Hey there, DETECTIVES! DETECTIVE WRITER is here to tell you about an unsolved crime in the United States, specifically in Florida, the case of Diana Lynn Harris.
Now, this case was specifically requested of me to discuss by a fellow DETECTIVE who actually was affiliated with the subject in the case and it is my honor to help bring this investigation to light.
Diana Lynn Harris, a mother originally from Michigan who moved to Florida in 1980 was last seen in Big Pine Key in Monroe County, Florida in 1981. Harris’s children had flown to Michigan to spend time with their dad on June 7th, 1981. Her daughter heard her voice for the final time on June 15th, 1981. Harris was supposed to go pick up her kids from their father’s on August 15th to attend her sister’s wedding but she never showed. When she didn’t go to her sister’s wedding, her mother reported her missing, and all of her belongings were left behind. Around the time of her disappearance, she had been working 2 jobs and had a boyfriend named Gary Argenzio. The couple was living in a home that was viewed as a “Party house,” since it was owned by a drug deal lawyer named Mitchell Denker and a man named Mark Ripin.
All 3 men were considered suspects in Harris’ disappearance due to the fact that both Ripin and Argenzio were ex-cons and close friends and Argenzio had been the one to introduce Harris to hard drugs. The “Party house” they were living in had a reputation for causing people who were at that address to lose their jobs because of whatever went down inside that place.
According to Harris’ daughter, Christine Hill, Denker admitted to her that after her mother’s disappearance, Argenzio went to Mexico, stealing a possible gun and 2 of his own motorcycles. Whereas, Ripin had told Hill that he and Denker had both dual ownership of a boat that they gave Argenzio to use, but he had no oil nor motor for the boat. Both Denker and Ripin told investigators that Harris’ own boyfriend, Gary Argenzio had admitted to killing Harris but had different stories as to where he may have killed her but police could not find damage in the house.
Consequently, a man named Thomas Stump also went missing from his home in Monroe County, Florida in 1995 and both Denker and Ripin were considered the prime suspects although neither man was charged in either case. Both investigations remain unsolved to this day.
I hope you have enjoyed this storytime as much as I did, DETECTIVES! Please let me know in the comments if you want more storytime! Have a great day, night, afternoon, or evening, DETECTIVES! Stay tuned for next week’s post; until then, keep on sleuthing, DETECTIVES!
Detective Writer 