[EMason88]

This murder case that happened in Pennsylvania USA back in 1998. I randomly came across this case while researching female killers about 10 years ago and found everything I could posted online over the years and even wrote one of the convicted killers. Also most involved were juveniles at the time making information hard to get.
Being my first post sorry for any errors made. And if this is crap let me know so I can learn from my errors.

Out on the quiet rural town of Clearfield Pennsylvania about 1 hour north of Pittsberg lies Clearfield a isolated rural small town with a old logging past that has left it many years ago. Economically hurting most people move away but kids are stuck to endure this slow mundane lifestyle until they turn 18 though in 1998 a few teens had a different idea on how to escape.

The "Gang" was a group of local teens with little affiliation with each other of all different ages ranging from 14 to 24 and different backgrounds but the leader was 16 year old Jessica Holtmeyer or Jessie as she was known by. Described as a large, loud and aggressive bully type very domineering. Called crazy by her former classmates some stating she pierced her ears in class with safty pins and even one saying she gave herself a tattoo on her left arm at the pool club during the summer time. Little is mentioned about her mother and nothing on her father.
Her Boyfriend at the time Aaron Straw 18 had it a bit worse. From a broken home he was informally adopted at the age of 13 then amounted to high school drop out working as a part time short order cook his future was bleak not to mention his 2 year old illegitimate son and living at a homeless shelter when arrested.
The actions of that day seem to focus on these two but there was several others there that day. Clint Canaway 17, Patrick Luccas 16, Teresa Wolfe 14, Dawn Lanager 14, and Tracy Lewis the victims second cousin after getting her child taken away for abuse and in a vain attempt to be cool she bought alcohol for the teens she was also the oldest at 24 years old.

The Victim 15 year Kimberly Joe Dotts or Kimmy as she was known by. Was overweight short and mentally challenged so her existence pretty much sucked for a long time but she came from a warm family that really cared for her and wanted to best so when her tutor Teresa Wolfe asked Kimmy to sleep over one weekend and was introduced to a new bunch of freinds.

Tracy Lewis was a cousin of Kimmy Dotts and was angry at her for "snitching" her out for buying booze for minors in the past this may have been the catalyst for the unfolding of unfortunate series of events. So this group of degenerates milled around town wasting time and drinking alot until they came up with idea to for a new life in sunny Florida. They saved up money and even got a wheelman with a minivan to drive them down to the Sunshine state.

Dotts slept over with lanager and was informed about the plans to take off to Florida and of course she was stoked couldn't wait to leave on the morning of Sunday May 10th 1998. The morning of it was cold and raining the group met up and got up to a hunting area and began searching the area for stuff to steal. They broke into a few cabins stole random stuff but a length of rope and of course liquor. Coming to a clearing called Gallows Harbor the name was derived long from the past when they had a gallow and hung a few people back in the 1700s and 1800s. This is where the information gets hazy but somebody had the idea to prove their loyalty by placing a noose around their neck. Teresa Wolfe made a makeshift knot to act like a noose and the rope is swung across a tree limb everybody places the noose around their neck and nothing happens. The Last to take the initiation test is Dotts who places the noose around her neck then Aaron Straw or Jessica Holtmeyer yells "Yank it!". Tracy, Jessica, and Aaron all pull back on the rope lifting Dotts off the ground. They hold her there for a short period then lower her down. Crying gasping for air they hang her again until she began to convulse then goes limp then dropped her to the ground. While on the ground she was reported to be still breathing but not moving. At this time Jessica grabbed a large rock the size is unknown but claimed to be the size of a basketball the dropped it on Kimmys head a few times saying "snitches get hurt". Then to hide their crimes they found some brush to cover her body then hitchhiked back to Clearfield while leaving Jessica said she had wished she cut off her finger to save as a souvenir and also she had fun and wanted to do it again. They hitched hiked back to Clearfield and woman who gave them a ride in the back of her pickup truck described them as dirty, disheveled, and very quiet assuming they were partying in the woods.

Once they returned a few made the journey to Florida Jessica staying behind with Aaron Straw to fuck. The rest of idiots who went to florida were all returned home by the Florida police for being dumb, under 18 and not from Florida and while that was happening Kimmys poor perants worried about the wearabouts of her daughter reported her missing to the police and she was found a few days later in the woods still covered by branches. Being a rural area and a missing person the Pennsylvania State Police got involved and once the Staties are involved they have unlimited resources and time and all involved were fucked at that point. When being questioned by the PA SP Jessica told them that when she gets excited she blacks out and people tell her what crazy shit she has done and the best is "I am going to spend the rest of my life in Jail"

Aaron and Tracy were the only adults at trial but Jessica was also charged as a adult. The rest were charged as juveniles. In court everybody blamed Jessica saying that she intimidated them and they were in fear for their lives which may have been true but did things suck so much that they dident care about who they were with or what situation they ended up in just as long as they were doing something?

