Found Deceased FL - Tammy Alexander, 16, Brooksville, 8 Nov 1979

[BearAngel]

I have followed this case for a long time. I lived in the area where she was found, and being a chronic runaway was not that uncommon at
that time in history. Not only did I start following it in New York, years later, it came to me from my own high school. Remembered her from being a friend of my younger sisters', but only for a brief time. She was animated and yet, sullen. This is a personal observation only. I am thrilled to find out that Tammy Jo Alexander aka as Cali, has been identified. I wish I had connected it from upstate NY newspapers to my own school, but everyone who has followed this young lady, will find that, patience and tenacity will win...along with amazing work by all of you. Now if we can only solve the case. Hoping there are more details from the remaining family members. This is so important. For although she is identified, it is not quite solved.

 

[HP@82]

How does a 13 yr old go missing and no one reports her? And then she is found 7 states away up the coast and murdered. I wonder if they have ever compared the bullet? Was the bullet found?

I wish there was more on this case.

A 13 year old did not run away... NOT THAT SHE DIDN'T RUN AWAY AT 13 AND GET CARTED RIGHT BACK HOME! However, a 13 year old did not vanish and not get reported! Be careful and know not everything on the internet is "FACT"... She was with FAMILY on her 16th BIRTHDAY and she is 16 in the picture posted all over the internet today. However, not every little life is rays of sunshine and happiness, and sometimes even a 16 year old has a reason to run! Now, that's all I am going to say on it for now!

 

[HP@82]

To those of you that get it... Thank you for caring about Tammy and her sister and our family! Thank you for looking when others would not. Thank you for understanding that life is not just cut and dry. I am happy that your beloved Cali has a name... I am glad that my family has closure... Though I wish all the times I looked for Tammy Jo Alexander, one of them would have come up with her beautiful face having a happy ending! This has brought on a lot of hurt and pain, because sadly people that don't know... Pass judgment and say hurtful things! That's ok though, because a child murdered so many years ago, gets a name, and a case, gets a little more information to the puzzle... I pray they keep finding answers! I pray that the people still looking for their loved ones, get their answers too... I pray that it's with less judgment!

Because YOU JUST NEVER KNOW!

 

[dizzigirl1]

HP@82, as a stranger to you, i can give you little comfort. I woke early this morning (in Australia) in the hope, that today would be the day, you and your family would have an answer. I am relieved for you and your family that you finally have an answer. I hope that you are able to mourn in peace and that the internet & the opinion and words of many, don't cause you too much added pain. Please take care of yourself.

 

[strawberry]

A 13 year old did not run away... NOT THAT SHE DIDN'T RUN AWAY AT 13 AND GET CARTED RIGHT BACK HOME! However, a 13 year old did not vanish and not get reported! Be careful and know not everything on the internet is "FACT"... She was with FAMILY on her 16th BIRTHDAY and she is 16 in the picture posted all over the internet today. However, not every little life is rays of sunshine and happiness, and sometimes even a 16 year old has a reason to run! Now, that's all I am going to say on it for now!

I am so sorry for your loss. I can read between the lines any my heart breaks for her. She was a beautiful girl.

 

[strawberry]

To those of you that get it... Thank you for caring about Tammy and her sister and our family! Thank you for looking when others would not. Thank you for understanding that life is not just cut and dry. I am happy that your beloved Cali has a name... I am glad that my family has closure... Though I wish all the times I looked for Tammy Jo Alexander, one of them would have come up with her beautiful face having a happy ending! This has brought on a lot of hurt and pain, because sadly people that don't know... Pass judgment and say hurtful things! That's ok though, because a child murdered so many years ago, gets a name, and a case, gets a little more information to the puzzle... I pray they keep finding answers! I pray that the people still looking for their loved ones, get their answers too... I pray that it's with less judgment!

Because YOU JUST NEVER KNOW!

Noone here would be judging the girl. People are astonished that she would not be reported missing...by her mother! But I think we know the answer to that from your posts.

