Thirty-five years have passed since the disappearance of Pamela Miller on May 29, 1989.
Pam Miller moved to Leesville from Colorado approximately six months before her disappearance. She was employed at both Burger King and Ford’s Cleaners.
Pam was described as a reliable employee who was not known to absent herself away without notifying her family of her whereabouts.
On the night of May 29, 1989, Memorial Day, 23-year-old Pamela Miller enjoyed a night out in Leesville. Pam visited with friends at the Instant Replay Lounge (currently Checker’s Restaurant location) before leaving the lounge at approximately 11:30 p.m.
Pam then traveled to Leebo’s convenience store on Hwy 28 in the area of Kurthwood Road where she used the payphone. It’s believed that Pam attempted to make a phone call.
Witnesses indicated that they observed Pam make a phone call and then retrieve her coin from the payphone which indicated that she failed to reach the party she was calling.
Pam was seen driving herself out of the parking lot and turning north onto Kurthwood Road (Hwy 117).
Later that night, her car was discovered abandoned along Gill Hunt Road at the closed gate to a driveway.
Two individuals indicated that they had located the vehicle, but there was no sign of Pam. Both individuals were cooperative in the investigation.
Pam’s purse was left in the car, and the only item unaccounted for was Pam’s set of car keys, which included a key to the lock on the gate.
It’s believed that Pam was taken after she exited her vehicle to unlock the gate.
Witnesses indicate that they did see lights from a vehicle at the location which they now believe was the suspect vehicle.
Pam lived with her sister and brother-in-law in the city limits of Leesville at the time of her disappearance.
During the early morning hours of May 30, 1989, Pam’s boyfriend made contact with Pam’s sister to advise of the location of Pam’s car.
Pam’s sister immediately knew that something was wrong. She and her husband traveled to the location of the vehicle as they were alarmed by what they saw. They immediately initiated a missing person report.
Pam was beautiful with a stature of 5’4”, a slim build, blonde hair, blue eyes, and a light tan complexion. On the evening she disappeared, Pam was wearing a mint-green pullover blouse, blue jeans, and black high-heeled shoes.
It is believed that she left the club alone, but it was possible that she could have been followed.
At the time of her disappearance, VPSO Detectives conducted numerous interviews, and several subjects related to the case voluntarily underwent polygraph examinations.
The male subject last seen with Pam at the club has refused to cooperate since the time of her disappearance.
At the time, Detectives spoke with him, and he did initially agreed to undergo a polygraph examination; however, once the examination was scheduled, he retained an attorney and refused to cooperate further.
The individual still resides in Vernon Parish and as of this date has yet to contact investigators regarding the case.
In November of 1989, Pam’s skeletal remains were discovered by a hunter in the Peason Ridge Training area in Sabine Parish in the area of Hwy 118.
Due to the location of the remains, FBI Special Agent Leonard “Lenny” Hatton was assigned to the case, and he, along with United States Military Personnel, processed the area and was able to recover numerous items of physical evidence.
At the time it is thought that investigators believed that the site of the shallow grave was a ‘random dump site’. Current-day investigators believe otherwise.
In 1989, Kurthwood Road was extremely rural and had a significantly lower number of residences along the highway than it does today.
Detectives have confirmed that in March and April of 1989, the US Army conducted a training exercise in the immediate area of Pam’s grave.
The grave was along a shallow creek bank directly adjacent to what locals deem as a ‘tank trail’ or dirt road used by the military.
Detectives do not believe that the location of the grave is a coincidence. Cold case Detectives believe that the person responsible for Pam’s murder was familiar with the area and knew the location would afford privacy.
VPSO Cold Case Detectives were able to obtain all of the items of physical evidence from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Detectives have inventoried the evidentiary items and are in the process of arranging advanced forensic testing on some items through a private forensic laboratory.
Forensic testing methods have advanced tremendously since the time of this crime and Detectives are working closely with lab personnel to ensure that all avenues of advanced testing will be conducted on the items.
Detectives traveled to the gravesite in an effort to obtain a better understanding of the topography of the area.
Detectives were assisted by LSP (Retired) Trooper Rickey Robertson, who was originally notified of the remains by the hunter and was the first law enforcement officer to respond to the scene in 1989. Robertson is a documented historian of Peason Ridge and was able to provide significant information regarding the case.
Pamela Miller was one of five women who disappeared between 1983 and 1990.
Melinda Jones disappeared in April 1983. Melinda had been staying at the Redwood Motel in Leesville. Melinda worked selling camera and film products for a traveling company. Her body was found dumped in a ditch just across the Allen Parish line on Highway 10.
Bambi Brantley disappeared in October of 1986. Bambi was last seen walking West from Leebo’s on Texas highway towards Tower Trailer Park where she resided. Bambi’s body has never been found.
Karen Hill was abducted from a convenience store on Entrance Road in November 1988. Hill’s body was located at Little Cypress Pond in the Kisatchie National Forest that same day. After advancements in DNA testing Samuel Galbraith, a soldier stationed at Fort Polk during that time, was arrested in 1997 for the Hill murder. Galbraith was convicted and is due to be paroled.
In February 1990, 15-year-old Tammy Call was reported missing after walking away from Leesville High School. Her remains were located in 1997, in a remote area off of West Boundary Road in the Fort Polk Training area.
FBI Special Agent Lenny Hatton lost his life in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers. Agent Hatton, of his own accord, assisted persons in escaping the South Tower until it collapsed at 9:59 a.m, thus ending the life of a true hero. Information relating to Agent Hatton can be viewed online on Wikipedia.
The Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office would like to encourage anyone who was acquainted with Pam Miller or any of the other victims in these cases to contact Detective Rhonda Jordan at 337-238-7248.
