I recently saw this case profiled on UM and was curious about it, so I did some google searching. I wasn't able to find much info, except what is on this board and the unsolved mysteries site, but I did run across one message board that discussed the case and thought it was interesting, if not particularly enlightening.

The link is here:

http://www.neurolux.com/thread.cfm?threadid=27929&messages=63

It appears to be a unmonitored message board associated with a bar or something in Idaho. There's a lot of crap to sift through, but some of the posters seem to know quite a bit about the case. They talk about the trucking company he worked for, etc. Some of the theories presented are absurd, others plausible.

I don't know what to make of it, but I thought I would pass it along.

That thread actually gave me a few laughs. :lol: Head's up though, it contains mucho profanity.

Seriously though, I don't believe the segment mentioned the possibility of McCorkendale himself being involved in drugs, but if he was, it certainly could be a motive for his death. I always got the vibe this was a random act of violence. The motivation being money or someone with a grudge against truckers. Maybe a road rage motivated incident?

We know that McCorkendale wasn't in the drug-trafficking, but as a truck driver he was likely to have speed pills and anti-sleeping drugs on him to prevent sleep while driving during the night, or drive during an extended period to meet time restraints.

It wasn't even certain he had drugs on him at the time of his murder, but if the killers were in bad need of a drug fix what difference would it make? It was clear they were looking for quick drugs, and truck drivers are the ideal target for that.

I agree. Unfortunately, I think this is a case of somebody (and it might not have been the people in the pinto at all) who was really really desperate for quick cash for a fix. It's amazing what people will do when they are in severe withdrawals and in need of quick cash. Even though they only took 20-25 bucks (I think), that's enough for an addict to run out and score something.

I think the pinto might be irrelevant, but I'm not sure. Unfortunately (as I've mentioned in previous posts), I used to live in a small southern town and there was a truck stop right off the main highway. "Trashy" looking people, like the woman described in the segment, are a dime a dozen in those places, and the murderers could be unrelated to that scenario, although I'm not saying for sure it wasn't connected.

Regardless, it's a very tragic situation, and I do hope that Dwane's family has been able to find peace and build a happy life for themselves.

Anyone bold enough to rob a truck driver, is certainly bold enough to do the act again.

I think the reason that these people haven't been found is that they are already dead or in jail for another crime.

Anyone bold enough to rob a truck driver, is certainly bold enough to do the act again.

I think the reason that these people haven't been found is that they are already dead or in jail for another crime.

Agreed. I also think that's the case with most UM that are random acts of violence. Either they are in jail for another crime or dead. I always feel bad for people when they are murdered but especially when its a family person with young kids. Dwayne McCorkendale and Matt Flores immediately come to mind anytime I ever see a case where a man is murdered and leaves behind a wife and young child.

Well looking at the murder, I tend to think it was a random act. I think people heard on the CB that he would be stopping at the rest stop on the Oklahoma Turnpike. The rest stop I believe was the one near Chandler, in the direction going towards Oklahoma City. Ironically Chandler was also the town that Wendy Camp and her daughter and sister in law allegedly were dropped off at. Chandler is a town of about 3,000 people about 40, 45 miles east of downtown Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma Turnpike, a toll road, much more highly traveled than the two lane highway, route 66.

But yes, basically to me, this case, all it was, was a robbery. It most likely was some druggie looking to get a few bucks so they could go get a fix. When people are that addicted they get very desperate and will do just about anything to get money to get high. I mean that is just what it seems like happened there. So yeah, that is all it seems to be, what a way to lose your life too, someone robbing you and getting all of 25 dollars so they can go and buy drugs. Whoever did this I certainly do not think it is the first time that they robbed someone and possibly killed someone.

I never really knew Dwayne. I remember going to his funeral when I was a kid. But I can tell we have a large family, and he was not involved with drugs or anything illegal. He was married and had kids. I know I can't say for sure. I was only 11 when he died. Many of my family members are still upset that there is no one behind bars. I hope that this keeps getting brought up on the internet. Maybe someone will slip up and we could get new leads on the case. So please keep talking about it. To friends and family to get the word out! I few of our family members our knocking on heaven door, if you know what I mean. And if they knew that there was a chance to find the person, maybe a little more peace will be with them.

Now THIS is an unsolved mystery. Anybody notice how many crimes they seem to have down in Oklahoma? Especially unsolved ones?

I'm surprised that no one got the plate number off of the Pinto or that they didn't call the Highway Patrol when they were playing those games on the road. Also, a Pinto would have been somewhat uncommon at that time (especially the three door model) so I'm surprised that the authorities were unable to track down the vehicle.

The only solution to this one will likely be a confession.

This is my pick for the most unfortunate, saddest UM segment. McCorkendale was shot and killed for $25 while on the job. I do agree though that the only way this will be solved is with a confession.

Now THIS is an unsolved mystery. Anybody notice how many crimes they seem to have down in Oklahoma? Especially unsolved ones?

My mom and I used to always say that if you watched an episode of Unsolved Mysteries, there would be a segment from either Florida, Louisiana or Oklahoma.

My mom and I used to always say that if you watched an episode of Unsolved Mysteries, there would be a segment from either Florida, Louisiana or Oklahoma.

Tell me about it. If it wasn't for those three states, they might not have had a show. Maybe just a series of specials.

Tell me about it. If it wasn't for those three states, they might not have had a show. Maybe just a series of specials.

Ohio had a lot of cases to.

Washington seemed to be a hot bed for unsolved murders and disappearances. Seemed like at least one segment every two episodes was from Spokane.

Does anyone think the woman was El Dorado Jane Doe AKA Mercedes the other trucker mentioned that the girl who asked him for money said she came up from Texas and was trying to get back to Alabama. It so happens they recently found relatives of this Jane Doe in Alabama but no one recognized her.

