Transcription
On this episode of Black Girl Gone, I tell the story of Deanna Wright Macintosh. She was 15 years old when she was murdered on December 3rd, 2004, in Landsdown, Pennsylvania.
The day before, Deanna had gotten into an argument with her mom and spent the night at a friend's house. On December 3rd, after meeting with her mom and a school counselor, she agreed to come back home. But when school was over, Deanna did not return home. Less than a month later, her body was found inside a steel drum in an abandoned lot in West Philadelphia. Once the discovery was made, it did not take police long to find the men responsible for her brutal murder. This is Deanna's story.
Deanna Wright Macintosh's murder is a heartbreaking example of just how cruel people can be. Her tragic story is one of loss and unimaginable pain, but it also demands that we remember the life she lived and the light she brought to those who knew and loved her. As we explore the events surrounding her untimely death, her story serves as a sobering reminder of the darkness that can shatter lives in an instant.
I actually remember Deanna's story. I was a senior in high school when she was killed. The crime took place right outside Philadelphia, where I lived in a suburb in Delaware County, as many crimes take place in and around the city. What happened to Deanna, and the way it happened, was something that shook everyone who was following the case.
Deanna was a young girl full of life, with dreams and a future ahead of her. The details of her murder were not just heartbreaking; they were horrifying. The violence of the crime and the circumstances surrounding it left an entire community shaken.
Deanna, or Dee as her family and friends called her, was living in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, with her mom, Darlene Wright, and her grandmother, Gayden. A small town in Delaware County, it was just minutes from Philadelphia. Her father, Jim Macintosh, a retired FBI agent, lived nearby, and despite living separately, Deanna had a close and loving relationship with him. She spent a lot of time at his home, and they shared a special bond.
Those who knew Deanna described her as a friendly and outgoing person, someone who could easily make friends with anyone she met. As a sophomore at Penn Wood High School in nearby Landsdown, Deanna was just not focused on academics. She had a deep passion for modeling, theater, and dancing, which brought her joy and allowed her to express herself creatively. On Sundays, Dee would attend Mount Olive Baptist Church, where her grandfather had been one of the founders, and she sang in the choir. By all accounts, Deanna was a typical teenager, happy, popular, with a bright future ahead of her.
But like a typical teenager, the growing pains during those years come with highs and lows. I remember being young, thinking I knew more than my mom, wanting more freedom, sometimes being more focused on friends and boys than school. I know a lot of us had those moments. Being a 15-year-old girl can be complex and difficult, filled with a whirlwind of emotions, confusion, and self-discovery. At that age, everything feels intense: the highs and the lows, and everything in between. Teenagers are in the midst of figuring out who they are, balancing the pressure of fitting in with the desire to also stand out, all while trying to make sense of a world that often feels overwhelming.
Deanna was fortunate enough to have two loving parents and a community of people that loved her and wanted to support her through it all. She was a good girl; she never got into any real trouble. But as a sophomore, she began to struggle with keeping her grades up in some of her classes, which inevitably led to issues between her and her mom, Darlene, who just wanted her daughter to do her best.
In early December 2004, tensions between Deanna and her mom came to a head over concerns about Deanna's schoolwork. On December 2nd, after an argument over her slipping grades, Deanna chose to spend the night at a friend's house to cool off. Many of the articles about Deanna's disappearance say that she ran away from home, and although she had left after the argument, it appears that Darlene was fully aware that she had gone to her friend's house.
The following day, December 3rd, Deanna and her mom met with a school counselor at Penn Wood in an effort to address the issue constructively. During this meeting, Deanna acknowledged her challenges and assured both her mother and the counselor that she was committed to improving her grades. Darlene later recounted that the conversation had been productive and that she left feeling hopeful. Tragically, that meeting on December 3rd marked the last time that Darlene saw her beloved daughter alive. Dee's promise to do better and the hope from their reconciliation became a bittersweet memory that her mother would cling to in the difficult days and years that followed.
After the meeting, Dee had agreed that she would come back home when school was over. According to reports, Dee and a friend of hers decided to go get their nails done, and so they went to a local nail salon. But after she left the salon, Dee did not come back home.
When Deanna failed to return home after the meeting with her mom and school counselor, her mother's concern quickly escalated to alarm. Deanna told her mom that she was coming home, and so when she didn't, Darlene became immediately worried. She did not hesitate; she called the police and reported her daughter missing, initiating an investigation that would quickly grow in urgency. Family members, friends, and neighbors joined forces, distributing flyers, contacting local media outlets, and scouring the streets of their neighborhood in the hopes of finding any trace of Deanna.
