NJ- Tamara “Tammy” Tignor, 23, strangled, Bridgewater, 4/11/97, Dna- Robert A. Creter, 60, of Winnipeg, Canada, *extradited to US*

[dotr]

Canadian man arrested in 1997 Bridgewater cold case murder with help of DNA

Tammy Tignor's half-clothed body was discovered on a dirt cul-de-sac off Gilbride Road in Bridgewater near Washington Valley Park on Nov. 4, 1997.

www.mycentraljersey.com

''SOMERVILLE - A 60-year-old Canadian man has been arrested and charged with the murder of a former Old Bridge woman whose body was found dumped in Bridgewater 27 years ago.

Robert A. Creter, of Winnipeg, Canada, was extradited to the United States last week by the U.S. Marshal Service after being charged with the murder of 23-year-old Tamara Tignor in 2023, following an advanced DNA testing match.

He is being held in the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing.

Around 4:38 p.m. Nov. 4, 1997 Bridgewater Township Police received a 911 call reporting the discovery of the body of a woman by a Bridgewater resident. The body was located on a dirt access road that ended in a cul-de-sac off Gilbride Road near Washington Valley Park.''

 

[Blurgle]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/robert-creter-1.7398964

Edit to add: According to the Winnipeg Free Press he moved to Winnipeg in 2002.

 

[dotr]

Dec 3, 2024 #NewJersey #ColdCase #Crime
Decades after a woman was killed and her body was dumped in the woods of New Jersey, a suspect has been extradited from Canada to face murder charges, according to law enforcement. WNBC’s Jen Maxfield reports.

 

[dotr]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/robert-creter-1.7398964

Edit to add: According to the Winnipeg Free Press he moved to Winnipeg in 2002.

Thank you, had been under the impression that the suspect was originally from Canada, but then moved to the US later returning to Winnipeg in 2002, but i think you are correct, imo.
ETA rbbm.

Canadian man busted in unsolved 1997 New Jersey sex slaying

Robert A. Creter lived quietly. That ended when cops in New Jersey arrested Creter and charged him with a 1997 cold case murder.

torontosun.com

''Creter owned an orange van around the time of the murder, according to the prosecutor’s office. Cops say it wasn’t clear if Creter and the victim knew each other or what their relationship may have been.
According to detectives, enhanced DNA techniques helped them zero in on Creter, who was born in Canada but adopted by an American family.''

 

[arielilane]

Decades after a woman was killed and her body was dumped in the woods of New Jersey, a suspect has been extradited from Canada to face murder charges, according to law enforcement.

It was during the afternoon of Nov. 4, 1997, that the body of Tammy Tignor was found near a hiking trail off Gilbride Road in Bridgewater, near Washington Valley Park. The 23-year-old had been strangled and her death was ruled to be a homicide.

Suspect arrested in 1997 cold case murder of New Jersey woman found in woods

A first-degree murder charge against the suspect was authorized in May 2023, but he moved to Canada in 2002 and had to be extradited before being arrested.

www.nbcnews.com

12/3/2024

Tammy Tignor
Somerset County Prosecutor's Office

 

[arielilane]

So glad for Tammy's family to finally know who is responsible for the murder of their loved one.



More from the linked article [same one posted above]

County officials said Monday that there are eight other cold cases they were investigating, and hope the DNA technology will give families of those victims hope that justice is still possible, even decades later.

“The arrest of a suspect in this decades-old case is a testament to the unwavering dedication of law enforcement to seek justice, no matter how much time has passed,” said Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.

Suspect arrested in 1997 cold case murder of New Jersey woman found in woods

A first-degree murder charge against the suspect was authorized in May 2023, but he moved to Canada in 2002 and had to be extradited before being arrested.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[BlueJayBirdie]

Cold case breakthrough in 1997 N.J. killing leads to charges against Canadian man

"Creter has a criminal record in New Jersey including terroristic threats and weapons charges in 1995, and theft and forgery charges in 1999, according to court documents.

Advances in DNA technology allowed police to match evidence collected at the scene to Creter in 2023 through the Combined DNA Index System, a national FBI database that stores DNA collected from crime scenes and convicted offenders, McLaughlin said."

 

[BlueJayBirdie]

This article shows Creter's criminal history in Canada:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/robert-creter-new-jersey-killing-extradited-1.7400327

"Canadian court records show that Creter was convicted of one count of assault and two counts of assault causing bodily harm in 2002.
He was also convicted of disobeying a court order in 2010, along with two probation breaches.
Creter was transient and did not have a permanent address in Winnipeg, a 2019 court document said."

 

[BlueJayBirdie]

Man accused in N.J. cold case killing fled to Canada on separate charges, officials say

"Creter has 16 prior indictable offenses from the 1990s, including sexual assault, terroristic threats, resisting arrest, weapons charges, and theft, Borkowski said.

He fled to Canada in 2000 while some of the charges against him were still pending."


Article also states Creter is dual-citizen US & Canada

 

[BlueJayBirdie]

The more I read about Creter's criminal history the more I think he's likely responsible for other cases.

