Billie Jean Dunn Wants Hailey's Remains Released to Family

Billie Jean Dunn's attorney has issued a statement, and Dunn, herself, has spoken to the press insisting that the remains of Hailey Dunn be released.

The only response officials give her is that testing continues.  This case has caused no small amount of controversy and has been covered extensively by the Statement Analysis blog, as Dunn made many appearances on the Nancy Grace Show.

Note in Young's statement is the singular "person" responsible; not "person or persons..." which is expected.  That he narrowed it down to a single person points to Shawn Adkins, Dunn's former boyfriend, yet it was his client of whom he was unable to stop from public speaking, which gave us the large volume of information on the case, particularly, via deception.

Both Dunn and Adkins failed their polygraphs, but no one has been charged in the case.

Statement of John S. Young 
Attorney for Billie Jean Dunn
RE: Anniversary of the Disappearance of Hailey Dunn

The anniversary date  of Hailey's disappearance always brings sadness and compassion for Hailey's family-- her mother, Billie, her brother David and her extended family.  It reminds us how fragile life is and how a senseless act of one yet unknown can take the most precious gift of life.

While Hailey's remains have been located and, one would assume, fully processed for the investigation, the remains of this young girl have not been released to the family to allow a burial and final closure to this tragic story.   I do not know why law enforcement has chosen to hold these remains, and there may be valid investigative reasons for doing so.  However, it seems that common decency would suggest allowing the family to have final closure would be the proper thing to do.

Several law enforcement agencies have been involved in the investigation at various times since Hailey's disappearance, including the Mitchell County Sheriff's office, the Scurry County Sheriff's Office, District Attorney investigators, Texas Rangers and the FBI.   While I am sure that the investigation is not 'closed' in the sense of an arrest being made, I am, however, not aware of any active investigation into Hailey's death.   It is my understanding that the FBI has, in fact, closed its investigation, returning the investigation to local authorities.  

Of course, we all hope that the person responsible for this senseless death will someday be apprehended.  Until then, I think everyone associated with the case will remember the day Hailey disappeared with sorrow.

end of statement.

The case is covered in more detail in:


Wise As A Serpent; Gentle As A Dove: Dealing With Deception