Dean Marie Pyle Peters-Missing 33 Years

Photo Credit: Charley Project.org

IT WAS February 5, 1981 when 14 year-old Deanie Peters attended her six year old brother's wrestling practice with her mother at Forest Hills Central Middle School on 5800 Block of Ada Drive, which is in Southeastern Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was around 5:00 PM when she waved to her mother's friend, and told them she needed to use the women's restroom and would be back shortly. She never came back.
Deanie apparently never arrived at the restroom, and witnesses don't place her anywhere near there that evening. She was last seen walking out of the doors of the gymnasium, it is not sure if she was going outside to smoke a cigarette or if she was heading to a friend's house. Her wallet, purse, make up, jewelry, clothing and sever hundred dollars were left behind, items Deanie would surely not have left if she intended to runaway or be absent for a period of time.
Deanie did not have any family problems when she vanished, she was doing great in school, and she does not have any history of running away from home. She was an eight grader at the time, aspiring to be a model. She was a typical teen who liked to shop at the mall, borrow her friends' clothes, and sneak out her window to smoke cigarettes. Deanie also loved the band Meatloaf.  She originally is from California, where she spent her childhood years. Her biological father resided there in 1981. Her stepfather has been ruled out as a suspect in her case. Both her mother and stepfather moved to Arizona after Deanie's disappearance.She was declared legally dead in 1991. However, in 2008, her case was reopened, and is very active.

Forest Hills Central Middle School in Ada, Michigan is where Deanie was last seen. She was at her brother's wrestling tournament when she left the gym to use the restroom. She never came back. Photo Credit: PPRMI.com

Deanie was last seen wearing a brown ski jacket and a pink sweater, 27-32" Levi blue jeans, white bikini underwear, size 34C Bali bra, a cream colored scarf with the word "ski" written on it in dark brown letters. She also had white knee socks on . At the time, Deanie was 5'2"-5'3", weighed 110 pounds, and had dark brown hair. Her ears are pierced, and she has a birthmark on her lower back. She smokes cigarettes and goes by the nickname "Deanie". Her birthday is September 24, 1966.

Their are many rumors in this case. One was that Arthur Diaz, the school custodian at the time, was responsible for Deanie's disappearance. He says he was cleaning the night she vanished and never saw her. Authorities checked the school incinerator on the theory that someone may have tried to burn her body, but nothing was found. Diaz has been eliminated as a suspect and has since passed away.
 Another suspect was Bruce Bunch, a local man who was 17 years-old, and a junior at Lowell High School,  when Deanie vanished. Twenty years after Deanie went missing, one of Bruce's female acquaintances mentioned to police that Bruce confessed to her that he ran over a young girl at a school. Bunch supposedly admitted that her ran over her/backed over her, took her body to Snow Avenue, than buried her under a pile of rocks. This story was never confirmed, but police announced in 2011 that they believe he was responsible for Deanie's death. Bruce Bunch died of a heart attack in 2008, and was never questioned or charged with Deanie's disappearance. His first wife has told police Bruce was violent towards her, and has pushed her out of a moving vehicle. She also stated he drank heavily, and would black out and have little memory of any of his actions.

The Cold Case team says they have located individuals from Grand Rapids in 2012 who have information on her disappearance, but refuse to cooperate with investigators. (Photo Credit: CharleyProject.org)

When the investigation reopened in 2008, there was also a new theory the emerged when interviewing Deanie's past classmates. One of Deanie's best friends mentioned that Deanie told her that she got into a fight with two other girls, involving a boy Deanie was dating. The other girls, including the boys' sister of whom Deanie was dating, threatened Deanie, and told her to break up with him. The guy she was dating attended the school Deanie vanished from. In a letter to her father, Duane Pyle from California, she mentioned she had a boyfriend named Larry "Guy" Dahlke. This fight was mentioned back in 1981, but not looked at until 2008. It occurred two days before Deanie vanished, and at Forest Hills Central Middle School, the place where Deanie would be last seen at. Suspiciously, Deanie's diary, which could have held important information in regards to her disappearance, vanished years back under Law Enforcement's supervision. Rumors have popped up about a suspect having a connection with someone within Law Enforcement back in 1981, but it has never been confirmed.
Now, there are so many theories in this case. I know when it was being investigated in 1981, they received thousands of tips, many not looked into. Deanie's disappearance is one I have always felt should have been solved long ago, but there was an obvious lack of communication for the investigative team back then. At least they are looking at it again now.
I think there could be three possible suspects, one being Bruce Bunch, the kids she was having the altercation with, or a sexual predator who was watching Dean for awhile. I wonder if Dean ever broke it off with that boy the fight was over? Maybe she did not and those individuals found Dean at the school again, coming out to smoke, alone, and attacked her? Maybe they did not intend to kill her, but accidentally did. It seems far fetched that kids could do this over something senseless, like a boy, but most murders are senseless, and kids can be cruel.

