Donna Sue Nelton was a woman who was found, shot to death, along State Route 102 in Rogers, Arkansas in 1990.
She was identified on October 25, 2022 by Othram Inc.
Case[]
Donna was last seen in the fall of 1989. Federal authorities were investigating her boyfriend at the time, George Alvin Bruton, for multiple offenses. Bruton had spent time on the FBI Most Wanted List for 3 months in 1979 after taking two families hostage and wounding two officers in Utah. He was a suspect in several murders in the Kansas City, Missouri area and had many convictions for bank robbery, burglary, and auto theft. Bruton was wounded and captured after a shootout with authorities in Fort Smith.
Bruton was paroled and released from prison in 1988, but came under investigation again in July 1989 for multiple crimes. In September 1989, he and an associate were seen disposing trash bags containing Donna's personal items into a dumpster in North Kansas City. Her car was found in a storage unit owned by Bruton.
On April 6, 1990, Bruton was arrested for violating probation and was later indicted on drug charges after being identified as the alleged leader of a multi-state drug ring. In July 1990, an anonymous source told the FBI that Bruton confessed to killing Donna for threatening to expose his drug and theft schemes. Her remains were assumed to be on land owned by Bruton in Ozark County, Missouri. A four day search by federal agents turned up nothing.
According to family, Bruton and Donna were known to pass through Benton County, Arkansas on occasion. They were also known to visit the Pine Island Resort RV park in Jay, Oklahoma. A flyer for that RV park was found with Donna's remains.
Bruton was sentenced to life in prison for drug-related offenses. He died in prison in 2008.