As the hours turned into days, the fear of foul play began to overshadow the initial hope that she might simply have stayed with another friend or taken time to cool off again after the recent argument with her mother. But no one had seen or heard from the teenager since the afternoon of December 3rd. Community members rallied to support the family, offering leads and tips, but none led to a breakthrough. Despite the best efforts of law enforcement and the community, there was no sign of the 15-year-old.
Weeks passed, and the once promising search for Deanna grew increasingly desperate. Every unanswered phone call and empty lead deepened her family's fear as they faced the grim possibility that something terrible had happened to Deanna. The Pennsylvania State Police ramped up their efforts in the search for her, deploying helicopters to scan the area for any signs of the missing teen. The FBI also joined the investigation, providing expert profilers to assist, including one who had previously worked on the high-profile Elizabeth Smart case. As the days passed, Deanna's case shifted from a missing person's to an endangered missing person's case, intensifying the search for her.
The story of Deanna's disappearance dominated local media in Philadelphia suburbs like Yeadon and other communities in Delaware County. While not completely immune to crime, these areas were known for being relatively safer than the city. The sudden and unexplained vanishing of a 15-year-old girl sent shockwaves through these close-knit communities. The fear extended beyond those who knew Deanna personally; it gripped the entire community, creating a sense of unease and vulnerability that was impossible to ignore.
After days of relentless searching and frustrating dead ends in their efforts to locate Deanna, the police finally received a critical lead that would change the trajectory of this investigation. The lead came from the nearby suburb of Ridley, just outside of Philadelphia, and its contents promised to shed light on the grim mystery of Deanna's disappearance.
In mid-December, a man called the township police to report that he potentially had information about Deanna's disappearance. He told them that an acquaintance of his told him that he had beaten a girl to death with his fists. He then sexually assaulted her before dismembering her body with an ax and placing it in trash bags. Now, due to the limited public information about this case, it's unclear exactly how much this individual initially shared with the police. However, what he disclosed was significant enough to capture their attention and warrant more investigation.
In his statement to police, the man relayed what he had been told and provided potentially critical details about the case. He also gave them the names of two men, including the one he claimed to have confessed: a man named Lamar Hayes, also known as Lamar Price, who was 29 years old at the time. Now, this information presented a new and promising lead, compelling investigators to track down these individuals in the hopes of uncovering the truth.
Lamar wasn't difficult to locate. By the time police identified him as someone with possible knowledge of Deanna's disappearance, he was already in custody in Philadelphia on unrelated charges. With Lamar securely behind bars, investigators shifted their attention to tracking down the other individual the witness had implicated, hoping that their statements might provide even more evidence that they needed to break this case wide open. Police were determined to uncover any connections that could lead them to Deanna or offer clarity about what had happened to her.
It wasn't long before investigators uncovered a significant link. One of the men that was mentioned, Anoir Gettys, was not only a potential person of interest but also a close friend of Lamar. Now, the relationship between Lamar and Anoir suggested a possible collaboration or shared knowledge, raising hopes that one of them, or both, could provide the answers that police and Deanna's family so desperately needed. But those answers would not be the ones that her family had hoped for.
Nearly a month after Deanna had gone missing, the search for her took a tragic turn. On December 30th, 2004, police, acting on new information, discovered the remains of a young woman in a steel drum on a vacant lot on 63rd Street near Arch Street in West Philadelphia. The site was an area known for its desolation, a place where abandoned properties and overgrown lots painted a grim backdrop for the discovery. As investigators carefully examined the charred drum, they soon confirmed their worst fears. The remains inside had been severely burned, making initial identification difficult. But through dental records and other forensic methods, it was confirmed that the body belonged to 15-year-old Deanna.
The discovery marked a devastating moment for her family, who had spent the past weeks in anguish, desperately hoping for news of her safe return. The condition of the body suggested that Deanna had been brutally murdered, and the circumstances surrounding her death only deepened the sense of shock and horror in the community and for her family. The police had found no answers in the search for her alive, but now they were faced with a tragic new challenge: finding all those responsible for her death and bringing them to justice.
On December 3rd, 2004, 15-year-old Deanna Wright Macintosh disappeared from her suburban Philadelphia neighborhood. Less than a month later, her body was found in a metal drum in an abandoned lot in West Philadelphia. But the discovery was no accident; someone had led police there.
