Murder of Tammy Vincent

Tammy Vincent

Reconstructions of Vincent prior to her identification compared with an actual photograph (bottom right)
Born Tammy A. Vincent
c. 1962
Seattle, Washington
Died September 1979 (aged 17)[1]
Tiburon, California
Cause of death Homicide by stabbing and firearm
Body discovered September 26, 1979
Resting place Ephrata Cemetery, Washington, United States (formerly Valley Memorial Park, Novato, California)
Nationality American
Citizenship United States
Known for Murder victim

Tammy A. Vincent was an American teenager who was murdered in September 1979.[1][2][3][4] Her body was not identified until 2007, twenty-eight years after her death.[1][4] Despite the fact that her identity was discovered, the case remains unsolved, although a prime suspect has been selected.[3] It was believed she may have been a victim of the notorious Green River killings, which have an approximate number of 49 victims while she remained a missing person. Gary Ridgway has since pleaded guilty to most of these killings, plus six additional murders.[2] However, Vincent's case has not been officially solved.[1][2][5] NCIS cast member Pauley Perrette collaborated with the popular television show America's Most Wanted in 2009 to work on solving the case.[6]

Circumstances

Vincent grew up on a farm. She was seventeen years old when she ran away from home and likely engaged in prostitution as a way to survive.[1][4] She was native to Seattle, Washington.[1][5] Vincent reportedly contacted her sister in summer 1979, explaining her wish to return home. This was the last time she was heard from.[1]

It is believed that she was murdered due to the fact that she was going to testify against an organized crime leader in court.[1][2][5] The night prior to Vincent's murder, a teen matching her description was seen accompanying a white man. The two were purchasing an ice pick as well as acetone, which were likely the same items used to murder her.[5][7]

Murder

Crime scene where Vincent's body was located

The body was found on September 26, 1979 in Tiburon, California.[2][5] Vincent was beaten, shot in the head, and stabbed 43 times; her remains were severely damaged after being set ablaze after acetone was poured on the body.[3][4][5] Witnesses reported seeing a van speeding away from the scene.[8] Upon the discovery of the remains on a beach, examiners could not identify the body,[3][4] and could only determine her eye color, height, weight, gender, and dental characteristics. At the time of death, she wore a black shirt, beige pants decorated with blue and red, and high heels.[1][9][10]

Identification

"For me, it's closure on one chapter, but another one remains open. The story is still going on. I can't believe she was murdered and that someone is getting away with it. I would really like to see them pay for what they've done." - Sandy Vincent, sister of the victim

In efforts to identify Vincent, the body was exhumed in 2002 and was transported to Richmond, Virginia for further examination. The Center for Missing and Exploited Children created a composite image from her skull, which has been done on countless other unidentified decedents.[7] Various other reconstructions have been created prior to the work done by the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.[5][7] In 2007, DNA samples from Vincent's mother and sister were matched to the DNA of the remains.[4][5][7]

Because Vincent's head was severely burned, detectives were unable to collect hair samples; instead, hair from the pubic region was used to carry out the DNA test.[2][5] She was cremated on August 7, 2007 and was laid to rest by her family later that month.[3][5] Her ashes were flown from California to her family in Washington by detective Steve Nash, who had worked on the case since 1988.[3][5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Whitely, Peyton (30 September 2007). "Detective work in 2 states identifies '79 slaying victim". Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wolfcale, Joe (29 September 2007). "Victim in 1979 Tiburon murder finally identified". Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wolfcale, Joe (29 September 2007). "Detective tenacious in pursuing 1979 murder case". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "This week on America’s Most Wanted 2/21/09". 20 February 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Rafael, San (1 October 2007). "DNA Solves 28-Year-Old Marin Murder Mystery". ktvu.com. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  6. ↑ "America's Most Wanted". 22 February 2009. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Timeline of 1979 Tiburon murder case". Marin Independent Journal. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  8. ↑ "Timeline of 1979 Tiburon murder case". Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  9. ↑ "Case File 324UFCA". doenetwork.org. The Doe Network. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  10. ↑ Brown, Robert (22 February 2009). "Unknown Tammy Vincent Killers". amw.com. America's Most Wanted. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
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