Deborah Jean McKneely: Blood in the Kitchen

In November of 1989, 39-year-old Deborah Jean McKneely contacted the police, alleging that her husband, Donald McKneely, had beaten her with a wooden board. This incident prompted Deborah Jean to seek refuge in a battered women’s shelter. Weeks later she would file to end their  20-year marriage.

Just over a year later, Deborah mysteriously vanished. The timing was significant; on January 29, 1991, she and Donald were scheduled to finalize their divorce and settle the division of their property and assets. Deborah Jean, anticipating a substantial sum, estimated her share to be worth around $700,000.

A Scary Scene at Home

That Tuesday their two sons, ages 11 and 13 left for school around 7:30am. The three of them were still living in the isolated family home in a rural area of Conyers, Georgia. It’s unclear where Donald lived at the time.

The school bus dropped the boys back home between 4:30-4:45pm. Instead of their mom being there to greet them like normal, they found a horrifying scene at the house. The back door was kicked in, a window pane in the carport was broken and there was blood in the carport and on the kitchen floor. The phone lines were cut, which forced the boys to go to a neighbor’s home to call 911.

The McKneely’s 11 year-old son told the AJC, “I didn’t know if it was my mom’s blood or maybe the person who tried to break in. All kinds of stuff was going through my mind. I was thinking- ‘is she alright?’ ”

Investigators determined that there was no evidence of a robbery at the home. Deborah Jean’s glasses were on the floor. Her purse, watch, and jewelry were still inside the home. In fact, there was a new IBM computer and diamond ring sitting out in plain sight that wasn’t taken.

The next day Deborah’s 1985 tan and black Chevrolet Blazer was found about 20-25 miles away parked in the lot of a housing project in Decatur, Georgia. The vehicle had blood inside and detectives believe the perpetrators tried to entice someone to steal the car because the doors were unlocked. The keys and $100 cash were visible inside.

The Investigation Starts

Investigators stated that they believe at least two people were involved in the abduction, citing that two doors in the home were forced open. Rockdale County Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Rhoades said the crime was “thoroughly planned and well-executed.” ¹Osinski, Bill AJC

Deborah Jean’s family described her as a devoted mother who was fun, friendly, resourceful, and practical. She had worked as a teacher’s aide. She had no history of disappearing or wandering off. “All indications are that foul play is involved. There’s nothing to indicate it is not.” Sgt Chris Traylor of the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Department told the AJC in 1991.  

A Nasty Divorce

Deborah Jean McKneely accused her estranged husband of a “campaign of terror” in the year they were separated. According to court and police records, she said Donald had cut her phone lines at least twice, including once when he snuck onto the property wearing camouflage clothing. She confided in a neighbor as well as family members that she was afraid Donald would kill her.

Donald has always maintained that he had nothing to do with Deborah’s disappearance. He told the AJC in 1993, “They [police investigators] have totally wrecked my life for no reason whatsoever. But the pain I feel does not compare to the torment my sons feel every time this comes back up.” Donald said that he fully cooperated with the police, giving them his fingerprints and a blood sample and should have been immediately cleared.

His alibi for the day of her disappearance is that he was at his engineering job all day. Donald says his alibi was supported by dozens of co-workers. Police say several of those co-workers gave conflicting statements. Donald also claims that the police investigation caused him to be fired from his job. Police say his firing was caused by his “refusals to cooperate with internal investigations by his companies.” ²Oskinski, AJC Donald claimed that his estranged wife was involved with other men at the time of her disappearance and offered them up as suspects in her abduction.

Deborah Jean’s brother Stan told the AJC in March 1993, “It’s been traumatic. We have two young boys who would like to know what happened to their mother. They’re angry, frustrated.”

The Aftermath

The McKneely’s sons went to live with Deborah Jeans’s family after her disappearance. However, Donald was granted full custody of both his sons in May 1992 after a bitter custody battle.

In 1995, Donald’s alleged long-time mistress sued her former employer, Prime Bank for wrongful termination. In the deposition, she stated that she had been dating Donald since before Deborah Jean disappeared. She was questioned by Rockdale Police regarding the disappearance and her knowledge of it. She claimed to have no knowledge but did admit to withdrawing cash from Donald’s accounts during their relationship. Donald and the woman remained a couple up until her death in 2013.

In August of 1994, Donald filed to have Deborah Jean declared legally dead. This was granted by the court in 2001, at which time Donald was granted $69,000 worth of Deborah Jean’s financial assets.

In 2013 the case was re-opened after the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office swore in a new cold case investigator named Ronnie Godwin. Investigator Godwin told WSB Atlanta: “(We want) to see if there is something that crime labs can now do with DNA that wasn’t available 17 or 21 years ago.”

“This is my big unsolved case,” Capt. Chris Traylor of the Rockdale County Sheriff’s office told WSB Atlanta. “Who do I think did it? I have a good idea. I am pretty sure it is a domestic-related incident,” ³https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/investigator-re-open-22-year-old-murder-case/242477742/

Deborah Jean McKneely Still Awaits Justice

Deborah’s father Jim passed away in October of 2019. His obituary lists Deborah as having predeceased him. Deborah’s brother Scott named his daughter after his missing sister. According to property records, the family home that Deborah disappeared from was owned by one of Deborah and Donald’s sons up until 2020.

The McKneely’s sons are now older than their mom was when she disappeared. If you or someone you know has any information regarding Deborah Jean McKneely’s case please contact the Rockdale County Sheriff’s office at (770) 278-8000 or you can email them at info@rockdalesheriff.com.

Author’s Note: I have not named the McKneely children in this post because they were both minors at the time of their mother’s disappearance. I have also chosen not to name the alleged mistress because she was never named a suspect or person of interest in this case. No one has ever been charged in Deborah Jean’s case.