I found this case while scanning the news on google and I can't imagine what this family has been going through for the past 15 years. This is my first write-up of the series, Penny's Mysteries, so I hope I can provide a concise summary of the case. ✌ ❤
Edited: Tried to fix a whole lot of formatting errors Danielle Arion Bell On a warm autumn night in Northern Florida, a mother waited anxiously for her teenage daughter to return from a party. As the hours slowly passed, she wondered if her child was safe and contemplated what she would say when her daughter returned. She couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was horribly wrong and feared she might never see her daughter again.
Danielle Arion "Dani" Bell, 14, disappeared on September 28, 2001, after she attended a party in Cantonment, Florida (US). Cantonment is a small town 20 miles north of Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle. The town is primarily made up of working class families, who are slightly more conservative in their politics and beliefs. It's a small community like most others in the US, which lists its one high school and various churches as a tourist attraction. There doesn't seem to be many activities for young people, but it's a short driving distance from the city of Pensacola which offers beaches, parks, and museums.
Danielle was an outgoing and popular freshman, who was a member of the cheerleading squad at her high school. She thrived on creativity and free expression through art and dancing. She also loved animals. Danielle was the youngest of three children and shared a close relationship with her family. However, when Danielle hit her teens, she began rebelling against her parents, in what was most likely an effort to assert some independence and establish her identity. Unfortunately, this behavior occurred when she began associating with a delinquent crowd, which resulted in some questionable relationships with older men.
Danielle was born on July 28, 1987. She is a white female, who was 5’4” (1.62m) and 115-120 lbs (52.16 – 54.43 kg) at the time of her disappearance. Danielle had light brown hair (with golden highlights), blue eyes, and a scar on her right forearm. Danielle’s ears and navel are pierced, and she has a homemade Playboy tattoo on/near her pelvic region.
(Photo 1),
(Photo 2),
(Age progression photo to 18) The night she disappeared, Danielle was wearing a glittery, sky-blue, halter top with black pants and black heels. She had multiple rings on her fingers: a dolphin shaped ring, one heart shaped ring, and a gold ring set with a ruby and garnet. She was wearing diamond earrings, a silver necklace and a blue Tommy Hilfiger jacket and purse.
The Cat that Ate the Canary On the night she went missing, Danielle had attended a party at the home of
Robert L. Bassett Jr, 23, on the 500 block of Cedar Tree Lane in Cantonment. Bassett Jr. is a vengeful and violent man with a lengthy criminal history that started at the age of 17. Two years before Danielle went missing he was arrested for felony battery, where he allegedly beat a woman in a domestic dispute.
Bassett has a history of statutory rape. In October of 2005, he was charged with one count of lewd and lascivious battery on a victim over 12 and under the age of 16 (intercourse with a child aged 13-15). In December of that year, he faced the same charges and one count of lewd and lascivious molestation (an activity that falls short of intercourse with a child between and 13-15). These crimes occurred within the time span of Danielle’s disappearance.
The nature of the relationship between Basset and Bell is unknown to the public. He’s also insisted that there was no party at his home that night; perhaps he considered it more of a gathering of friends or a powwow. He initially stated that Danielle left his home that evening with Stacey Cain Roberts, 14, and Kevin Daniel, 17, who according to a quick google search were both teens in 2001. Witnesses at the “party” have contradicted these statements. Some have said that Danielle stayed behind with Bassett that night. Other reports indicated that she left the house with an unnamed male in his 20s.
Unfortunately, Bassett Jr. is an intimidating figure with a vindictive personality. He's threatened and stalked witnesses from the party, who’ve accused him of being the last person to see Danielle. There was also reports that he was seen with Danielle at the
Harvester's Home II Park by his home, two days (Sunday, September 30, 2001) after she didn't return from the party. In October of 2010, police obtained a search warrant for Bassett’s home, where they pumped out his septic tank and brought in dogs to search the area. Law enforcement would not disclose if they found anything related to the case.
