LaDonna Humphrey

LaDonna Humphrey

LaDonna Humphrey is an award-winning author, investigative journalist, filmmaker, private investigator, and nationally recognized advocate for victims of crime. Her work focuses on missing persons cases, unsolved murders, victim advocacy, investigative ethics, and the pursuit of justice for families seeking answers.

Over the past decade, Humphrey has become known for her extensive work on cold cases and her commitment to amplifying the voices of victims and their loved ones. Through books, documentaries, podcasts, articles, and public advocacy, she has helped bring renewed attention to cases that might otherwise have been forgotten. Her investigative work has been featured by numerous media outlets and has reached audiences across the United States.

Humphrey is the author of multiple books, including The Girl I Never Knew: Who Killed Melissa Witt?, an in-depth examination of one of Arkansas's most enduring unsolved murders. She is also the creator of The Lost Girls series, a state-by-state examination of missing persons cases and unsolved murders, beginning with The Lost Girls of Arkansas. The series reflects her ongoing commitment to ensuring that victims' stories continue to be told and that families are not left to search for answers alone.

In addition to her writing, Humphrey is a documentary filmmaker and podcast host whose work explores crime, justice, accountability, and the human impact of unresolved cases. She is the co-founder of All the Lost Girls, an advocacy initiative dedicated to raising awareness for missing and murdered individuals and supporting the families affected by these tragedies.

When she is not writing or investigating, Humphrey serves as anExecutive Director of a nonprofit organization that helps women rebuild their lives through recovery and transitional housing services.

She lives in Northwest Arkansas with her husband and seven children.

Learn more at LaDonnaHumphrey.com.


The Man at Hilltop Lanes (Paperback)

The Man at Hilltop Lanes (Paperback)

$19.95

As a little girl, LaDonna Humphrey trusted the wrong man.

He smiled. He knew exactly what to say. And he nearly led her into the darkness beyond the doors of a crowded Oklahoma bowling alley.

Forty years later, LaDonna returns to the place where it happened, determined to confront a memory she has spent a lifetime trying to understand. What begins as a search for one man becomes a chilling journey into trauma, fear, and the disturbing realization that some stories are never truly over.

Part memoir. Part investigation. Entirely unforgettable.

The Man at Hilltop Lanes is a haunting true story about the predator who was never forgotten—and the secrets that linger long after the danger has passed.

The Man at Hilltop Lanes releases on July 17, 2026. Order yours today!


The Lost Girls of Arkansas (Paperback)

The Lost Girls of Arkansas (Paperback)

$19.95

Some stories disappear long before they are ever solved.

A missing woman becomes a faded headline. A murdered girl becomes a file stored in a box somewhere inside a courthouse basement. Families learn to live between hope and grief while communities slowly stop asking questions. Over time, silence settles in where outrage once existed.

The Lost Girls of Arkansas confronts that silence head-on.

In this powerful investigative work, award-winning author, journalist, and victims’ advocate LaDonna Humphrey examines missing persons cases and unsolved murders that continue to haunt Arkansas decades later. Through deeply researched storytelling, firsthand investigative work, and a victim-centered approach, Humphrey explores the lives behind the cases — not as statistics or sensational headlines, but as daughters, sisters, mothers, and human beings whose stories deserve far more attention than they received.

Set against the backdrop of rural highways, isolated communities, river towns, and dense Arkansas forests, the book traces the lingering impact of unresolved violence across generations. It examines how poverty, addiction, indifference, institutional failure, media disparities, and social stigma often shaped which victims received urgency and which were quietly forgotten. In many cases, the investigations stalled long before the pain did.

Rather than glorifying violence, The Lost Girls of Arkansas focuses on the emotional and societal aftermath when justice never comes. Families fracture beneath unanswered questions. Witnesses carry secrets for decades. Entire communities adapt to fear, rumor, and uncertainty while predators sometimes remain hidden in plain sight.

Humphrey brings both investigative rigor and emotional depth to these cases, challenging readers to look beyond the surface of true crime and confront the broader realities surrounding unsolved violence in overlooked places. The result is a haunting and deeply human examination of memory, loss, justice, and the enduring fight to make sure victims are not erased by time.

LaDonna Humphrey is an award-winning author, investigative journalist, filmmaker, and nationally recognized advocate for victims of crime. She is the co-founder of All the Lost Girls and host of investigative podcasts focused on missing persons, cold cases, and justice reform. Her work has earned recognition for its ethical approach, relentless research, and commitment to giving voice to victims and families too often ignored.

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Every name matters. Every story counts. Some cases should never be forgotten. LaDonna Humphrey is currently working on additional investigative volumes including The Lost Girls of Alaska, The Lost Girls of Oklahoma, and The Lost Girls of Washington. To suggest a case, share information, or learn more about her investigative work, visit LaDonnaHumphrey.com.

 


Connected by Fate (Paperback)

Connected by Fate (Paperback)

$19.95

Connected by Fate unfolds against the haunting backdrop of the Ozark National Forest, where the unresolved murder of Melissa Witt has cast a long shadow over the dense woodlands for almost three decades. The mystery, woven into the fabric of the remote mountaintop, has become a part of the lore of the land, with the true identity of the murderer eluding capture, concealed by the forest's imposing presence.

Enter LaDonna Humphrey, driven by a profound sense of justice and a personal commitment to uncovering the truth, despite never having met Melissa Witt. LaDonna's connection to the case transcends the ordinary, fueling her with a relentless determination that has defined her life for almost a decade.

LaDonna's investigation is a riveting narrative of courage, resilience, and an unwavering pursuit of truth in the face of overwhelming odds. Each breakthrough and setback, each clue unearthed and lead followed, draws her deeper into a web of intrigue that extends far beyond the initial crime.

Connected by Fate is more than a true crime story; it's a testament to the power of human spirit and determination fueled by the knowledge that solving Melissa's murder is not just about bringing a killer to justice—it's about restoring dignity to a life cut tragically short, and offering closure to a community haunted by the specter of an unsolved crime.

4.8 from 4 readers

The Girl I Never Knew (Paperback)

The Girl I Never Knew (Paperback)

$19.95

Justice for Melissa Witt

For over two decades the identity of Melissa Witt’s killer has been hidden among the dense trees and thorny undergrowth rooted deeply in the uneven ground of a remote mountaintop in the Ozark National Forest.

Determined to find answers, LaDonna Humphrey has spent the past seven years hunting for Melissa’s killer. Her investigation, both thrilling and unpredictable, has led her on a journey like no other.

The Girl I Never Knew is an edge-of-your-seat account of LaDonna Humphrey's passionate fight for justice in the decades-old murder case of a girl she never knew. Her unstoppable quest for the truth has gained the attention of some incredibly dangerous people, some of whom would like to keep Melissa’s murder a mystery forever.

4.7 from 61 readers