Ava, Missouri – After 35 years, an Ozarks woman’s mysterious death has led to the recent arrest of a suspect. The Circuit Court of Douglas County has filed a grand jury indictment charging Bobby Lee Banks with murder, kidnapping, and rape in connection with the death of a woman on June 30, 1989. Although the victim’s name is not specified in the indictment, the date matches that of Kelle Ann Workman’s death.
Workman, 24 years old at the time, was last seen mowing grass at Dogwood Cemetery near the Pleasant Southern Baptist Church in Douglas County. Her body was discovered submerged in a creek in the Mark Twain National Forest near Oldfield, about 12-15 miles from the cemetery. Due to the rapid decomposition of her body, the cause of her death was impossible to determine.
The case has been a long-standing cold case in the Ozarks, with multiple suspects questioned over the years. Banks, in particular, had previously taken and failed a polygraph test related to the case in 1990, and an ex-girlfriend had informed authorities that he had sought an alibi for the night Workman vanished.
Three people have been arrested in connection with Workman’s death, including Leonard Banks and Wiley Belt, according to Douglas County Sheriff Chris Degase. Workman’s disappearance and death have left a lasting impact, prompting considerable efforts by family, friends, and law enforcement to search for her and seek justice.
A press conference is scheduled to be held by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department and Christian County Sheriff’s Department to provide more information about the case. Despite the passage of time, the arrest of a suspect brings hope for closure and justice for the victim and her loved ones.