Bassett has been active on public web forums, sharing his theories on the case and declaring his innocence. In 2013, he commented on a Facebook forum that Danielle was probably killed, butchered and thrown into a hog pen. He publically scolded the police in another message on a local news page; here’s the post in Bassett’s words:
- Bobby on March 30th, 2013 3:49 pm
- This case is so bogus!The police fail to mention that they ignored this girl for three months,shame on them.Now they go about messing up the lives of of good people just cause they can.Thats my house and there was never a party. Just alot jailhouse informants trying to out of jail.One so blatant that they charged him for it. (Roger Pohlman). Ive offered the family an independant lie detector test, so far no takers. Leave me alone.
/ Plays the world's smallest violin
More Stories A prisoner at the Escambia County Jail,
Roger Lee Pohlman, 23, admitted to discovering the body of Danielle Bell. At the time of her disappearance, Pohlman said he saw someone force her into their car. Pohlman claims he decided to put on his little detective cap that day and then bravely followed the vehicle to its destination.
Police could not verify major elements of the story and determined that he was fabricating these events. They did investigate some of Pohlman’s leads but later charged him with providing false information. Before his confession, Pohlman was facing charges of theft, burglary, and criminal mischief.
Serial Predator Before she went missing, Danielle had been in a sexual relationship with 24-year-old,
Alfredo Gomez Sanchez Jr. Weeks before Danielle disappeared; she had confessed to her mother that she thought she could be pregnant with Sanchez’s child. It’s unknown if Sanchez was aware of Danielle’s possible pregnancy. Sanchez claimed he hadn't seen Danielle in 2-3 weeks before she disappeared, and denied that he was with her when she vanished. His alibi (a female cousin) later recanted her story, that they were together on the night. It is widely believed that he attended the party, but the details are sketchy.
Sanchez has not been implicated in the disappearance of Danielle, but in the summer of 2007, he was charged with providing law enforcement with false information on his whereabouts during that period. Sanchez is currently serving 45 years in prison for his sexual relationship with Danielle and another juvenile. He was later convicted of one count of engaging in sexual activity with a minor, one count of lewd and lascivious battery on a victim over 12 but under 16 years of age, and one count of lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim over 12 but under 16 years of old. In 2010,
Sanchez filed an unsuccessful appeal to withdraw his pleas of no contest in the sexual assault cases. He remains in prison at the
Century Correctional Institution in Century, Florida and is scheduled for release in 2047.
Incompetence in Law Enforcement Danielle's mother, Susan Bell, and her family has grown discouraged with the lack of progress in the case. Susan has criticized the sheriff's office for making several errors like losing evidence and paperwork. In May of 2017, she explained to a reporter that the
Escambia County Sheriff's Department hasn't reached out to her family in three years. She maintains that the sheriff office has said that they're currently understaffed and don't have the time for her daughter's case.
The local CBS news affiliate for Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida,
WKRG, contacted the Escambia sheriff's office for a response to this accusation but were told that they had turned over the case to the
Florida Department of Law Enforcement. When
WKRG contacted the FDLE, they denied that they had the case and referred the news crew back to the
the sheriff’s department.
Esambia County Sheriff’s department confirmed that they did, in fact, have the case, but declined an interview after the blunder.
Despite these setbacks, Susan remains committed to finding her daughter. On a somber note, Susan told the news that she's just a mother who just wants to bury her daughter, and would be open to making deals with anyone for information, even if they're criminally responsible.
Danielle’s disappearance has been classified as a runaway. Foul play is suspected in her case. She may have traveled to Pensacola, Panama City, Florida, New Orleans, Louisiana, or Alabama.
If you have any information on Danielle Bell or her disappearance, you can call the
Escambia County Sheriff's Office at 850-436-9620. You can also contact the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.
Danielle's family runs a facebook page to provide information to the public,
Missing Child: Danielle Bell Thoughts Sanchez is certainly the prime suspect in this case. He had the means, motive, and opportunity. It’s disgraceful that potential witnesses haven’t come forward and that the sheriff’s office has completely dropped the ball in this case. Bassett could have very well done the crime too, who knows how his mind works. Bassett seems to make a lot of questionable and thoughtless decisions. Why is he so smug?
Do you think law enforcement have botched this case? Do you think they’re capable of solving Danielle’s disappearance? What happened to Danielle? Who do you feel is responsible?
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