Gina Dawn Brooks

Left and Center: Gina circa, 1989

Right: Age Progressed to age 33

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

Missing Since: August 5, 1989

Missing From: Fredericktown, Madison County, Missouri

Classification: Non-Family Abduction

Date Of Birth: November 28, 1975

Age: 13 years old

Height and Weight: 5’0″ and 108 pounds

Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian Female, Blonde hair, Green eyes, Gina has several white scars located on her left shin

Clothing/Jewelry Description: A blue striped top, white shorts, and a pair of sneakers

NCMEC Number: 727561

Details of Disappearance

Gina was allegedly abducted on the night of August 5th 1989. She was last seen in Fredericktown, Missouri after she came home from her brothers baseball game at 10:00 pm. She told her family that she was going for a bike ride. She never returned home and was never seen or heard from again. Gina was reported missing at 2:00 am when she didn’t come back.

Investigators believe that Gina was abducted by three men she was seen speaking to in front of her church. The men were driving in battered car which was described as a gray, green, or blue station wagon. The car had Missouri license plates.

The driver of the car was seen speaking to Gina before she got back on her bike and started riding south on Mine La Motte. Later, two 12 year old witnesses heard Gina scream for help and saw a vehicle turning left on Franklin and driving towards Highway 67.

Gina was never seen or heard from again after her abduction. Her bike which was described as a ten-speed girls bicycle was later discovered about 5 blocks away from her home. No other sign of her was ever found.

In 1996, investigators announced that they were looking at convicted murder, Nathan D. Williams, for possible involvement in the girls presumed kidnapping. Williams was a child rapist. In 1975, Nathan killed Laura Michelle Dinwiddie, a volunteer social worker.

He was charged with killing her in December of 1996 and during that investigation, detectives started to suspect that he was involved in Gina’s disappearance. He was given a polygraph exam in September of 1997 about Gina and he failed it. The charge for Dinwiddie’s murder was dropped due to lack of evidence in 1998.

He was formally implicated in the girls abduction in 1998. They had several witness statements and the name of the other man who aided in kidnapping her. The man who drove the station wagon, Bryant Squires, gave a death bed revelation in which he stated that he and Williams kidnapped Gina.

Gina was allegedly seen with both Squires and Williams shortly after she was taken. A man from Houston, Texas testified that he saw Gina sitting in the backseat of the station wagon with Williams and Squires was in the drivers seat. He stated that Gina looked worried.

Investigators believe that Gina was sexually assaulted and murdered near Lambert Airport. They also said they believed that Gina’s remains were buried somewhere in St. Louis County, Missouri. There was evidence that Gina bit Williams when he sexually assaulted her and evidence of his treatment of the wound. ￼

Several of Williams friends and former cell mates also testified that he implicated himself in Gina’s slaying and gave details of her clothing that only her killer could know. There was also testimony given that Williams had taken notice of Gina at least twice prior to her actual abduction when he visited friends in Fredericktown.

Investigators also initially accused Timothy R. Bellew of being involved in Gina’s disappearance. He was a friend of both Williams and Squires at the time. He initially told investigators that Gina’s body was buried in an abandoned meat freezer on his fathers 96 acre property. The area was searched in 2001 but her body was not found.

Investigators believe that Williams killed Gina by slitting her throat and that both Squires and Bellew helped him to cover up her murder. Squires died of cancer and AIDS-related causes. Nathan was charged with first degree murder in Gina’s death in 1999 and Bellew was charged with second degree murder the same year.

Williams plead not guilty to Gina’s abduction and murder in 1999. The charge against Bellew was dropped due to lack of evidence in 1999. He was charged instead with lying to investigators about the location of Gina’s body and sentenced to 30 months in prison. The charge against Williams was dropped in 2003. There was not enough evidence for the court to convict them of the crime.

Williams remains in prison for forcible rape and sodomy. Despite the charges being dropped, investigators still suspect that both men were involved in her case. Bellew and Williams both have extensive record of sexual assault.

Investigators also suspect that Nathan was involved in the 1979 disappearance of Tammy Surdam. She was 12 years old when she went missing.

Gina has never been found and her abduction remains open.

Investigating Agency

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

Madison County Sheriffs Office 573-783-2234

Source Information

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

The Charley Project

The Doe Network


St. Louis Thursday 08/02/1990

The Daily Journal 09/08/1997