Rene Williams worked at the Eagles Lodge in Ava, Missouri in 2007. She was 37 years old and living with her boyfriend, Tim, in nearby Mansfield. Rene also was a doting mother to her three children. Her life was going well. Her relationship was good, she enjoyed her job and her kids were her world.
In the early morning hours of March 13, 2007, Rene was closing up for the night. Around 1:30 a.m., she called Tim to let him know she was leaving and on her way home.
Only Rene would never arrive home.
Her boyfriend found her car still parked in the parking lot of the Eagles Lodge and promptly reported her missing. Douglas County led the search for Rene, but they were stumped. About a week later, they brought in search dogs to try and locate a scent to track.
There was no activity on her bank accounts, credit cards, or social security number.
Shortly after, Douglas County announced they were more than likely looking for a body. It was also said that they were able to locate some DNA evidence outside of the Eagles Lodge, but it wasn’t specified exactly what that was.
Authorities interviewed anyone and everyone that had been a patron of the Eagles Lodge, and while they had some suspicions, nothing was ever found.
In 2009, law enforcement decided to look back at the evidence they had and start re-interviewing people about Rene.
On July 25, 2009, authorities announced they made an arrest in connection with Rene’s case. They arrested a local man, Christopher Revak on suspicion of murder.
The grounds? They had matched his DNA to DNA found at the Eagles Lodge, and after conducting a search of his property and retesting some items, they found Rene’s DNA at Revak’s house.
Christopher Revak was arrested and then charged. The family, the community, and the detectives all thought they would get an answer soon. But that was not to be, The very next day, Christopher Revak hung himself in his jail cell.
As detectives dug into the specifics and Revak himself, they were pretty surprised to learn he had no criminal history. He had moved to the area in 2000 and had worked as an EMT, with no one having anything bad to say about him.
However, law enforcement uncovered three other murders that happened in which the coverup and circumstances were quite familiar with Rene’s case. Authorities believed they might have had a serial killer.
Christopher Revak, according to detectives, was living a double life. He was known to have lived in Wisconsin and Missouri, and it is possible he was responsible for even more deaths and disappearances.
No one knows why he might have targeted Rene, and most importantly, no one knows where she is.
Law Enforcement, along with her family, said she would have never abandoned them and run off. There was just no way.
Since we don’t have the benefit of a trial and full evidence disclosure, we can’t say for certain that Revak was responsible, although it seems the authorities are pretty sure.
They have conducted many, many physical searches over the years, and haven’t found Rene.
Ava, Missouri is known as the ‘Treasure of the Ozarks’. The population of Ava is just under 3,000, and Ava is also the county seat for Douglas County.
The town of Mansfield, where Rene and Tim lived, is about a 15-minute drive to the north. The area is rural- very rural. The area where the lodge is, in particular, is also rural and surrounded by many wooded areas and fields.
But, it is thought that Revak took Rene back to his place. Even so, with thorough searches everywhere, Rene Williams has never been found and remains a missing person.
Rene is described as a Caucasian female, with blonde hair and blue eyes, pierced ears, and a pierced tongue. She stands about 5’2 and weighed around 130 pounds at the time she disappeared.
Rene is also missing one lower tooth. Rene has a few tattoos: the letters “K S A” on the fingers of her left hand, a unicorn’s head on her right ankle, and two feathers on her right arm.
Rene was 37 years old at the time and would today be 53.
She was thought to have been wearing a blue hoodie and blue jeans when she was last seen at the Eagles Lodge.
If you have any information on the case of Rene Williams, please contact the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office at 417–683–1020.