Deanie's family & investigators are still actively searching for Deanie. (Photo Credit: CharleyProject.org)

I have always wondered if they interviewed all adults or teachers that taught at the time Deanie attended their school. Deanie is a very beautiful girl, and could easily piqued any sicko's attention. Did anyone there have a history of past sexual offenses? I really hope they don't pin it on Bruce without finding remains first. Yes, he is a good suspect in this case, but I have always wondered if an adult at the school was responsible. They would surely be a sort of authority figure to Dean, and someone she would trust enough to have casual conversation with (maybe it went bad?), or even trust enough to leave the school premises with, with intentions of coming back soon. I don't think Deanie would just leave with some stranger, if she left the school premises at all, it would be with someone she trusted, who betrayed her in the end.
As for Bruce Bunch, I must say I have always leaned towards the hit and run, accidental death theory. From everything I have read, I have always thought if Deanie was killed the night she vanished, it was not intentional. Bruce's wife mentioned he liked to drink, maybe Dean was a victim of drunk driving. I wonder how packed it was that night? If Bruce indeed run her over, were their any people to witness it? Police did not have the opportunity to further question him because he died of a heart attack in 2008, but I wonder if he gave anyone an alibi for where he was the night Deanie vanished.  Driving by, or in a parking lot? Perhaps they were all inside watching the wrestling tournament, and Deanie went outside because she thought there would be no one there. I sincerely hope they won't close Deanie's case until they find her remains. If Bruce did indeed had run her over, and buried her under a pile of rocks, I can see him going back there later on, and moving her to a new location, as a body under a pile of rocks is not the best hiding place. She would have surely been found by now if that was the case.With that in mind, I also find it most likely she would still be within the same county or area of Grand Rapids. According to WoodTV.com, a woman from Hawaii who identified herself as Bruce Bunch's niece, contacted the Cold Case Team in regards to stories she had heard about her uncle killing a girl and burying her under a building's foundation.

Dean was declared legally dead in 1991, but the search for her continues. (Photo Credit: CharleyProject.org)

Deanie's whole community is still searching for her today. Her family and friends still live with the pain. Deanie has a Facebook page, with many pictures of her as a child, I encourage many to go visit it. I will post the link below. Deanie's disappearance is one that has always stuck with me. Such a beautiful girl who had so much going for her. I will never forget her. In May of 2012, an artwork depicting Deanie was unveiled at Kendall College in memory of her. I know there is someone out there who knows something, whether you were a witness as to what happened, a friend of who took Deanie away, a teacher, a student, or if you even just heard a rumor, I encourage you to contact the Cold Case team. I can tell you everyone cares more about finding Deanie, and laying her to rest, than persecuting who has done it.
It is also worth mentioning that the Cold Case team has told 24 Hours News 8 that anyone involved or who witnessed what happened to Deanie will NOT be facing any charges-unless they are the ones who directly killed her. In an article from WZZM13 in 2012, the Cold Case team confirmed there are individuals living in Grand Rapids who know where Deanie is and where her remains are, but are refusing to cooperate. Her father, now 78 years old, pleads to those people to let him bury his daughter, while he still has the chance to. PLEASE listen to him and think about if this was your child. Could you go 33 years without knowing where they are, without closure? They just want to return her to her family. This family needs some place they can go to to finally grieve. Please keep Deanie and her loved ones in your prayers. There is a $25,000 reward for any information leading to Deanie Marie Pyle Peters.

An age progression done of  Deanie in December 2012. (Photo Credit: NAMUS.org)

"I've already forgiven that person a long time ago, or persons, you know. They're the ones who have to live with the guilt, not us."- Mary Peters

If you have ANY information please contact:

Kent County Sheriff's Office

616-336-6123

To Remain Anonymous contact:

616-774-2345

Sources:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/p/peters_dean.html

http://www.freewebs.com/find_dean_marie/newsfindingdean.htm

http://www.rewardfordeanie.myevent.com/index.php

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Deanie-Peters-WZZM-13-Investigates/199540380079783
http://www.wzzm13.com/news/article/198212/14/Deanie-Peters-father-shares-his-memories
https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/7914/1