PAULA BURNETTE
Missing since September 17, 1996 from Harrison, Hamilton County, Tennessee
Classification: Endangered Missing
Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: June 15, 1975
Age at Time of Disappearance: 21 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'1"; 110 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Brown hair; blue eyes.
Circumstances of Disappearance
Burnette was last seen about 6:00 a.m. at her residence in Harrison, Tennessee on September 17, 1996.
She was in an estranged relationship with her husband, Donald Ray Burnette, when she was last seen on September 17, 1996. This case is still classified as a missing person but is being handled as a homicide investigation due to the violent history within the marriage.
In October 1996, Paula Burnette's driver's license was found in the 9500 block of Harrison Bay Road, Harrison, Tennessee. Two months after she was last seen, her estranged husband, Donald Ray Burnette, took an Amsouth branch bank manager and her family hostage. After driving them around the countryside all night, he forced the woman to rob her own bank. A month later, Donald Ray Burnette and an accomplice, James Travis White, were arrested.
In April 1997, Paula Burnette's purse/address book washed into a Chattanooga home's backyard in the Tyner community. In July 1997, authorities searched the old Savannah Valley Water Plant.
Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Hamilton County Sheriff's Office
423-622-0022
NCIC Number:
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.
Information Source: The Doe Network
