KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One part of a 40-year murder mystery is solved: After four decades, Arkansas law officers know the name of the victim found in 1984 by a mowing crew east of Little Rock.
Earl James McDaniel, 53, originally from Kansas City, Missouri, was found dead Oct. 30, 1984 by Arkansas Department of Transportation workers along Interstate 40, according to a news release from the Arkansas Department of Public Safety.
An autopsy revealed McDaniel had been strangled, and his death was ruled a homicide.
A review of McDaniel's murder by the Arkansas State Police Cold Case Unit began in 2024, the news release states.
Investigators sent DNA to a specialized lab in Texas. The lab was able to tentatively identify the body as McDaniel.
They also found a possible relative of McDaniel's in Washington state, according to the news release.
McDaniel's daughter was found and a DNA sample was sent to the Texas lab. The lab confirmed the body was Earl James McDaniel.
He spent time in prison in the 1960s in Washington state and was paroled in the early 1980s, the release states.
Law officers arrested McDaniel numerous times throughout the country.
His last contact with law enforcement was Sept. 11, 1984, when police in Iowa arrested him for DUI.
Anyone with information on the murder of Earl James McDaniel should email ColdCase@asp.arkansas.gov.
—
If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
