Donna Mills

Donna Mills was a woman who loved life and lived it to the fullest, remembered by those who knew her for her beautiful smile and an innocent heart. At 29 years old, the Jacksonville, Florida, resident had a passion for photography and a deep commitment to helping others. She worked at VyStar Credit Union, where she served as a team captain for charitable events, and also volunteered her time with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Donna adored her two cats and dreamed of one day becoming a mother. Her younger sister, Sarah, whom she lovingly called "Dee Dee," believed they would grow old together.

In the early morning hours of Saturday, December 15, 2007, Donna, a white female, was asleep inside her second-story apartment at The Preserve at Cedar River complex on Confederate Point Road on Jacksonville's Westside. Around 2 or 3 a.m., nearly a dozen bullets were fired into the building for no apparent reason. One of those bullets pierced through Donna's window, striking her in the chest and killing her instantly as she slept. Police initially responded to reports of gunfire but were unable to locate any evidence or suspects.

Later that morning, after Donna failed to show up for her job at the bank, her family became concerned. Sarah Mills went to her sister's apartment to check on her. When she arrived, she was met with the sight of police crime scene tape cordoning off the area. Officers had been called back to the complex for a second report of gunshots and had spotted a bullet hole in Donna's window. Upon entering the apartment to investigate, they discovered her body.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office launched a homicide investigation, but the case quickly grew cold. Investigators believe the shots were fired randomly, and without a motive or any identified suspects, the case has remained a tragic mystery. The randomness of the act left her family grappling with unanswerable questions. "Who would shoot into someone's home when you know there are people who are living there, innocent people?" her sister Sarah later asked.

In the years following the murder, Donna's family and friends have worked tirelessly to keep her memory alive and to seek justice. They have stood on street corners passing out fliers, and the victims' advocacy group, the Justice Coalition, unveiled a billboard to bring attention to the unsolved slaying. The pain of losing Donna remains a constant for her loved ones. Her best friend, Kelly Frick, recalled how she would sometimes instinctively go to dial Donna's number before remembering she was gone. "I just miss her," Frick said. Sarah Mills shared the deep and lasting grief, saying, "I would have never thought that six years later I would still have the terrible days, but you do. You never get over it."

The investigation into Donna Mills' murder is ongoing. Her family holds onto the hope that someone with information will eventually come forward, either out of guilt or for their own reasons. "You see on the news sometimes it takes years for these things to unravel, but I hope it does," Sarah Mills said in 2008. "Then we can focus our family just on healing and doing things to remember her." As of August 2013, police were still actively working the case.

A reward of up to $16,000 has been offered by the Justice Coalition and First Coast Crime Stoppers for information that leads to an arrest. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office urges anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to contact them at (904) 630-0500. To remain anonymous, tips can be submitted to First Coast Crime Stoppers at (866) 845-TIPS.