021, Othram was able to develop a DNA profile on the victim. With the victim’s DNA profile finally developed, the science known as “genetic genealogy” was implemented in hopes of finding a relative. On August 11, 2022, Othram's in-house genealogy team was able to identify a distant familial relative in this case.
On August 13, 2022, Lieutenant Petray was able to make contact with the identified relative. Upon speaking and gathering information from the relative, they were unaware of anyone missing in their immediate family. However, they were able to provide a family history including names of close relatives. On August 27, 2022, Lieutenant Petray, with the family history provided, was able to locate a family member who confirmed that they had a family member missing. On September 28, 2022, DNA from the possible relative was collected and compared with the DNA of the unidentified victim. Results indicated a genetic match between the two individuals.
For decades, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office has pursued multiple leads in this case. Finally, after 32 years, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to announce, the victim of this 1990 cold case homicide has finally been identified as 28-year-old
Donna Sue Nelton. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office offers our sincere condolences to the family of Donna Sue.
Through further investigation, Lieutenant Petray has been able to determine that Donna Sue was last seen in the fall of 1989. Federal authorities had been investigating her boyfriend at the time, George Alvin Bruton, for various offenses. Bruton had spent time on the FBI Most Wanted list for three months in 1979 after taking two families hostage and wounding two officers in Utah. He was also implicated in several murders in the Kansas City area and had numerous convictions for bank robbery, burglary, and auto theft. He was wounded and captured in 1980 after a shootout in Fort Smith.
After being paroled from prison in 1988, Bruton again came under investigation in July 1989 for numerous crimes. In September 1989, Bruton and another associate were seen disposing of black trash bags into a dumpster in North Kansas City. FBI Agents retrieved these bags and located a large amount of Donna Sue’s personal effects. Donna Sue’s vehicle was later located inside a storage unit used by Bruton.
On April 6, 1990, Bruton was arrested on parole violation and indicted on drug charges after being identified as the alleged leader of a multistate drug ring. In July 1990, a source info
rmed a Federal Agent that Bruton had mentioned killing a female named “Donna” over threats to expose his drug and theft operations. Donna Sue’s remains were reported to be on land owned by Bruton in Ozark County, Missouri. Federal Agents completed a search warrant for the land, but after four days of searching, Agents were unable to locate anything. Bruton was eventually sentenced to life in prison on drug related offenses.
According to family, both Bruton and Donna Sue were known to pass through Benton County on occasion. They were also known to visit an RV park, known as the Pine Island Resort located in Jay, OK. A Pine Island Resort flyer was located in 1990 at the crime scene in Maysville. George Alvin Bruton died in Federal prison in 2008.
With this new information developed, this case will be finally be closed. However, if anyone has new information regarding this case, please contact Lieutenant Hunter Petray at
hunter.petray@bentoncountyar.gov or the Benton County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division at 479-271-1009
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office gave an update on three cold case homicides after “major advancements” were discovered through DNA evidence.
www.5newsonline.com
Author: Haleigh Schmidt, Kaleigh Begneaud
Published: 11:44 AM CDT October 25, 2022
Updated: 12:19 PM CDT October 25, 2022
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Donna Sue Nelton, 1990 cold case
A Jane Doe was found in a heavily wooded area in Maysville in 1990. Investigators say she was shot, gasoline was poured on her and she was set on fire. At the time, she was estimated to be 25-35 years old.
In 1995, a facial reconstruction was attempted but wasn't possible due to the damage to her body. That same year, evidence was resubmitted to the crime lab, but was unsuccessful in identifying the victim.
In August of 2022, investigators were able to locate a distant relative who was unaware anyone in their family was missing. In September of 2022, DNA showed a genetic match and after 32 years, Jane Doe was identified as Donna Sue Nelton, who was 28 years old at the time of her death. She was originally from Arkansas but was living in the Kansas City area at the time of her death.
Donna and her boyfriend, George Brewton, were known to "pass through" Benton County and frequent an RV park. Petray confirmed that flyers for the RV park were found near her body at the crime scene.
Brewton had a long criminal record and, at one point, was on the FBI's Most Wanted list after shooting two officers and was paroled in 1988. At some point, he reportedly admitted to killing "a Donna."
Brewton was sentenced to two life sentences in 1990 for drug offenses and died in prison in 2008. Benton County investigators said at the press conference they feel confident in closing the case but mentioned they were open to hearing from someone if they think they may know more about Nelton's death.
