Where is Travis Crouch now? All about Melissa Witt's murder suspect 

Melissa Witt's murder and possible assault have once again come to the limelight because of Hulu's latest true-crime documentary, At Witt's End: The Hunt for a Killer, a four-part true crime docuseries that goes over the events of Witt's untimely death. This case from the quaint town of Forth Worth, Arkansas, continues to haunt the people as the killer is yet to be found.

Dating back to December 1994, this case saw 19-year-old Melissa Witt disappear without a trace while on her way to the local bowling alley. It was another 45 days before her body was found in the woods of Franklin County, Arkansas, with no visible trace of a clue as to who the killer was.

Decades later, Melissa Witt's murder continues to be a baffling question. Hulu's documentary, At Witt's End, also tries to go over the circumstances and the possible suspects in the case. The synopsis of the docuseries, which premiered on August 6, 2024, reads:

"Exploring the ongoing search for answers in Melissa Witt's case and following new investigators as they comb through extensive evidence, uncovering new information in the decades-long search for her killer."

One of the standout suspects in this case is Travis Crouch, who, along with having prior criminal convictions, was also around in the area when Melissa Witt disappeared, making him a chief suspect.

Sadly, the authorities could never link him to Witt's murder, with Charles Ray Vines remaining the most plausible perpetrator. Travis Crouch, however, was apprehended for an assault in 1997 and was subsequently sentenced to 64 years in prison, where he continues to remain today.

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Who is Travis Crouch and how was he linked to Melissa Witt?

Travis Crouch is a convicted criminal hailing from the Baptist community around Ozark, close to where Melissa Witt lived. Despite having been brought up in a completely different kind of environment, Travis Crouch had an extensively violent history, which included several accusations of r*pe, possession of a firearm, and burglary, just to name a few.

He allegedly struggled with alcohol and substance abuse from a very young age and took pleasure in violence against women. Throughout the 1990s, Travis Crouch was arrested in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, and South Dakota. But none of the cases stood and he was eventually a free man by October 1994, shortly before Melissa Witt disappeared.

After Melissa Witt disappeared in December 1994, Travis Crouch became one of the suspects due to his MO of showering endless violence on women and his prior criminal record. Records reflect that he was also living in Franklin County, Arkansas, during that time and was working as a carpenter at the Baptist camp run by his family, which was only a couple of miles away from where Melissa was found.

Though his family tried to assert that he was not in the region when Melissa disappeared, many locals begged to disagree. The police had strong suspicion on Travis but nothing really linked him to Melissa's death. He also had no murder cases against him over the years.

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Where is Travis Crouch now?

Despite not finding a link to Melissa's murder, Travis was still arrested in July 1997 after he assaulted a young woman after he asked her for help at a gas station. He reportedly asked her to drive by the mountain, where he took control of the car and assaulted her twice in a drug-induced frenzy.

The woman managed to escape and eventually had Travis Crouch arrested. Crouch was eventually sentenced to 64 years in prison. He continues to serve his sentence at the mixed-level Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility in Ordway, Crowley County, Colorado. As of now, he is eligible for parole but has not been granted the same.

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Melissa Witt's case has been explored in detail in Hulu's At Witt's End: The Search for a Killer. It is currently streaming.