Excavation: Bring Donnie Home!

Many of you are aware that my son Donnie Izzett, Jr., was murdered around Memorial Day, 1995. He and I last talked that year on Mother’s Day, just days before he took his last breath while pleading for his life in Southern Mississippi. I and many others believe his body was disposed of in a large fire shortly after he was murdered. I have worked on getting him justice EVERY DAY SINCE. I’ve spent countless hours since then pleading his case, talking to officials, fundraising, researching, and yes, crying—losing Donnie has absolutely killed me inside. I have done nothing but think and work for Donnie for 24 years.     So, after lots of dead ends we have made SOME PROGRESS. Donnie’s killer is being pressured in a variety of ways, and there is exciting news to come. There is a sizeable team now working to hold him responsible. We have two promising areas, well identified now, that could be the key to finally bringing Donnie back home to Western Maryland. I am hopeful now that there is some wind in our sails, that we can tighten the screws on this killer who has walked free for almost a quarter century; who has refused to talk to the FBI, to local law enforcement, but insists that my son is alive.     But Donnie isn’t alive. I feel that with every ounce of my being. Donnie was a good, sweet kid. He liked books, the arts, animals. He was just finding his way in the world and was definitely short on street smarts; if he was a little older, a little wiser, he would have known just how deadly loving the wrong person can be. When he was just learning to drive—a little truck—he took the Truck Weigh Station exit, and I was like, “buddy, what the hell are you doing?,” and he was like “Mom, the sign said ‘All trucks must exit!’” Haha, oh lord.     Everybody working on Donnie’s murder wants to bring him home. I want it more than anything else in the world. To that end we have a FINAL, privately-funded excavation to start within a month. It is go time, now or never. We are out of government or law enforcement-funded searches for Donnie; those searches got us to where we are today--with our eye on a complete excavation of a very specific area. $7500 will get us a week-long Dig for Donnie, including 2 professionals and 4 student-assistants. That cost will cover their time and expenses. The students would help on a volunteer basis.     For those of you that know me you know I hate asking for help, especially for money. But I am pleading with you now--because I don’t intend to again, and because I have to do everything I can to make sure Donnie comes home this time.     Please spare what you can, every single bit is welcome and appreciated. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! I will update this page after this last excavation, BUT I want to make clear that we are getting extremely close to holding Donnie’s killer responsible. Love,  Debra