Case Details

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This person was missing Missing Since 06/27/1996

Missing Since:

Missing Since 06/27/1996

Missing From:

Missing From Alexandria, Virginia

Classification:

Classification Endangered Missing

Gender:

Female

Race:

Race Black

Date of Birth:

Date of Birth 10/13/1972 (52)

Age:

Age 23 years old

Height and Weight:

Height and Weight 5’6 – 5’7, 150 – 170 pounds

Clothing/Jewelry Description:

Clothing/Jewelry Description A black and white plaid tank top, black spandex pants, black high-heeled shoes and a diamond bracelet.

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Distinguishing Characteristics African-American female. Black hair, brown eyes. Bell’s ears are pierced. She has a tattoo on her left breast.

Details of Disappearance:

On June 27, 1996, Bell disappeared. She was last seen leaving home with her abusive ex-boyfriend, Michael Dickerson, in his car. They were going to a doctor’s appointment for her children. Bell called home at 2:00 pm saying she’d be back soon, but she never was.

Dickerson said they argued in Washington D.C., and she left him. However, Bell’s family knew Dickerson abused her. He’d stopped her from going to church, they fought often, and she’d reported him to the police for assault and threatening her with a gun months before her disappearance.

After Bell vanished, her purse was found in the car of Dickerson’s friend, Jody Shields. Shields claimed Dickerson confessed to killing Bell and asked for help burying her body. Shields said he helped Dickerson bury Bell in Maryland. Shields was supposed to secretly record Dickerson confessing in jail, but Shields was murdered before he could do so.

Police searched Dickerson’s parents’ home, but found nothing. Dickerson was convicted of assaulting Bell, and Bell’s own account of the attack was used as evidence.

Bell had no criminal record and wouldn’t have abandoned her children. She feared for her life and kept a diary in case she was killed. Significantly, she’d also told police that Dickerson confessed to another murder (Sean Thomas). Dickerson knew she’d told police, which investigators believe was a motive for killing Bell.

In 2008, Dickerson, already in jail for assaulting Bell, pleaded guilty to her second-degree murder, also admitting to Thomas’s murder. He showed police where he buried Bell, but her body hasn’t been found. He’s serving 15 years in prison without parole. Police strongly believe Bell was murdered.

Agency:

Alexandria Police Department 703-838-4444

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