Police say arrest made in '05 slaying of Tech student Dirksmeyer

Uncle of suspect says again, authorities targeting 'wrong person'

By Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Staff and Wire Reports

State police on Friday arrested a suspect in the 2005 death of an Arkansas Tech student, a year after her boyfriend was acquitted in the case.

In a statement, special prosecutor Jack McQuary said Gary Dunn, 28, of Dover will be charged with capital murder in the death of Nona Dirksmeyer. McQuary offered no additional information about Dunn, saying ethical rules barred him from discussing the case further.

But details have emerged that Dunn, a construction worker, has been convicted of battery in a different case and was on parole when Dirksmeyer was killed.

Nona Dirksmeyer

Dirksmeyer, 19, was found dead Dec. 15, 2005, in her apartment by her boyfriend, Kevin Jones of Dover, Jones’ mother, and a friend of Jones. A jury in July 2007 acquitted Jones of first-degree murder.

McQuary came on as special prosecutor in the case earlier this year. Jones’ attorney during the trial, Michael Robbins, previously has said he believed DNA evidence that the defense previously turned over to the prosecution is what prompted McQuary’s appointment. He said the DNA on a condom wrapper found near Dirksmeyer’s body did not match Jones’ DNA.

Dunn was convicted of battery after attacking a woman on a Russellvile jogging trail in 2003, Robbins said.

“We knew about him, but we didn’t have anything to hang our hat on,” Robbins said. That changed when lawyers obtained a DNA sample from Dunn and it matched a sample found on a condom wrapper discovered near Dirksmeyer’s body, the lawyer said.

Robbins declined to say how defense investigators obtained Dunn’s DNA, saying it was an element of the special prosecutor’s case. However, Robbins acknowledged that investigators gathered some samples from uncooperative suspects without their knowledge.

“The DNA hit was random,” Robbins said. “We didn’t have anything more than just him being somebody who was a violent, convicted felon who was living there at the time.

“When the DNA matched, you’ve got to look at him. There’s no other reason for his DNA to be on a condom wrapper within four feet of her body.”

Robert White of Bigelow, who identified himself as Dunn’s uncle, said Dunn had lived in the same off-campus apartment complex as Dirksmeyer, but said he didn’t know if the two lived in the complex at the same time.

“Just like before, they charged the wrong person — they’re charging the wrong person again,” White said. “They’re manufacturing evidence.”

White said police had been aggressively questioning Dunn’s mother, who has cancer.

“She told them she didn’t feel like answering questions,” White said. “They went out and looked in a shed and looked at boxes in there without a warrant and without her permission.”

Dirksmeyer was a sophomore, majoring in music. She also won Miss Petit Jean Valley in 2005 and competed in the Miss Arkansas Pageant.

Jones said earlier this week that he'll appeal a decision by Arkansas Tech to deny him admission for this semester. According to him, the school said it rejected his application because he didn’t send the proper transcripts and there were safety concerns about having him on campus.

Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for complete details.

Information for this article was contributed by The Associated Press.