Holloway CNN looks at local unsolved case

The mystery surrounding one of Searcy's only unsolved murder cases will gain national media attention tonight when a short segment about the crime will be featured on CNN.

On June 27, 1997, Tracy Altom Holloway of Searcy was found brutally beaten to death on her bedroom floor, at her home on North Cross Street. The murder has remained unsolved, partially because of the lack of strong physical evidence leading to a suspect.

For eight years the unsolved murder of Holloway has garnered much state-wide media attention, prompting in-depth investigations from news departments such as KTHV Channel 11 and KARK Channel 4. The case has also appeared briefly on Court TV.

During and after the broadcast of these stories, Holloway's mother Donna May has remained instrumental in keeping public knowledge of the case going.

Through those efforts the story was recently revisited by representatives from the Carole Sund Carrington Memorial Reward Foundation, who put together a segment to be viewed on "Nancy Grace," tonight at 7 p.m. on CNN Headline News.

The foundation, which also assists in financing rewards for victims' cases all over the country, also gave May and her family $5,000 to reinstate a reward for someone who will lead them to Holloway's killer.

May hopes the brief segment and the reward offering will keep the memory of the mystery surrounding her daughter's death fresh in the minds of White County viewers.

"For it to finally get to the [national media], I think is going to help us," May said.

The case also raised questions state-wide in 1997 when it was brought out by a KTHV investigation that one of the suspects had close connections to the Searcy Police Department.

May, who has only recently returned to her job, years after the death of her daughter, said that though there was talk about a possible "inside job" by the police, she believes they have done all they could to solve the case.

"I know better," May said. "They let me know everything that's going on."

May said the case has been like a "jigsaw" puzzle but she feels confident that authorities are closer than ever to making the break in the case they need.

"We know somebody knows what happened -- and they've got to live with this," May said. "I just know they will come forward and tell us one of these days."

Searcy Police Detective Chad Crabill said the department is still making continuous efforts to interview and re-interview suspects as well as utilize new technologies by again submitting evidence from the crime scene.

Crabill said from the original crime scene the police collected many pieces of evidence, some of which are just now being tested through more advanced screening processes at the state crime level.

Evidence in the case that has sat inside the department walls for eight years was sent to the state crime lab last year for DNA testing. Crabill said some of those tests will take up to a year to complete, so there is still elements of a waiting game.

"This case hasn't sat dormant," Crabill said.

Crabill said he also believes keeping the public aware of the continued investigation may some day lead to an arrest.

"It's not uncommon for cases like this to get tips after 8 to 10 years," Crabill said. "Someone who may have been afraid to say something may come forward."

Crabill also said that through the years, the suspect list has and will remain open-ended, but now authorities are "down to three or four" possible suspects. Crabill said they have conducted interviews in the case as recently as three months ago.

"This is an open case -- we aren't going to let it fall by the wayside," Crabill said. "Until we solve it, we aren't going to let it rest."

Crabill said he still implores anyone with information regarding the case to contact the Searcy Police Department.

Crabill said the Holloway case is one of only two unsolved Searcy murders.

The other dates back to the fall of 1963, when, according to information provided by Harding Pubic Relations Director David Crouch, one of the university's professors, Ruby Stapleton, 57, was abducted from a Laundromat and later found dead near Beebe.

May, who has maintained she will continue her personal efforts indefinitely, said that what drives her to keep Holloway's name and face in the media forefront is the possibility of someday gaining closure for the family and for Tracy.

"That's the way we're ever going to keep this going, is to keep it in the media," May said, adding that until an arrest is made, the search for the truth will never end. "As long as I'm alive, I'm going to keep trying to find out what happened to my daughter."