 

[Roselvr]

Noone here would be judging the girl. People are astonished that she would not be reported missing...by her mother! But I think we know the answer to that from your posts.

sorry has been a crazy day personally for me in addition to the presser.
Her sister was told she was reported missing; she even got updates. Back then they either refused to take reports of teens calling them runaways or if they did take them; they were purged. I don't know if they can say for certain if one was or was not filed. Totally sick over the presser & how inaccurate it was & how her sister was made out to be. Tammy is & was always loved by her family!

 

[bessie]

Moving thread to Cold Cases.

Congratulations to CarlK, and all of the wonderful WS'ers and authorities who worked so tirelessly to give this Jane Doe her name, Tammy Jo Alexander.

---

Tammy Jo Alexander, a teen who went missing from Brooksville in 1979, has been identified
Teen's body found near Rochester, NY 35 yrs ago
Jacqueline Ingles
10:30 AM, Jan 26, 2015
3 hours ago

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - The body of a girl found in a New York cornfield has been identified 35 years later as a teen from Brooksville.

WHAM-TV says the body of a Jane Doe discovered in Livingston County near Rochester, N.Y., on Nov. 10, 1979, is that of Tammy Jo Alexander.

Alexander went missing from Brooksville in 1979. She was between the ages of 15 and 16.

The body was found in a field just off Route 20 in the rural town of Caledonia. Police said she had been shot in the back of the head.

[...]

"To finally put a name to her, I can't even tell you what that means," Dougherty said.

Dougherty said his office will now work closely with the FBI to solve this murder.

---

 

[bessie]

Thread in Unidentified -- way to go, CarlK!

NY - Caledonia - WhtFem 1UFNY, 13-19, Turquoise Necklace, Nov'79 *Tammy Alexander*

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Tammy Jo’s Portrait Artist Sheds Light on Solving Mystery

26 Jan, 2015 - CONRAD BAKER

LIVINGSTON COUNTY – The California man who painted a widely circulated facial reconstruction of mysteriously murdered ‘Caledonia Jane Doe,’ now known to be Tammy Jo Alexander, 16, says he instantly recognized her as the subject of his reconstructions and, with the support of others, contacted the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office.

[...]

At a press conference announcing the identification of ‘Caledonia Jane Doe,’ Sheriff Thomas Dougherty said that just as he was confident that they would identify this victim, he is confident that the Sheriff’s Office will now be able to identify the killer.

---

 

[Pseudonymph]

She was such a cutie. I am sad for her short life. Thanks to all who worked to give her a name.

 

[bessie]

She was indeed a precious girl.

My sincere condolences to Tammy Jo's family. I'm so very sorry for your loss.

Rest in Peace, Tammy Jo. :rose:

 

[HP@82]

No, I realize you are not judging Tammy, but assuming that they Lie that she was never reported missing is true is the problem! See in 1979 and years before and after not every police department followed up on runaways... Their reports got shoved in some file somewhere and purged... To leave no record of a missing persons report! Now her mother wasn't great, but her family did report her missing! So again don't believe all the garbage you read!

 

[HP@82]

sorry has been a crazy day personally for me in addition to the presser.
Her sister was told she was reported missing; she even got updates. Back then they either refused to take reports of teens calling them runaways or if they did take them; they were purged. I don't know if they can say for certain if one was or was not filed. Totally sick over the presser & how inaccurate it was & how her sister was made out to be. Tammy is & was always loved by her family!

You and SSA, and many others are some amazing people and I've watched and read all day. Some of this absolutely sickens me, but the nice part is knowing people like you exist and care and don't assume the worst. The Press conference video was very upsetting, but one day we too will tell our story! Not that it matters... What matters is Tammy has been named, and hopefully now they know where she came from they can put more pieces of her case together.
Thanks again for all your kindness!

 

[LadyL]

CarlK and everyone who helped - good job you guys & gals!

