Identified! NV - Henderson, 'Arroyo Grande', WhtFem UP46, "S" tattoo, Oct'80 *GRAPHIC* #2 - Tammy Corrine Terrell

[30Anne]

Wow. What a year for identifications!! I truly hope some of these killers can, and will, be brought to justice now.

Rest peacefully now Tammy.

I agree MadMcGoo

 

[Wossy]

..and then there were none.

ETA: For some reason, WS won't copy over the new updated poster, but here's the Wikipedia URL to the file:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...Grande_-_Walker_Co_-_Buckskin_Girl_Poster.jpg

rsbm.
ooof, I had a feeling this was the case per my last post. Poor little one. Could be quite possible she was killed when resisting and fighting back. Hopefully, her identification might bring POIs into light, or jogs someone's memory.

What would you even call the poster? The morbid four? Idk. All were so young. I feel for the families especially the ones that thought they were still living.

 

[Andreee]

I'm pretty sure it's two Ls, that's what the photo said in the press release, but after Sherry Jarvis's name was incorrectly announced as Sherri, it is possible that Tammy's last name was announced wrong.

Yes, I expect it is spelled with two 'l's. I am a former longtime reporter/proofreader so it bothers me when I notice spelling differences, particularly in cases like this where the person's ID is finally found!!! I know spelling mistakes are usually not of importance, but this certainly is.

 

[Vern]

The fair detail and the male-female company made me think of Gerald Gallego and Charlene Williams, i wonder if they have been considered.

Exactly where my mind went when reading that information.

 

[onceuponadecember]

I don’t think Gallego and Williams seem likely - their final murders in late 1980 seem to have been in California.

 

[Kiranerys]

What would you even call the poster? The morbid four? Idk. All were so young. I feel for the families especially the ones that thought they were still living.

I think I would call it ' The lost girls'

 

[KLCD620]

Her name was Tammy Corrine Terrell.
Born 4.july 1963. Last seen at a restaurant at Roswell state fare, New Mexico 28. September 1980, in the company of a white man and woman and found a week later in NV. Not a Henderson resident.

How can someone as living witness today (from possible been there @ state fair/restaurant) gave them info so quickly when they identified her with shown photo? 41 years is long time to remember this eat out place between the victim and the 2 unknown man/woman.

 

[Alleykins]

How can someone as living witness today (from possible been there @ state fair/restaurant) gave them info so quickly when they identified her with shown photo? 41 years is long time to remember this eat out place between the victim and the 2 unknown man/woman.

I might have missed it, but was this recollection prompted by her recent identification? I didn't pick up on that.

 

[faithx]

How can someone as living witness today (from possible been there @ state fair/restaurant) gave them info so quickly when they identified her with shown photo? 41 years is long time to remember this eat out place between the victim and the 2 unknown man/woman.

Tammy was reported missing at the time, so I'm assuming the witness gave this information back in 1980.

 

[Friday Fan]

She might have been taken to Las Vegas for the Ali/Holmes fight on October 2. Several of us mentioned that fight as soon as we saw the date of this murder. The fight itself was a dud but it was incredibly publicized, anticipated and viewed. People from all over the world would have traveled to Las Vegas for that fight. In those years many mega fights -- including this one -- were held on Thursday night in Las Vegas, designed to keep visitors in town for the weekend.

I don't know how sex trafficking works but seemingly it would be sensible for traffickers to detour to Las Vegas for a few days, knowing the type of clientele who would be in town for an event like that, and therefore the price range. They might have told her California then veered to Las Vegas, whether or not they already intended to kill her.

Thanks for the fight info. The Super Bowl is a known sex trafficking event.

 

[cvaldez1975]

She might have been taken to Las Vegas for the Ali/Holmes fight on October 2. Several of us mentioned that fight as soon as we saw the date of this murder. The fight itself was a dud but it was incredibly publicized, anticipated and viewed. People from all over the world would have traveled to Las Vegas for that fight. In those years many mega fights -- including this one -- were held on Thursday night in Las Vegas, designed to keep visitors in town for the weekend.

I don't know how sex trafficking works but seemingly it would be sensible for traffickers to detour to Las Vegas for a few days, knowing the type of clientele who would be in town for an event like that, and therefore the price range. They might have told her California then veered to Las Vegas, whether or not they already intended to kill her.

yes, HT occurs in cities with large sporting events at a high rate, like superbowl, world cups, major fights.

 

[cvaldez1975]

I don’t think Gallego and Williams seem likely - their final murders in late 1980 seem to have been in California.

true, but they killed in OR and NV before.

 

[EllieFox]

The serial killer Steven Peter Morin is also a good candidate as he picked up and murdered young girls in many states and was in Nevada in 1980. Victims bodies were left naked and often positioned face down as Tammy's was positioned, all were sexually assaulted. In 1980 he abducted 2 women Las Vegas, in January Susan Bilot, who survived. In June 1980, he abducted 20-year-old Cheryl Ann Daniel from Las Vegas, whose body was found in Utah six months later, but he traveled around many states. When they tried to arrest him in Texas at a motel in 1981 they found a kidnap victim and a with his 32 year old female accomplice called Sarah Clarke. Tammy's death suits his MO, his location and it sounds like he used a female accomplice too.

