WICHITA, Kan. — Shawna Beth Garber was raped and murdered in December 1990, and her body was discovered in McDonald County, Missouri. The McDonald County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating this matter for over 30 years, and Sheriff Eddie Virden has indicated that his department has provided them with new information. As a result of the Osage County Sheriff’s Office’s reinvigorated investigation into the BTK Killer, a decades-old cold case to which the sheriff believes Dennis Rader is connected has received new attention.
Rob Ringwald has been wondering about his sister for decades. They were separated when he was seven and she was five, placed in foster care, and he last saw her a year later. “There was always just a hole in my life without her,” Ringwald remarked of his childhood. She appears joyful and carefree in the recollection.
The birth of Shawna, according to Ringwald, occurred on the eve of my second birthday. He began his search for her when he turned 18. He stated his wife made it a priority after they tied the knot. I need her to do something that will benefit not only me, but everyone in our family. Ringwald explained, “We thought it would be nice for our kids to know their aunt.”
The hunt was finally over by 2021. It was a major blow. Ringwald stated, “It was heartbreaking to learn that she had been languishing in a box for the past three decades. After determining that Shawna’s bones were hers, she was laid to rest at Bucklin alongside her great-nephew. Then, a new quest began: finding fairness.
McDonald County law enforcement initially referred to Shawna as “Grace Doe,” but a DNA match let them finally put a name to her. Ringwald’s daughter is among those who have contributed significantly to the cause. Now he’s hoping that all the media coverage of Shawna’s case will help them figure out if Dennis Rader or someone else is the real killer. “Maybe this will be what they need to bring them forward,” Ringwald speculated.