The discovery of Deanna's mutilated body inside the steel drum was a chilling turning point in the investigation. But it started as a missing person case that quickly morphed into a full-fledged homicide investigation. Even for some of the seasoned officers at the scene, who were no strangers to brutal crimes, this was different. Deanna's life had ended violently, and the perpetrators had gone to extreme lengths to cover up their actions. However, one critical mistake they made was underestimating the power of the truth and the people willing to speak it.
Just days before Deanna's body was discovered, police in Ridley Township received a call that would prove to be a crucial break in the case. A man had come forward claiming that Lamar Hayes had confessed to him that he had killed a girl and dismembered her. The witness statement soon led police to a man named Anoir Gettys, whom they learned was closely connected to Lamar. In fact, after being released from a three-year prison stint for theft and receiving stolen property, Lamar had been staying with Anoir and his family, according to reports from the Philadelphia Daily News.
With this crucial link in place, investigators tracked down Anoir, hoping that he could provide more answers. When they finally sat down with him, Anoir would reveal the shocking truth about what really happened to Deanna.
According to court records, Anoir Gettys told police that he last saw Deanna alive at the home on Lynon Avenue in Landsdown, where he and Lamar lived, between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. He mentioned that she was sitting on the couch with Lamar and that he had ordered food for them. Investigators later learned that Deanna had met Lamar, who was nearly 30 years old, the previous summer while working at a local pizza shop. He was a frequent customer and well-known in the area, where many referred to him by his nicknames, "Fat Man" or "Big Nasty," due to his large size. Friends of Lamar would later tell police that he had shown an attraction to Deanna, despite the 15-year age gap between them and the fact that she was a child. Now, while it's unclear whether he had ever attempted to act on these feelings before, on December 3rd, he seized the opportunity to exploit Deanna's naivete. At that moment, he took advantage of a vulnerable teenager, leading to a tragic and irreversible series of events.
In his initial statement, Anoir Gettys told police that he left his house around 10:00 p.m. on the night of December 3rd, and at the time, Deanna was still alive. However, when he returned home the next day, he said that he noticed a strong smell of bleach in the house and that Lamar was actively cleaning. Anoir claimed that Lamar told him not to sit on the couch because it had just been shampooed.
Later that day, Anoir told detectives that he accompanied Lamar to a gas station on 58th and Baltimore in West Philly, where Lamar purchased a gasoline can and filled it up. The following day, Anoir said that he drove Lamar to the Landsdown train station, where Lamar picked up a large green steel container. Anoir assisted Lamar in loading the container into the car, but instead of getting back into the vehicle, he claimed that he walked back to the home on Lynon Avenue. The day after that, Anoir said that Lamar asked him to help transport the steel container to a vacant lot on 63rd Street. There, Lamar, according to Gettys, placed pieces of wood inside the container, poured gasoline on it, and then set it on fire. On December 30th, after speaking to police, Anoir would lead them to the lot where Deanna's body was found.
Following Anoir Gettys' confession, police obtained and executed search warrants for the home on Lynon Avenue, which quickly became a focal point in the investigation. The search yielded several key pieces of evidence that further corroborated Anoir's account of events and provided crucial insights into the crime. Investigators meticulously combed through the property, paying close attention to areas Gettys had mentioned in his statement. They found traces of bleach on the floors and furniture, consistent with an attempt to clean up a crime scene. The couch that Anoir said Lamar told him not to sit on was carefully examined and later determined to contain biological evidence linked to Deanna. These findings aligned with Anoir's claims that Lamar had been cleaning and trying to cover up what had happened in the home.
Additional items were recovered that would later play a role in building the case against Lamar and others involved. Forensic experts collected samples and items for testing, hoping that they could tie the scene to Deanna's murder. The evidence gathered at Lynon Avenue not only supported Anoir's confession but also painted a chilling picture of what had transpired in the days following Deanna's disappearance. They provided police with a stronger foundation to proceed with their investigation and further implicated Lamar in the crime.
In January 2005, Lamar Hayes was charged with first-degree murder, rape, and abuse of a corpse. According to reports and court documents, Lamar acknowledged that Deanna had been with him and claimed that she had spent the night at the home on Lynon Avenue on December 3rd and 4th and that she had slept upstairs on a futon. But despite his cooperation, police did not believe that Anoir was not involved in Deanna's murder, and he too was charged with tampering with physical evidence, obstructing the administration of law, hindering apprehension of prosecution, abuse of a corpse, and criminal conspiracy. And in July 2005, he was arrested again, with first-degree murder and rape being added to the already existing charges.