 

[EllieFox]

The serial killer Steven Peter Morin is also a good candidate as he picked up and murdered young girls in many states and was in Nevada in 1980. Victims bodies were left naked and often positioned face down as Tammy's was positioned, all were sexually assaulted. In 1980 he abducted 2 women Las Vegas, in January Susan Bilot, who survived. In June 1980, he abducted 20-year-old Cheryl Ann Daniel from Las Vegas, whose body was found in Utah six months later, but he traveled around many states. When they tried to arrest him in Texas at a motel in 1981 they found a kidnap victim and a with his 32 year old female accomplice called Sarah Clarke. Tammy's death suits his MO, his location and it sounds like he used a female accomplice too.

Peter Morin traveled the country and is linked to as many as 48 murders of young women. In 1980, he was living in Las Vegas using the alias Robert Generoso. In December of 1980 police suspected him of the murder of a Nevada woman and he fled the state.
Joe Ebert, investigating police officer in Henderson Nevada said in the unsolved mysteries podcast that in the Clark County area, there's approximately 12 cases tied to Stephen Peter Morin. "I believe nine of them are with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and three of them are with our agency. And although they're not confirmed, they're believed to be somehow connected to Stephen Peter Morin. Through the investigation into Arroyo Grande Jane Doe, it was determined that Morin used to come to Henderson to sell drugs, and to different areas of Nevada, where all three of our victims were found."
These details are from the Unsolved Mysteries podcast transcript 'The Girl with the S tattoo'

 

[Bit of hope]

For so long you were only known as Arroyo Grande Jane Doe. Finally we know your name: Tammy. RIP now sweetie. Sincere condolences to your loved ones.

Thanks to all people involved in giving you your name back. Glad there has been so many over the years who cared. Also very good thoughts for retired Henderson police officer John Williams and his wife, who have been placing flowers on your 'NN' grave for years and years. I hope everybody involved will live long enough to see justice done for you. That would be really wonderful.

 

[rainwaterstill]

I wonder if the killer(s) had a connection to Henderson. She was abandoned in an area that was just open desert in those days. It seems like dumping her along 40 near Barstow would make more sense on the way to CA, unless she was being trafficked in Vegas?

The Ali-Holmes fight had taken place a few days before in Vegas, attracting people from literally all over the world. I am convinced she was being trafficked to Vegas at the same time as the fight because her pimp(s ) would have seen the fight as a way to make money.

 

[Awsi Dooger]

I wonder if the killer(s) had a connection to Henderson. She was abandoned in an area that was just open desert in those days. It seems like dumping her along 40 near Barstow would make more sense on the way to CA, unless she was being trafficked in Vegas?

Las Vegas area killers could be a lot more sloppy in that era. Before the population boom you didn't have to drive too far out of town for open desert and no concern. There was a 1979 Las Vegas case solved last week -- the Kim Bryant case -- in which the body was dumped near the intersection of Charleston and Buffalo. On another site I saw surprise about that because that intersection is anything but open desert today. It was in 1979.

I moved in Las Vegas in summer 1984. At that point there was still a distinct gap between Las Vegas and Henderson. Open spaces. Then the population and development boom from let's say 1990 forth was so encompassing that the two cities essentially connected. Major new highways were required as a result. I am always astonished these days when I'm in Las Vegas and drive through Henderson toward Boulder City, remembering what that trek looked like in the '80s compared to recent.

 

[Awsi Dooger]

BTW, this case was not solved by @othram in terms of genetic genealogy, but it seems perfect for Othram in terms of identifying the killer. The articles indicate there is a very small remaining amount of swab semen from Tammy's body. There have been previous failures attempting to identify a profile. The detectives didn't want to rush the final attempt until science advanced sufficiently. Othram might be there now.

I hope this realm doesn't have egos and wouldn't mind a sensible handoff like that.

 

[Feme98]

Yes! @othram is excellent in ID terms.

 

[Tower]

Las Vegas area killers could be a lot more sloppy in that era. Before the population boom you didn't have to drive too far out of town for open desert and no concern. There was a 1979 Las Vegas case solved last week -- the Kim Bryant case -- in which the body was dumped near the intersection of Charleston and Buffalo. On another site I saw surprise about that because that intersection is anything but open desert today. It was in 1979.

I moved in Las Vegas in summer 1984. At that point there was still a distinct gap between Las Vegas and Henderson. Open spaces. Then the population and development boom from let's say 1990 forth was so encompassing that the two cities essentially connected. Major new highways were required as a result. I am always astonished these days when I'm in Las Vegas and drive through Henderson toward Boulder City, remembering what that trek looked like in the '80s compared to recent.

Agreed. I’ve lived here since 1994 at the beginning of the MGM Grand/Luxor/NYNY, etc. boom. Since Tammy was seen in New Mexico, I just wonder where her killer(s) were based. Trafficking her in Vegas makes sense, sadly.

I sure hope they find her killers, by @othram or any other possible way.