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The Death of Anne Carolyn McDaniel
Anne Carolyn McDaniel was a 20-year-old seeking independence, not unlike any other young woman. She’d been living in a group home as a way to maintain independence while also living with a disability linked to cerebral palsy.
Shirley, Anne’s mother described Anne’s tumultuous first days as a newborn. She was not expected to live long, let alone walk and talk. It was remarkable how much progress she had made over the years. In fact, she’d been inquiring about bussing tables at a nearby cafe.
This all changed on September 18, 1996, when Anne left President Madison Inn, where she lived in Orange, Virginia.
Four days after Anne left her home, her body was found in Culpeper County, near Lignum and Mount Pony. Some men exercising their dogs found her remains in a rural area, just a few miles from the location where Alicia Showalter Reynolds was found. She’d died by asphyxiation and then had been burned.
After she went missing, authorities considered a man some had referred to as her boyfriend. He was also volunteer at the group home. Although the man was interrogated and police took evidence from his home, he was not charged with any crime linked to Anne’s disappearance.
Since then, authorities have turned to DNA evidence in the hope that it will bring about a stronger lead. So far, the DNA evidence has not matched anybody.
The detective in Anne’s case came forward to report a new witness statement indicating that Anne may have been last seen on September 20, not 18 as was previously reported. Witnesses saw her at the Main Street 7-Eleven that night, and she was apparently asking for a ride. Apparently, hitchhiking was not uncommon for Anne.
These new witness statements are consistent with the date on which investigators believe Anne was killed, September 21.
Shirley’s mother once described Anne as “too trusting.” Unfortunately, both of Anne’s parents passed away before her murderer could be brought to justice. Alicia Showalter Reynolds’s case also remains unsolved, but it seems that authorities have not formally linked the two cases.
