Murder of Dawn Andrea "Magic" Svocak

On the night of August 16, 1984 20-year-old Dawn "Magic" Svocak went to Blair's Bar on Marion St. in Plattsburgh, New York. This was a gay bar at the time. She would leave around 2:30 a.m. the next morning.She would fail to return to her apartment at 71 Clinton St. Her ex-girlfriend and her then-partner would report her missing.

A belt, knife one of her red boots were found in the alleyway that connects Marion St and Oak St. This was within a block of her apartment and the bar. Police believe that these items were left here by the killer to stage a scene and detour the search for Dawn. So that the search would be focused downtown.

It wasn't until a little over a month later on September 21st that she would be found. In Beekman along ST-9 and Stafford Rd just a few miles outside of Plattsburgh two farmers were cutting down crops in a cornfield when they found Dawn's body. She had died from blunt force trauma. 

A friend of Dawn's believes that it was probably someone they were close to. Likely someone they knew from the bar and a part of their community.

There may be people who were part of the LGBTQ scene in the area who may know something. At the time the LGBTQ  people and the community as whole did not see eye to eye. At this time people weren't as accepting of LGBTQ people. The bar itself was also a place where drugs and fights were more common than not. It was a rough place for partying. Likely people who didn't come foward were probably afraid of what they'd be asked.

Though there was a rift between the gay community and community as a whole the police did not drop the ball in this case. If this case is to ever go to trial because of the throughness of the investigators the crime scene could be recreated down to the exact measurements. 

SOURCES:
New York Trooper
Uncovered

NBC June 18, 2016

New York Upstate October 8, 2019

My Champlain Valley May 6, 2021