38-year-old Dona Mae Bayerl disappeared on May 6, 1979 after and argument with her husband, John. Dona Mae was the devoted mother of two young girls, 7-year-old Jodie and 4-year-old Jackie. Dona Mae has now been missing for 39 years. For this series, I spoke to Dona Mae's sister, Joan, her daughter's Jodie and Jackie, and Detective Westphal who is currently investigating her disappearance. In this first part, we are going to dig into the events leading up to Dona Mae's disappearance and what followed in the next several months.
If you have any information about the disappearance of Dona Mae Bayerl, please contact Detective Westphal at 262-679-5652. You can follow Dona Mae's case on social media at Dona Mae Bayerl -Missing since May 1979.
With a case this old, many witnesses are now deceased. A couple podcast hosts lent their voices to help bring these statements to life. Mo Blackwell read statements from Estelle, Dona Mae's mom. You can find her show here: Targeted: True Crime Domestic Violence. The voice of Dona Mae's best friend, Betty, was Haley Gray who hosts Murder Road Trip.
February 2019 UPDATE: John Bayerl has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Dona Mae remains missing.