 

[Roselvr]

Tammy Jo Alexander - NamUs Case # 24778 has had changes made. You can view the case by clicking here
The following fields have been changed:
Date LKA has been changed from "1977-01-01 00:00:00" to "1979-11-03 00:00:00"

Yet age has not been changed to 16!

 

[tlcya]

:loveyou: :clap: :goldstar:

Mad Props to all who work these cases so diligently!

 

[JerseyGirl]

Hi Carl,

I am a writer for the Tampa Bay Times. I am working on a story about Tammy Jo Alexander and came across your posts. I wanted to see if you might be able to put me in touch with Tammy's friend. Would you be able to give me a phone number for her? Or perhaps you could pass mine along to her. I am at (813) 226-3386.

I appreciate any help you can provide. Thank you.

Dan Sullivan
Staff Writer
Tampa Bay Times

Here is the Tampa Bay article from January 26, 2015:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/public...micide-identified-as-brooksville-girl/2215169

 

[Cubby]

Tammy's sister's side of the story at the following link:

http://www.whec.com/article/stories/s3688486.shtml

I have to say I am as outraged as Tammy's sister over the presumptuous comment made by retired sheriff John York. Seriously, we who work MP cases have seen time after time how MP cases were handled decades ago. For former Sheriff York to make such a comment, I'm glad he is not working on the case currently.

As far as I know, Tammy's family are still considered victims here at WS per WS TOS. Why all the presumptuous comments. To Tammy's family. I am so sorry Sheriff York and others are allowing their ignorance to make such inaccurate comments. I'm glad Tammy finally has her name back and sorry this tragedy occured to her. Now it is time to find the person responsible and make sure Tammy receives the justice she deserves.

My first questions surround the witness who provided the information for the composite of the possible suspect. Are they still around and willing to work with LE, if LE has pictures of possible perps? I know that a few were mentioned in the UID thread. I hope they are carried and discussed here. Has this thread been linked to the UID forum so they know the sleuthing is continuing here?


Sleep peacefully Tammy. We are going to keep looking until the person who did this to you is held accountable. :rose:

 

[Roselvr]

You and SSA, and many others are some amazing people and I've watched and read all day. Some of this absolutely sickens me, but the nice part is knowing people like you exist and care and don't assume the worst. The Press conference video was very upsetting, but one day we too will tell our story! Not that it matters... What matters is Tammy has been named, and hopefully now they know where she came from they can put more pieces of her case together.
Thanks again for all your kindness!

I'm going to try to get my own statement on Cali's FB page today. My 17 month old grandson has had a stomach virus since Thursday; my daughter is now coming down with it. To top it off she had appointments yesterday afternoon; then NJ got hit with snow. lol I've shoveled; daughter is set up; grandson hopefully will go for a nap shortly; then maybe I can write something out.

I'm a product of a dysfunctional family. The only person that would have missed me would have been my dad had I not shown up to pump gas at our family owned service station. I spent much time sleeping at friends houses just to get away from the poison of my "mother" & 2 siblings". I partied; drove fast cars & Harley's. Met a lot of creepers at our gas station where I worked alone many nights & Sundays. I very well could have been Cali or Jessica Heeringa. Times were so much different then; not that they have changed that much; there are still a lot of LE that refuse to take a missing persons report. My 1st love is a few Jane Doe's; Cali; Knox TN Shot Gun Jane Doe; CA Andrea; Buck Skin Girl but I do advocate for a very few families with missing. Her sister will be doing a few interviews today; so she is going to have her day too. Praying they print all that she says. I really do not feel they can say either way whether a report was taken & purged like Michelle Knight (Ariel Castro's victim) or that they refused because she had run away before. I think what happened yesterday was the NY team did not know the full story. I also feel that they failed Tammy with the bad recons. Had they been better; someone may have caught it the many times they plastered Florida with her image. Praying for justice that her killer is caught; can't believe they did not figure it out before her identity was released. I know they tried.

 

[Still_Seek_Answers]

HP, as you know my heart breaks for you and your entire family. You're in my thoughts and in my prayers, and I so wish this had a happier ending for you.