Here is the Jane Doe. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Dorado_Jane_Doe

Does anyone think the woman was El Dorado Jane Doe AKA Mercedes the other trucker mentioned that the girl who asked him for money said she came up from Texas and was trying to get back to Alabama. It so happens they recently found relatives of this Jane Doe in Alabama but no one recognized her.

Here is the Jane Doe. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Dorado_Jane_Doe

This post made me go down a deep rabbit hole. I don't think the El Dorado Jane Doe was the same "Mercedes" as described by Ed Heitkamp in the segment. Ed's encounter with "Mercedes" would have been in December of 1988, and was located at a truck stop in Stroud, OK. The re-enactment as "Mercedes" tell Ed that they were in Texas visiting friends and that they needed money to get back to Alabama. But McCorkendale was murdered the next day thirteen miles south from the truck stop where Ed was at. Meaning that these people were hovering around the area for 24 hours, and were in no way driving in the direction of Alabama. If anything, they were going back towards Texas.

The El Dorado Jane Doe was tracked to Virginia Beach, VA in the "late 1980s", and there has been no connection to the Oklahoma area. She pops up in 1989-1990 in Arkansas, early 1990 in Dallas, TX, late 1990 in Irving, TX, and eventually makes it back to El Dorado, AR where she was murdered in mid-1991. Eva Marie Ridall (http://www.missingin.org/reg11565/eva_marie_ridall.htm) went missing in Florida in 1977, surfaced in Ohio a little later, and was never heard from again. She told a cousin in Ohio that she was headed to California. This (http://www.missingin.org/images/missing/NAT_33753_3.jpg) picture of her bears a strong resemblance to the mugshot (https://synovaink.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/80e2575402f74e8345937876ccc0f57f.jpg) of El Dorado Jane Doe. The downside to this theory is that Eva and her family were from Cincinnati, OH. El Dorado Jane Doe's relatives were located in Alabama and Virginia.

Holy crap Eva does look like her was she ever ruled out Mercedes?

Holy crap Eva does look like her was she ever ruled out Mercedes?

To my knowledge, she was never ruled out.

Definitely one of the saddest cases ever profiled on UM. It really broke my heart when his widow said that Dwayne did not carry a lot of cash for that very reason. And yet, someone STILL took his life for so little money. ::mad:

This post made me go down a deep rabbit hole. I don't think the El Dorado Jane Doe was the same "Mercedes" as described by Ed Heitkamp in the segment. Ed's encounter with "Mercedes" would have been in December of 1988, and was located at a truck stop in Stroud, OK. The re-enactment as "Mercedes" tell Ed that they were in Texas visiting friends and that they needed money to get back to Alabama. But McCorkendale was murdered the next day thirteen miles south from the truck stop where Ed was at. Meaning that these people were hovering around the area for 24 hours, and were in no way driving in the direction of Alabama. If anything, they were going back towards Texas.

The El Dorado Jane Doe was tracked to Virginia Beach, VA in the "late 1980s", and there has been no connection to the Oklahoma area. She pops up in 1989-1990 in Arkansas, early 1990 in Dallas, TX, late 1990 in Irving, TX, and eventually makes it back to El Dorado, AR where she was murdered in mid-1991. Eva Marie Ridall (http://www.missingin.org/reg11565/eva_marie_ridall.htm) went missing in Florida in 1977, surfaced in Ohio a little later, and was never heard from again. She told a cousin in Ohio that she was headed to California. This (http://www.missingin.org/images/missing/NAT_33753_3.jpg) picture of her bears a strong resemblance to the mugshot (https://synovaink.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/80e2575402f74e8345937876ccc0f57f.jpg) of El Dorado Jane Doe. The downside to this theory is that Eva and her family were from Cincinnati, OH. El Dorado Jane Doe's relatives were located in Alabama and Virginia.
wow I never knew any of this until today when I also went down a long rabbit hole when reading about the El Dorado Jane Doe, later known as Kelly after family reveled her first name. A last name has not been given. she went by many many other names and I doubt any of her stories that she told to people were anywhere close to being 100% true. so you kind of just have to take them for what they were and extract the truth where and if you can get it. it was fascinating to hear all of the information that was shared on her behalf by other people who knew her. she clearly had people that loved her and befriended her along the way.

she traveled to many locations in the south/southeastern U.S. and she is a good suspect as it fits the narrative for this case, particularly the story that was told by Ed Heitkamp in the segment. the one thing that interests me about her story is that she was well traveled and evolved into different type of activity over time. first with her mom and then later with boyfriends that were pimps and also committed violent crimes to perpetuate prostitution and hard drugs. There was even a mention of her knowing the "Fort Worth 3" by her murderer.

Kelly did confess to a friend about being involved with and on the run from a crime spree committed by one of her pimps that was involved with robbing truckers. I don't see why she would have lied about that, it seems like a plausible scam that would have fit her lifestyle. the timelines and alleged 2nd hand information would make it impossible to link her to Dwayne's murder, but it does bring to light a motive that may have existed for the person(s) that murdered Dwayne. Sadly this is the best lead in his murder and I doubt even a confession will be universally accepted unless it can be substantiated by investigators.

there are several interesting links on Kelly's wikipedia page, the latest one updated in May of 2022 when her given first name was finally revealed. I also saw on reddit that someone shared a narrative that was posted on Kelly's behalf, allegedly by a family member who took time to share Kelly's story and to thank law enforcement for not giving up on her.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kelly_(murder_victim)&diffonly=true

In a strange twist, during the investigation to ID Kelly, it appears that through DNA there was family located in Alabama and they were notified about her death. it does not appear that she knew the family members who were contacted. getting back to Alabama was mentioned by the lady in the McCorkendale segment.