FL FL - Tina Janose, 13, sexually assaulted, strangled, & thrown off overpass, Wahneta/Polk City, 31 Oct 1981

[BrownBear]

VICTIM DETAILS
Name: Tina Janose
Age: 13
Gender: Female

SUSPECT DETAILS
Name: Unknown
Offense: Murder
Cause: Ligature/Strangulation
Location: Unknown

CASE DETAILS
Status: Unsolved
Incident Location: 1-4/Mt. Olive Road, Polk City, Polk County, Florida, 33868
L.E.A: Polk County Sheriff's Office, Winter Haven, Florida

On October 31, 1981, at approximately 5:45 a.m., 13-year-old Tina Marie Janose was found underneath the I-4 overpass at Mt. Olive Road in Polk City. She was abducted during the night from her residence in the Wahneta area of Winter Haven. She had been sexually battered, strangled, and thrown off the overpass. Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit at (863) 298-6379, or send an email to [email protected].

Project Cold Case Database

 

[tilomagnet]

never heard of this case. info is awfully sparse...were there any witnesses to the abduction? alone at home? etc

 

[Ghostwheel]

From 2002 (Was not paywalled for me, just go past the pop up or copy the link and paste it in your browser)

Killing Haunts Mother​

Brutal Slaying of Tina Marie Janose in 1981 Has Not Been Solved​

https://www.theledger.com/story/news/2002/10/31/killing-haunts-mother/26026290007/

 

[Ghostwheel]

Was not paywalled for me, just go past the pop up or copy the link and paste it in your browser.

Detective believes dead inmate was girl's killer in '81​

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2003/11/03/detective-believes-dead-inmate-was-girls-killer-in-81/28773081007/

 

[Sleuthster]

I found where someone posted alot of info from newspapers on reddit but we can't link them and I guess Im going to gave to get a temp account for newspapers. Its just plain sad that Tina's murder has gone solved for this long.

 

[Cacophonies]

From the information provided I'm super intrigued on a few fronts. Firstly, if this was a mobile home, doesn't it seem unlikely of someone being able to make it in and leave without waking anyone? I would go to say it's odd to me to be able to take someone from their bed and out of their home without waking them, and given how Tina is described in articles, I would expect she'd start struggling upon waking. This is purely speculative, but is it possible she was lured out of the home by the perp? Hence the lack of forcible entry. Secondly, are there any developments on DNA evidence left on Tina's body/clothes? I know that DNA tech was not as it is now, but if they preserved any evidence well enough wouldn't they be able to rule out or stick the murder on the deceased suspect? These are just my initial thoughts and questions reading whats here.

 

[HopeRains]

I found where someone posted alot of info from newspapers on reddit but we can't link them and I guess Im going to gave to get a temp account for newspapers. Its just plain sad that Tina's murder has gone solved for this long.

There are a lot of articles in newspapers and I do not know what was related on reddit - if there is something you are specifically wanting, please let me know and I can post for you.

 

[HopeRains]

This is an excerpt from a larger article on crime in the area and a community meeting on such (The Ledger, Thu, Nov 05, 1981 ·Page 18)

 

[Sleuthster]

There are a lot of articles in newspapers and I do not know what was related on reddit - if there is something you are specifically wanting, please let me know and I can post for you.

There where 2 suspects or poi both deceased now but there was alot of info on them

 

[Cacophonies]

This is an excerpt from a larger article on crime in the area and a community meeting on such (The Ledger, Thu, Nov 05, 1981 ·Page 18)

View attachment 645699

I want to reclarify my first question after reading this, it makes sense that she must've wondered out of the home prior to abduction, as per my confusion prior to going over this article. I still am a bit weary of the entire thing because mobile homes are usually located in communities. I am utterly shocked and saddened that there are no clear witness accounts I've come across.

As for the POI's I found this article which talks about Potts who was caught throwing another young girl off an overpass. More speculation than evidence keeps Potts' name in the news