On January 8th, 2005, Deanna's funeral was held, drawing hundreds of mourners to honor her memory. The overwhelming turnout and heartfelt expression of grief underscored how deeply Deanna was loved by her family, friends, and community. After their arrests, Hayes' and Gettys' attorneys began pointing the finger at each other's clients. Hayes' lawyer said that he had no history of violence and that while he may have helped get rid of Deanna's body, it was Gettys, and Gettys alone, who was responsible for her murder. Anoir had previously faced rape allegations when he was accused in 1999 of participating in the gang rape of a 17-year-old, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. But those charges were dropped by prosecutors after there was a mistrial and the witness was too afraid to testify. But Hayes also had a reputation for being a predator. Gettys told police that Lamar was known to pick up girls and prostitutes who he would then beat and rape. It was also known by people that Lamar, the 29-year-old man, was attracted to a 15-year-old girl.
Both men remained in custody as they awaited their day in court, with prosecutors determined to secure justice for Deanna. Given the complexity of the case and the individual roles each man was accused of playing, it was decided that trials would be held separately. This approach would allow the evidence against each defendant to be presented clearly and without interference from the others' actions or statements.
In December 2006, nearly two years after Deanna's tragic murder, Anoir Gettys was the first to face trial. The courtroom was packed with onlookers, including Deanna's grieving family and community members who had followed the case closely. Prosecutors laid out their case, using Anoir's own statements to police as a foundation for their arguments. They painted a grim picture of the events leading up to and following Deanna's death, emphasizing the role Gettys played in the gruesome cover-up. After a four-day trial, Anoir Gettys was found guilty of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse, and he was sentenced to life in prison.
The following month, after a brief trial in January 2007, Lamar Hayes was also found guilty of first-degree murder, rape, and abuse of a corpse. He was also sentenced to life in prison.
In the years following their convictions, both Anoir Gettys and Lamar Hayes filed multiple appeals, challenging the verdicts and sentences handed down by the court. Gettys, in particular, pursued several appeals, citing issues such as ineffective assistance of counsel and the discovery of new evidence, which he argued warranted a retrial. He alleged that his defense attorney had failed to adequately represent him during the trial and claimed that key evidence had been overlooked or mishandled, undermining the fairness of the legal proceedings. But despite their efforts, both Gettys and Hayes saw their numerous appeals denied. The courts consistently found no merit in their arguments, reinforcing the strength of the original convictions and the fairness of the trials. Today, both men remain incarcerated, serving their sentences in Pennsylvania state prisons.
Deanna's tragic death shocked her community, leaving a lasting impact that extended far beyond her family and friends. Her senseless murder highlighted the vulnerabilities faced by teenagers, particularly young girls, and served as a sober reminder of the dangers lurking in seemingly safe environments. For her mother, Darlene, the grief was immeasurable. Deanna was her only child, but she found strength in channeling her pain into action, determined to honor her daughter's memory. Darlene became an outspoken advocate for youth safety, dedicating herself to raising awareness about the risks faced by teenagers and the importance of community vigilance.
In the wake of Deanna's death, Darlene launched programs and initiatives aimed at educating young people about street safety and recognizing predatory behavior. She wanted to share Deanna's story as both a cautionary tale and a call to action. Her outreach efforts emphasized the importance of open communication between parents and children, urging families to stay involved in their teenagers' lives and to recognize the warning signs of exploitation or manipulation.
Deanna Wright Macintosh was a bright 15-year-old with her whole life ahead of her. She had dreams and aspirations, and she was deeply loved by her family and friends. Her life was cut short by unimaginable violence, yet her memory lives on in the hearts of those who loved her and the community that rallied in her honor. Her death was not just a loss for her family but for all who recognized the senselessness of her passing and the potential that she never had the chance to fulfill. It's a loss that resonates deeply, a reminder of the dangers that can lurk even close to home. Though her story is one of profound tragedy, it has also inspired action and awareness. Deanna's mother has worked tirelessly to ensure that her daughter's death was not in vain.
In the end, Deanna was so much more than a victim of a crime. She was a daughter, a friend, and a girl with boundless potential. Her life, though tragically brief, continues to shine as a reminder of the importance of cherishing our loved ones and doing all that we can to protect those who are vulnerable. While justice was served for those responsible for her death, the true justice would have been for Deanna to live the full and beautiful life that she deserved.
May Deanna Wright Macintosh rest in peace. Thank you for listening to this week's episode. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Threads.