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Missing Donna Mae Jokumsen 
Donna, approximately 1987; Kevin Jokumsen in 2017 Date reported missing : 07/05/1987 Missing location (approx) : Chandler, Arizona Missing classification : Endangered Missing Gender : Female Ethnicity : White DOB : 02/15/1965 (56) Age at the time of disappearance: 22 years old Height / Weight : 5'11 - 6'0, 180 - 190 pounds Description, clothing, jewerly and more : A dark-colored t-shirt, green surgical scrubs and flip-flops. Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos : Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Donna has a scar on her abdomen and a tattoo on her shoulder. Her maiden name is Douglas. Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Donna was last seen in Chandler, Arizona on July 5, 1987. This was the same day she planned to separate from her husband, Kevin Dale Jokumsen. They lived in the 900 block of west Gary Drive, near Alma School Road and Ray Road. A friend met up with Donna on July 3, two days prior to her disappearance, and noticed Donna had a split lip and bruises. Donna said the injuries were caused by Kevin, and said that she was going to leave him and take their two toddler sons and drive to her parents' home in Enumclaw, Washington, where she and Kevin also used to live. She called her father and asked if she could move back in with him, because she was tired of her violent arguments with Kevin and his physical abuse. Donna's father said she could come. On July 5 she went to a friend's barbecue. She planned to return home in her blue Chevrolet Chevelle, pack clothes for herself and her children, then go back to the barbecue with her children and spend the night with her friend before heading back to Washington. She never returned to her friend's house, however, and was never seen again. The Jokumsens had met in high school, and their loved ones stated their relationship had been toxic from the beginning and arguments often escalated into violence. Donna's sister witnessed Kevin hit and choke her, and Donna's mother once told the police that Kevin had tried to drown Donna in a ditch after Donna told him she was pregnant. In spite of this, they married in 1985, a year after the birth of their oldest son. They had another child in January 1986 and moved to Arizona after Christmas that year. Kevin's abuse had continued after the move, and Donna told a friend he had raped her and threatened her life. Within months, she decided to move back to Washington. Kevin stated his wife packed all her belongings before her disappearance and he gave her all their cash, about $1,100, to pay for her move. He said he last saw her when she went to visit a friend in Mesa, Arizona that evening. When he woke up the next morning, Donna wasn't home, but her Chevelle had been cleaned and returned to its spot under the carport. Kevin said she had left him several times in the past but was never gone for longer than a few days. Authorities subsequently discovered that Donna had left behind all her possessions and her children as well as the car. Kevin pawned her jewelry after her disappearance. When she had not arrived in Washington within five days, her father reported her missing. Kevin never notified the police about Donna's disappearance, and he also failed a lie detector test about her case. He had said she wanted to leave because she didn't like the weather in Arizona and couldn't find a job in her chosen field, banking, but Donna told told others she was leaving because of Kevin's violence. When police checked Donna's Chevrolet Chevelle, it had been cleaned out and washed. Donna had gone out with a friend and her family for the Fourth of July weekend and they'd gone to the river, and the car had been dirty by the time they returned. When the police asked Kevin who had cleaned the car and why, he said he didn't know. Police stated they believed Donna had been murdered and that the Chevelle had possibly been used to transport the body, but the prosecutor's office initially refused to bring charges. Kevin subsequently moved back to Washington state with his and Donna's children. He never contacted Arizona police to ask about the status of his wife's case. In September 2017, Kevin was charged with second-degree murder in Donna's case. A photo of him is posted with this case summary. After the prosecution rested its case, Kevin's attorneys asked the judge for a directed verdict for acquittal. The defense argued the police didn't investigate any other explanations for Donna's disappearance besides the theory that Kevin had murdered her, and argued there was insufficient evidence to prove Kevin's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The judge directed the acquittal; Kevin cannot be tried again. Foul play is suspected in Donna's disappearance due to the circumstances involved. Other information and links : ncy Chandler Police Department 480-782-4445 September 2021 updates and sources A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe. By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends. Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece. The Arizona Daily Star The Arizona Republic |