A con-artist kills her latest lover with his own gun, then vanishes.
CASE DETAILS In August of 1998, a woman calling herself Deianna Ray placed an ad in the personals section of a Louisiana newspaper. Deianna Ray was hardly being honest in the ad. In fact, her real name was not Deianna at all. It was Hazel Liotta Head. According to authorities, Deianna was a drifter who hitchhiked around the country looking for her next mark–a lonely man to latch onto and drain his bank account. That man happened to be Charles Barker, a recent widower who was devastated after the sudden loss of his wife of ten years. According to Charles’ daughter, Cindy Jefferson, Charles tried to overcome his depression with activities:
![]() Police believe she fired the fatal shot A casino on the Red River in Louisiana became Charles Barker’s latest diversion. He probably believed that he met Deianna by chance. But according to Ed Baswell of the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Department, it’s likely that it was all a set up:
Less than a year after the death of his wife, Charles was swept up in a whirlwind romance with Deianna. According to Charles’s daughter, Jennifer Spoonts, Deianna moved into Charles’s home within days of their initial meeting:
![]() Charles Barker was murdered in his home One weekend, Jennifer made the nine-hour drive from her Austin home to meet her father’s new girlfriend:
A short time later, even Charles apparently began to share that opinion. According to his daughter, Charles admitted he was having trouble with Deianna, but refused to provide any details:
But that explanation never came. Shortly afterward, Jennifer tried calling her father to arrange another visit:
![]() No fingerprints were found on the gun Charles’ sister, June, and her husband, drove over to see if there was a problem. According to Sheriff Baswell, when they arrived, they noticed the front door of Charles’s residence was open:
Charles had been dead for five days, killed by a single gunshot to the head. As Sheriff Baswell combed the crime scene, several observations were made:
![]() She often hitched rides from truckers Except for a few stock certificates, the safe was empty. Also missing was Charles Barker’s Lincoln town car and his girlfriend. Sheriff Baswell soon identified her as a con artist named Hazel Head:
A background check on Hazel Head revealed that she’d married as many as ten times and was known to use more than a dozen aliases. There was also an outstanding warrant for her arrest in Lincoln, Nebraska. There, she had allegedly burned down her boyfriend’s home, then fled before standing trial. Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season twelve with Robert Stack and in season eight with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu. SUBMIT A TIP |
Brandon
I believe that is my Dada ex wife he died in 2001 and we believe she killed him theybwere living in west Virginia
anonymous
what are the names of her children??
my cousin picked her up at a truck stop n Mansfield Louisiana back n 2016. Eagles Truck Stop Mansfield Louisiana on I49
she said her name was Lisa.
said she was a prostitute & was trying 2 get a ride 2 natchitoches Louisiana exit. she said she wanted 2 surprise her son that lives n natchitoches. i only found out about her back ground & who she really was back n 2020 when this part of Louisiana had a snow storm. i was bored & looking up Louisiana’s unsolved history n her picture & FBI information was on the list.
i recognized her picture right away. bak n 2016 she probably weighted around close to 180- 200 pounds had dyed medium/dark redish hair.
none of us had seen the unsolved mysteries episode & still havnt seen it. But i am 100% sure it was her. 4 of us actually saw & met her. my cousin did not take her 2 the natchitoches Louisiana exit off I49 but took her back to the Eagles Truck Stop Mansfield Louisiana
I49 carmel/ Mansfield Louisiana exit. we never saw her again if we had saw the episode, we would have definitely called the cops & would have stayed 2 make sure she was caught.
she didn’t act scared like she was wanted by the FBI.
she even had went 2 a couple of stores n Mansfield Louisiana.
she did talk about having sex with truck drivers & she even said hangs around truck stops.
this was n the beginning of the summer 2016.
Rick
No confirmed sightings of this woman in over 20 years and she would now be in her seventies. She’s probably dead. Hope she suffered a horrible fate. Unfortunately there’s plenty more like her everywhere.
Cindy B
Would be interested to know if any of these tips have been followed up on, and if they’re any closer to catching up with this woman..
Barny
Yeah they never got her daughter won’t say anything she knows hee mother is wanted fbi style
UM slacking
Are there any updates since UM hasn’t responded since 2016? Did anyone follow up on some of these leads or contact Mr. Barkers daughter? How awful for this poor family to not have the help they need from police- I pray this evil lot lizard is found and justice will be served !
Mike
Yes, the BEAUTIFUL Lane Bradbury plays her in the episode of Unsolved. She even revisits her Gunsmoke character voice.
