Three men have been arrested in the 1989 killing of a US woman after someone came forward with a tip over three decades after her death.

Kelle Ann Workman was reported missing on June 30, 1989, in Douglas County, Missouri, and her body was found eight days later in a national forest.

Local men Bobby Banks, Leonard Banks and Wiley Belt have been arrested and charged with Workman’s murder, kidnapping and rape.

Kelle Ann Workman was reported missing in Missouri in 1989
Kelle Ann Workman was reported missing in Missouri in 1989. (CNN)

The arrests came after a person “in the last couple of months” gave law enforcement information tying the suspects to Workman’s killing, prosecutor Matt Weatherman said.

The tipster was not a person of interest in the case, authorities said.

“There was a person that came forward after almost 30 years of holding this inside” and “finally told us the last piece we needed to slide it all together,” Weatherman said.

Workman vanished while mowing grass at Dogwood Cemetery in Douglas County.

Police said the grass was only half-mowed when Workman disappeared.

Her car had the key in the ignition.

After a week of searching, Workman’s fully clothed body was found underwater in a creek in Mark Twain National Forest, about 20km from the cemetery.

The three men had been on the radar in relation to the cold case for some time, Douglas County Sheriff Chris Degase said.

All three are scheduled to appear in court on March 5.

Authorities did not provide information on the tipster who came forward, or any more details about what information was shared.

“We’re gonna have live witnesses,” Weatherman said.

“They’re gonna testify to what they know, what they saw and what they think, and we’re gonna let the jury sort it out.”

A local newspaper reports on missing woman Kelle Ann Workman
Kelle Ann Workman vanished while mowing grass at Dogwood Cemetery. (Springfield News-Leader)

Officials said Workman’s family is relieved and told law enforcement they “never thought this day would come.”

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