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A body was recovered this morning (12-31) during an organized search near Jessieville, Arkansas for a missing police dispatcher.

Laroy Cornett, the Public Safety Director for Hot Springs Village, says a body believed to be that of Dawna Smith-Natzke was found about 5 miles from where the charred remains of Natzke’s vehicle were found last week. “We’re not entirely certain that it is our missing employee, but there is only one missing persons case in this area. We are certainly going on the assumption that it is Mrs. Natzke.”[adsenseyu1]
Over 300 volunteers were involved in the search for Natzke.
Cornett, who was Natzke’s boss, says the body was found in Garland County and his department will assist deputies there in their investigation. “We’re handling it as a homicide but no one has been charged and there is no one in custody at this time in connection with Mrs. Natzke’s disappearance.”
Lt. James “Corky” Martin with the Garland County Sheriff’s Office says his agency hasn’t been involved in the investigation into Natzke’s disappearance other than to aid in the search near where Natzke’s vehicle was found last week. “We’re starting from scratch. We offered assistance early in the investigation but all we were asked to do was aid in the search. Our investigation began today.”
Conett says he has not seen the body and he does not know if there were any visible wounds like gunshots or stab wounds to the body that was recovered near a pond about 9:00 this morning.
Natzke went missing after attending a holiday party with her mother and boyfriend last Wednesday (12-21) within the gated community of Hot Springs Village. Sources say that Natzke left her purse when she left the party.
Natzke’s live-in boyfriend, Kevin C. Duck, 28, told investigators that Natzke was watching television when he went to bed around 11:00 p.m.
Dawna was not reported missing until Friday morning around 6 a.m. after her son called police and she did not show up for her scheduled shift at the department. Sources say she had taken a vacation day for the day after she went missing was to end the relationship with Kevin Duck.

Duck allegedly told authorities he has no idea how Dawna went missing or why her car was burned in the Ouachita National Forest. Duck has family that live not far from where the body was recovered.

Sources say Duck’s brother and sister-in-law are in hiding because they are afraid of Duck, who allegedly told them, “If I go down for this you are too.”

Published reports indicate that Scott Randall, the general manager of HSV and at whose house the holiday party was held, heard a scream followed by silence between 10:30 and 11:00 p.m. on the last night Natzke was seen alive, and that Duck’s father told investigators last week to look for the missing woman near the pond.

By all accounts, Natzke, who had separated from her husband in April, was a loyal and caring woman who donated one of her kidney’s to her father to save his life.

According to Cornett, Natzke’s house was searched, but not sealed, by investigators and no one has been living in the house since Natzke’s disappearance. So, who was the “family member” the neighbor talked with when they went to check on Dawna after the friend called them about receiving a “strange text” message from the missing woman. “Her children are with their father,” said Cornett. “Her children are with their father.”

Lt. Martin, who would not comment on injuries to the remains found this morning, says he believes it will be sometime next week before the remains are identified. “It sometimes takes between three days to a month for an identification. I don’t think it will take that long in this case.” However, with it being a holiday weekend Martin says it could be at least Tuesday before the crime lab retrieves the remains.

Natzke’s boss says, “We’ve tried to preserve as much evidence as possible for a prosecutable case.”

NEWS RELEASE FROM GARLAND COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE 12-31-11 @ 5:29 p.m.:

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