Although police officers often receive a bad rap, I wouldn’t want to live in a society without them. As a military veteran, I have much admiration and respect for the military and law enforcement. Both professions play an imperative role in our society. Despite not knowing the people they are protecting, they put their lives on the line to protect them. I have seen countless stories of police officers losing their lives in the line of duty, but one stands out in my mind.
Sometime in January 1998, I watched my local news and saw the story of Michael Partin, a Covington Police Officer who died while pursuing a suspect in the early morning hours of January 4, 1998. After falling into the Ohio River, he drowned. The search for Officer Partin’s body unknowingly led to the discovery of Alana “Laney” Gwinner, a murdered University of Cincinnati student.
Searchers eventually recovered both Officer Partin’s and Alana’s bodies. Despite this, both stories ended differently. Although we know what happened to Officer Partin, we don’t know what happened to Alana Gwinner. In the years since her disappearance, her 1993 Honda Civic CRX Del Sol has never been found and her killer is still at large.
Alana “Laney” Gwinner was born on March 18, 1974, in West Chester, Ohio. After graduating from Lakota High School in 1992, she attended the University of Cincinnati to study accounting. Like other college students, she worked while attending classes. On December 9, 1997, she was bowling with a friend at Gilmore Bowling Lanes in Fairfield, Ohio.
She is believed to have left around 1:00 a.m. on the morning of December 10, 1997. After leaving the bowling alley, she planned on driving to her boyfriend’s house, which was only two miles away. She never arrived. It wasn’t until 10:00a.m. that her friends and coworkers became concerned. She was responsible and would not miss work or fail to communicate with her friends.
As a result, the police were called, and Alana was reported missing. On January 11, 1998, the mystery surrounding Alana’s disappearance came to an end. Alana Gwinner’s body was discovered during the search for Officer Michael Partin’s body. The death was ruled a homicide. Her body was fully clothed and she wasn’t raped or robbed. What was the motive? It remains unknown.
It is believed that someone approached her as she was leaving, killed her, and then dumped her body in either the Ohio River or Miami River. Her body may even have been placed in her car and rolled into the river. Alana’s 1993 Honda Del Sol (License # AKP-3607) remains missing. Could her car be at the bottom of a river or was it dumped somewhere else? This is still a mystery.
Throughout the years, law enforcement has interviewed many people and administered polygraph tests. Unfortunately, no arrests have been made. She had many friends and people who loved her. Besides loving country music and dancing, she had a profound love for animals. Clearly, she was a compassionate and gentle young woman ready to succeed in life and make her mark on the world. Sadly, an unknown person has taken her life and left law enforcement, her family, and friends in the dark.
Who murdered this young woman? Could you have seen Alana on the evening she disappeared? Please contact Butler County Sheriff’s Department at 513-785-1236 or visit their website at https://www.butlersheriff.org if you have any information about this case.
Marc is a longtime resident of Clermont County and an avid reader. Contact him through his website at www.themarcabe.com or through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Catchmykiller. Marc also has a podcast called Catch my Killer, where he interviews family members seeking justice for their murdered loved ones. You can listen at www.catchmykiller.com.