Then the emotional drama ensued. The media descended on the town and everybody had something to say. Their 15 minutes of fame for the reporters. Many articles can still be found online dating from 1998-99. The location where Kimmy was killed was bought by a private individual(supposedly St Frances church in Clearfield) and since been fenced off with no trespassing signs and the tree she was hung from was cut down. A small memorial stone was set up at the location.


I wrote Jessica a few times to get a idea of the events but only got the standard "Its not my fault" and "Everybody blames me". This may be true since somebody always has to go down for the crime and she showed no emotion or remorse during her trial. The only emotion was during her sentencing when she was given life without parole she cried as did her mother. She resides in Muncy a females prision in PA and writes back if you ever want to write her. I felt weird doing that and since stopped



Jessica Holtmeyer, 16 convicted of murder; received LWOP
Aaron Straw, 18 convicted of murder; received LWOP
Tracy Lewis, 24 pleaded guilty; received 5-20 years in prison
Teresa Marie Wolfe, 14, received 6 months in detention center
Dawn Lanager, 14, received juvenile detention
Patrick Leroy Lucas Jr., 16 (charges dropped)
Clint Canaway, 17,(juvenile detention)

Photos are even harder to get but here are a few ones. The Blue photos have recently appeared online within the last few years not sure from where. But the rest are from the media coverage on the topic.

Here is info on the photos

Susquhanna river the area they lived in

Jessica Holtmeyer
Jessica Holtmeyer in court with her new **** haircut
Jessica Holtmeyer on her prison pen palls site

Aaron Straw
Tracey Lewis
Tressa Wolfe
Dawn Lanager
Patrick Lucas
Clint Canaway

Kimmy Dotts
Kimmy Dotts missing poster
Dotts parents
Memorial at the site of her murder
Kimmy Dotts headstone

Some Links

http://paperdollspenpals.com/ghijk/jessicaholtmeyer.asp

https://mylifeofcrime.wordpress.com/...ng-her-cousin/

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/29/us...g-girl-15.html

http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1998/Te...07a67c9b9bf129

http://kidhugs.com/attitudes/kimjo.htm

[kellyhound]

Good read and a little update

CURWENSVILLE -17 years ago, Jessica Holtmeyer was convicted of first degree murder in the death of Kimberly Dotts, and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Now, Dotts's family is being forced to relive the past. A recent supreme court ruling could give Holtmeyer a chance to be released.
Jodi Dott's, mother of Kimberly "Kimmy" Dotts, said she has been fighting this for the past five years. In 2011, Holtmeyer filed a petition for a post conviction relief act. PCRA is a petition for criminals who believe they were wrongfully convicted or believe their sentence is unlawful. Holtmeyer's request was deemed untimely and denied.
But now, a new law gives her another chance at parole.
It was mother's day in Curwensville, 1998. Jodi lost her 15-year-old daughter in a grusome, violent murder.
Court records reveal Jessica Holtmeyer was one of several people who hung Kimberly Dotts from a tree with a rope, then beat her to death with a basketball sized rock. Holtmeyer was 16-years-old, tried, and ultimately convicted as an adult.
At issue, the Supreme Court's recent ruling in the case of Montgomery Vs. Louisiana, defeated automatic life terms with no chance of parole for teens tried as adults.
The ruling states that inmates, who as juveniles were ordered to serve life in prison, must be considered for parole or given new sentences.
"I don't think it's fair to the victim's family because she (Holtmeyer) got a life sentence," Jodi said. "We went in front of 12 jurors and they convicted her. She got life with no possibility of parole, so there should be not be a possibility of parole."
Jodi and her father were pictured in the New Castle newspaper, the city where the Dotts now live. Jodi holds a magazine article from 1998.
Jodi said she's received letters from the Clearfield County District Attorney's office and the State Office of Victim Advocate. The letter from the DA's office said the judges will not let the new ruling impact the sentence they would impose on Holtmeyer, who remains in the state correctional institution for women in Lycoming County.
"They still have the opportunity to go to the prison to hold her hand in visiting rooms and look at her in the visiting rooms," Jodi said. "I cant do none of that and i'll never be able to do that."

http://wjactv.com/news/local/family-...ughters-murder

[lovelylucinda]

Great post and back story

[Lyndsay]

I remember recently watching a show about this. They said her head was crushed big time. I have no sympathy for people who pray on children, the elderly or mentally impaired. Jessica deserves life in prison. They all do.

[Agapeti]

Anyone that has it in them to kill, will kill again. If they let her out it's just another anticipated murder.