Real Name: Dana Chyleen Fowler-Satterfield
Nicknames: No known nicknames
Location: Roebuck, South Carolina
Date: July 31, 1995
Case[]
Details: Twenty-seven-year-old Dana Satterfield owned and operated her own beauty salon off of State Highway 221 in Roebuck, South Carolina. She was also the mother of two children and had recently separated from her husband Mike. At around 6:30PM on July 31, 1995, she bought a bottle of cleaning fluid from a door-to-door saleswoman named "Shirley". At 8:11PM, Shirley passed by Dana's salon, saw her cleaning up, and waved to her. She then went to visit two other stores.
At 8:30PM, Shirley returned to the salon to wait for her ride home when she heard strange noises coming from inside. She then saw the lights turn out, heard a very loud sound, and saw a man jump out of one of the windows. She ran to a nearby liquor store to call the police. However, she crossed paths with the man in front of the liquor store. Fearing for her safety, she ran toward the street to flag down a motorist. When that was unsuccessful, she ran to the nearest house and called the police.
A deputy sheriff arrived at the salon and found Dana's body in a closet. She had been beaten, raped, and strangled. Authorities ruled out robbery as nothing appeared to have been stolen. Her husband Mike was investigated and eliminated as a suspect. Authorities believe that the killer was a predator, a possible serial killer who may have stalked her.
Another witness, Ken Smith, later came forward. He was driving past the salon at around 8:40PM on the night of the murder when he saw a suspicious man nearby. The man was standing next to a car and gave him a dirty look. Based on the time frame and description, it is believed that he was the killer. Despite the witnesses, no one was ever arrested in her murder. A $50,000 reward was being offered for information in the case.
Suspects: Police first suspected that Dana's estranged husband, Mike, was the killer. His fingerprints were found on the water heater which was next to her body. However, he told police that he had installed the water heater. He also noted that their breakup was amicable. Furthermore, he did not fit the description of the suspect. They also looked into the possibility that he had hired someone to murder her. However, they could find no evidence to support the theory. He is no longer considered a suspect because the brutal way she was killed did not match a professional hit.
Police suspect that the killer may have stalked Dana. They believe he was a predator, possibly a serial killer. A composite was made of the suspect, who was eighteen to twenty-five years old (in 1995), 5'6" to 5'9" tall, 145-170 pounds, with blond or light brown hair. They believe he drove a blue Ford Bronco with custom rims and out of state license plates.
Extra Notes:
- This case first aired on the May 16, 1997 episode.
- This case was also documented on various media, including Forensic Files, On the Case with Paula Zahn, and The Perfect Murder after it was resolved.
- Dana's murder was also referenced on Disappeared when it profiled the disappearance of Michele Whitaker.
Results: Solved. After investigating thousands of leads, in October of 2005, authorities arrested a local man named Jonathan Christian Vick and charged him with Dana's murder. He was also charged with kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct. Authorities had investigated Vick back in 1995, when he was seventeen. However, they did not have enough evidence to connect him until a witness, his friend David Pace, came forward. He claimed that on the day of the murder, Vick told him that he was going to meet with Dana that night. David told police that Vick had threatened to kill him if he told anyone about visiting her that night. However, David was overcome with remorse years later, after meeting Dana's daughter. He then decided to go to the police.
Authorities matched semen from Dana's body to Vick's DNA. It was discovered that Vick also matched the physical description of the suspect and owned a Ford Bronco with custom rims. He also had been a customer at Dana's salon prior to her murder. His ex-girlfriend claimed that after the murder, he drove her to the salon and said that if she didn't listen to him, she would end up like "that woman". Furthermore, while he was in the Marines, he assaulted several people and was known for having a "violent temper".
At Vick's trial, the defense noted that a pubic hair on her body did not match Vick. However, it was noted that the murder took place in the men's bathroom, meaning that the hair may have been left by a customer. In December of 2006, he was convicted of the charges and given a life sentence. In 2010, he was placed on prison lockdown after he assaulted another inmate. He will not be eligible for parole until 2035.
Interestingly, Vick was a suspect in the 2002 disappearance of Michele Whitaker, until she was found alive and well in 2008. He is also a suspect in the disappearance of his girlfriend, Heather Sellars.
Links:
- Dana Satterfield on Unsolved Archive
- Reward fund established for leads in Satterfield slaying - August 10, 1995
- Satterfield slaying probe remains 'active' - November 16, 1995
- Satterfield was raped during attack: 2-year-old case to appear on 'Unsolved Mysteries' - May 15, 1997
- Police agonize over 44 slayings - July 30, 2005
- Investigators crack 10-year-old homicide - October 10, 2005
- Prosecutors: Vick showed violent behavior - May 18, 2006
- Vick murder trial set to begin today - November 11, 2006
- Witnesses recall grisly salon killing - November 29, 2006
- High school friend: Vick planned to visit victim - November 30, 2006
- Vick gets life in prison - December 1, 2006
- A case finally put to rest - December 4, 2006
- Satterfield killer Jonathan Vick put in lockdown - May 14, 2010
- Convicted killer Jonathan Vick pleads for new trial - November 5, 2010
- TV crew filming Paula Zahn show on murder of Roebuck's Dana Satterfield - October 10, 2012
- Dana Satterfield on Bonnie's Blog of Crime - January 27, 2013
- Dana Satterfield at Find a Grave