June 14, 1974. Clearwater, Florida. After borrowing her daughter’s car and leaving her home, 38-year old Margaret Dash never returns and the abandoned vehicle is discovered in St. Petersburg one month later. It turns out that Margaret had been involved in an extramarital affair with a man named Cleveland Hill, who supposedly threatened to kill her. Over the next 15 years, two other Florida women – 43-year old Retha Hiers and 21-year old Donyelle Johnson – also vanish without a trace after conducting an affair with Cleveland and there are allegations that he made threats against them as well. While there is suspicion that Cleveland was responsible for all of these disappearances, there is not enough evidence to implicate him and the three missing women are never found. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we cover a trio of unsolved missing persons cases which are linked together by the same man.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Margaret Dash, please contact the Clearwater Police Department at (727) 562-4242. If you have any information about the disappearances of Retha Hiers and Donyelle Johnson, please contact the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office at (727) 582-6200

Additional Reading:

https://charleyproject.org/case/margaret-r-dash

https://charleyproject.org/case/retha-lee-hiers

https://charleyproject.org/case/donyelle-chrishum-johnson

https://www.tampabay.com/news/crime/2022/08/16/where-are-3-missing-tampa-bay-women-the-answer-may-rest-with-the-devil/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/339481582

https://www.newspapers.com/image/339683584

https://www.newspapers.com/image/339674295

https://www.newspapers.com/image/870341879

https://www.newspapers.com/image/331032163

https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/largo-excavation-retha-hiers/67-c7c41e55-acd0-4f2e-afbd-37262055cf9c

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The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.