Anonymous
I think that the actress that played her on unsolved mysteries is Lane Bradbury. . She was on many tv shows in the 60s and 70s, as well as a few movies
Anonymous
In 2004 to 2005, I was a overnight Walmart stocker. I believe I may have worked with this woman. It was long ago, I think she went by the name Lora. She used to tell wild stories about being wanted, and getting married alot. I had tried to research it, but didn’t find anything. Then I saw this picture. If you age progress alot the picture on the left, and give her white blonde hair. I really think it was her. She actually did get married and leave Walmart prob sometime in 2005. She had made a comment that she wouldn’t get caught because she smoked a pipe not cigerettes. This was in Conway, Ar. She is prob dead by now. She didn’t seem like her health was super great.
Anonymous
Hey, Steve. When she was given a ride to the bus station, did she say where she was going? Do you know where she is right now? Did she have a scar near her right eye and a gap in her front teeth?
Gave it to FBI
I think I know her and have called the FBI in regards to this. She had the gap, from Louisiana, smokes and just gave me the creeps all around. She is 5’2 and very round now. I hope the FBI handles it with care. I gave them her Facebook page. She has green/hazel eyes and in some pictures you can see the gap in her teeth. I think she ended up getting dentures because her teeth except the front were rotted out
alberto perez
maybe she left the country and passed away in another place. or she herself probably met fowl play and is buried somewhere
Anonymous
Check walmarts! That’s where you may find her if she is still alive!
Petaa motex
Yikes. Check Walmarts. She is likely to be at one.
Steve
I was in Medford Oregon and picked up a lady needing a ride at a truck stop.
I believe it was a Petro truck stop.
they’re was nothing attractive about her.
She was twice my age at the time.
I remember the gap between her teeth when she talked to me while I drove.
But I was coming back in to Knoxville TN.
And I let her out there.
At a TA truck stop.
But this was years ago.
Probably 18 years ago.
But I remember running back into her again,
About 9 months later.
Eating with a guy in the truck stop restraunt.
I never aacknowledged that I knew her but I knew it was her. LoL
She was eating at the TA truck stop with a guy and what seemed to be their child.
in Vero beach FL.
Looked just like the girl in the picture.
I could swore it was her or her twin.
Dave
Have they found this woman ?
Anonymous
has she been caught yet?
cindy Barker Jefferson
This is my dad that she killed…..Is anyone still working this or is it a cold case? I have tried to contact the Benton police dept. and others on this but no one ever calls me back.If anyone out there has info that could help me find this person I would be forever in your debt.I will give you my e-mail………cindyjefferson53@yahoo.com…….
Unknown
May have seen a woman that matches this description, last seen 2 months ago in Bakersfield, CA. Not sure though.
unsolved
Please email us with more information at unsolved@unsolved.com, or send us the information through our tip form: https://unsolved.com/content/tips
Thank you
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Last john walsch said she could be in weat wrigde Colorado cindy Jefferson check that last update from john walsch
Anonymous
I met this woman many years ago in Sedona, AZ. Unfortunately I don’t remember her name, but it was her.
Anonymous
Is she caught yet??
unsolved
She is still wanted – https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/murders/hazel-leota-head/view
N Frahm
I believe that I have met this woman many years ago at a family gathering in Safford, AZ, at the Thunderbird Mobile Home park. After seeing the episode of Unsolved Mysteries, I believe that the woman in the picture, could very well be Hazel.
unsolved
Thank you for your tip – we have passed it on to the authorities working on this case. If you have any additional information, please email us at unsolved@unsolved.com or use the tip button at the top of this page.
Chip brown
Did any one every find this woman
Anonymous
Who is the actress that played hazel head on the unsolved mysteries?
Diana
I also want to know…I know I’ve seen her before but can’t remember on what!
steve O
I met a woman about 6 yrs ago who was visiting here (so. Md.) said she was my buddies cousin but, not so. Been married 7 to 10 times. spoke about prostituting at truck stops she referred to that as being a lot lizard. she came here with only what she could carry, stayed about a week and was given a ride to the bus station.
unsolved
Thank you Steve – we have passed your tip on to the authorities.
g gotschall
does she have any family
her daughter
Yes she has family
Great Job
She said that like they are a group of World Class Excellence….Do you have her dashing good looks too? She’s a Garbage Pail Killer, tell the Police where she is! Some people care for their family and their decent names.
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Where is head at is she dead by now