The Missing Women of Pinellas County, Pt 2: Margaret Dash, Retha Hiers, and Donyelle Johnson

He was finally caught. Just not for the women.
For years, Cleveland Hill Jr. was connected to the disappearances of Margaret Dash, Retha Hiers, and Donyelle Johnson, three women who vanished from Pinellas County, Florida between 1974 and 1989.
Warnings had been made. Allegations had accumulated. Investigators had reason to suspect Hill. But no charges ever came for the three missing women.
Then, in the 1990s, federal investigators came for Hill for something else.
An unusual undercover operation involving cocaine, Coca-Cola, and a federal sting would finally put him behind bars, but it would not answer the question that had followed him for decades: what happened to Margaret, Retha, and Donyelle?
In Part Two of She Goes by Jane, we follow the investigation that finally caught Cleveland Hill, the decades-long efforts to find the three women, and the unanswered questions that remained even after investigators had the opportunity to confront Hill himself.
Margaret Dash. Retha Hiers. Donyelle Johnson.
Their cases remain unsolved.
📍 Pinellas County, Florida, 1974–1989

📖 Featuring an original poem written and read in her honor by Malynda Hale.

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More about Malynda Hale:

Malynda Hale is an award-winning actress, filmmaker, singer-songwriter, and storyteller based in Los Angeles. Working across film, television, music, and digital media, her work explores themes of identity, humanity, faith, race, and emotional connection through cinematic storytelling and character-driven narratives.

Most recently, she starred in the feature film Bull Street alongside Loretta Devine and Amy Madigan and made her directorial debut with the short film Curtain Call, which screened at festivals internationally including Bend Film Festival, GAZE International LGBTQIA Festival, and Middlebury NewFilmmakers Festival. Her second short film, Au Gratin, starring Tiffany Daniels, Loretta Devine, and Jay Donnell, was selected for the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival and Wyoming International Film Festival, and will also screen at the LightReel Film Festival in Washington, D.C. and the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival in August, an Oscar-qualifying festival. She is also the founder of JMV Entertainment, a production company focused on developing film, television, and media projects rooted in meaningful storytelling.

Before expanding into filmmaking, Malynda built a career as a singer-songwriter and performer, releasing multiple independent projects and opening for artists including Smokey Robinson and OTOWN. Her music has appeared on television, including CBS and Disney productions, and she has performed for audiences ranging from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the California Democratic Convention. Across every medium she works in, Malynda is passionate about telling stories that create empathy, challenge systems, and connect people more deeply to one another.