The Disappearance & Murder of Laney Gwinner

Today I wanted to write about one of the cases that I’ve taken personal since I became familiar with the Carrie Culberson disappearance. That is the case of Alana “Laney” Gwinner. Laney Gwinner vanished from a bowling alley in Fairfield, Ohio and was later found dead in the Ohio River on this date in 1998. Laney owned a Honda Del Sol that has never been found. Who could’ve harmed Laney and why? Was it someone she knew or a stranger? Her family and friends had to find out.

When I began my work with Carrie’s case, I began to take a look into the disappearances of other women in the general area. Generally the ones I had seen where Carrie’s mom had worked with the families. As stated many times before, in the VERY beginning of the research into the Culberson case, I thought there was a possibility that Vince Doan was innocent but that was later confirmed that he was the only person involved in Carrie’s disappearance, nobody else – such as a serial killer.

Laney’s case caught my eye because of the Honda car missing, just as in the Culberson case. Laney was found, although Carrie remained missing.
There was not much information about Laney available online at the time I began researching her case. Most of the information I gained on the case from small articles and information from Carrie’s mom. I felt like if we put the small information out there that maybe one of her friends would do a search online one day and find it. Possibly take over the wheel and start circulating Laney’s case which it needed.
A few months passed and several ladies came onto Carrie’s forum and posted to Laney’s thread. It was obvious that there were some friends just as I speculated who still wondered what happened to their friend and were still searching for answers. Shortly after they began on the website, more information was coming out allover the net about Laney. I was so glad to see this happening because it seemed as if Laney was headed to the cold case file forever, and that was something we did not want.

In early 2005 I began looking at Laney’s possible connection to some other ladies from the state of Kentucky (which is near the area where Laney was found). One of those being Erica Fraysure and Heather Teague. In the last year, Laney Gwinner, Erica Fraysure and Heather Teague have all gotten some movement in their cases, and that’s a good thing.
In late 2005 a report came out that confirmed what I suspected long ago. That was Laney’s death was connected to one of those other disappearances. No arrests have been made just yet in the death of Laney Gwinner but I believe there is one on the horizon. I don’t believe the case cannot be solved if the car is not found. I have told several of the Gwinner supporters that they should petition the court to have her remains exhumed for another autopsy. Our DNA testing is far more advanced now than in 1997. I believe there is something on Laney that can close this case.

You can see Laney’s smile and tell she was a happy person on the two websites for her. Her life was taken away by someone much too soon and that person must be brought to justice. Laney Gwinner’s friends and family deserve to know who did this to their loved one. Whoever did this must pay for their crime. I believe they will be soon.

I recommend you visit Laney’s two websites for more information about her case. You or someone you know may have the answers to close this case and help this family be able to move forward.

Related Links:
Justice for Laney
Laney's Legacy