Started doing research of unsolved cases in and near Winnipeg, Manitoba to list. Haven't found much info yet, but here are 3 so far:

Fonassa Bruyere - 17

https://www.cbc.ca/missingandmurdered/mmiw/profiles/fonassa-lynn-louise-bruyere

'It still bothers me': Family members of Fonessa Bruyere walk to remember slain teen

Last seen Aug 9, 2007 in Winnipeg getting into a car. "Two weeks later, her body was discovered with multiple stab wounds in a field on the northern edge of the city."

Cherisse Houle - 17

https://www.cbc.ca/missingandmurdered/mmiw/profiles/cherisse-diane-marie-houle

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/07/07/somebody-stole-her

- Was in a program through "Ka Ni Kanichihk in Winnipeg"
"The last time anyone saw Cherisse was at the end of June 2009."
"lifeless body was found by a construction crew in the Rural Municipality of Rosser, northwest of Winnipeg" in July 2009


Hillary Angel Wilson - 18

https://www.cbc.ca/missingandmurdered/mmiw/profiles/hillary-angel-wilson

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/10-year-anniversary-hillary-angel-wilson-1.5254299

"Hillary was last seen on Aug. 19, 2009, at the corner of Selkirk Avenue and McKenzie Street, where police believed she made a call from a payphone.
Her body was found the next day in a sparsely populated area of East St. Paul."


* Hillary Angel Wilson knew Cherisse Houle, according to CBC:

"Wilson had experienced the death of a friend just a month before she would be killed.
17-year-old Cherisse Houle was found dead near Sturgeon Creek by a construction crew, and Wilson had left a tribute message on her Facebook wall, remembering watching favourite movies and eating meals together."

 

[BlueJayBirdie]

New article shows some of Creter's criminal history & movements in Canada. I created a little timeline by pulling info:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/robert-creter-detention-hearing-1.7403596

"Canupawakpa Dakota Nation, a First Nation just over 30 kilometres south of the town of Virden in southwestern Manitoba, confirmed to CBC News that Creter is a registered member of the community."


2002:

"August 2002, Creter pleaded guilty to one count of assault and two counts of assault causing bodily harm after two men and a woman were injured at a Virden home the month before"

2-month jail sentence & 2 years probation

Article says he fled Manitoba at the end of 2002 for British Columbia which was a breach of probation order.

2005:
Creter goes before a "Manitoba provincial court judge in Virden in June 2005, where he pleaded guilty to breaching the terms of his probation order."
Probation order extended by 6 months & $100 fine

2006:
He was "convicted of assault in British Columbia in 2006"
Gets a suspended sentence & 1 year of probation

2008:
He "breached a protective order filed by his ex-girlfriend in 2008".
"Creter's ex-girlfriend said in her application for the protective order that he was charged after he pushed and choked her."

2009:
Found "unconscious under the Disraeli Freeway bridge in 2009, and was still intoxicated from alcohol when he awoke."

2011:
"Creter returned to court in Winnipeg in 2011, pleading guilty to two counts of disobeying a court order and two counts of failing to comply with the conditions of his release, which required him to live at Siloam Mission, a Winnipeg shelter, and to abstain from alcohol."

In 2011 he admits to a Manitoba judge that he struggles with alcohol, crack cocaine & cocaine addiction.

 

[Blurgle]

It's the [bleep] Sixties Scoop again.

 

[Chris M]

I'm happy to hear Tamara's killer was found. It's good that a 25+ year old case is solved. I do live in the county that this case took place in.

 

[BlueJayBirdie]

The more I read about Creter's criminal history the more I think he's likely responsible for other cases.

Started doing research of unsolved cases in and near Winnipeg, Manitoba to list. Haven't found much info yet, but here are 3 so far:

Fonassa Bruyere - 17

https://www.cbc.ca/missingandmurdered/mmiw/profiles/fonassa-lynn-louise-bruyere

'It still bothers me': Family members of Fonessa Bruyere walk to remember slain teen

Last seen Aug 9, 2007 in Winnipeg getting into a car. "Two weeks later, her body was discovered with multiple stab wounds in a field on the northern edge of the city."

Cherisse Houle - 17

https://www.cbc.ca/missingandmurdered/mmiw/profiles/cherisse-diane-marie-houle

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/07/07/somebody-stole-her

- Was in a program through "Ka Ni Kanichihk in Winnipeg"
"The last time anyone saw Cherisse was at the end of June 2009."
"lifeless body was found by a construction crew in the Rural Municipality of Rosser, northwest of Winnipeg" in July 2009


Hillary Angel Wilson - 18

https://www.cbc.ca/missingandmurdered/mmiw/profiles/hillary-angel-wilson

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/10-year-anniversary-hillary-angel-wilson-1.5254299

"Hillary was last seen on Aug. 19, 2009, at the corner of Selkirk Avenue and McKenzie Street, where police believed she made a call from a payphone.
Her body was found the next day in a sparsely populated area of East St. Paul."


* Hillary Angel Wilson knew Cherisse Houle, according to CBC:

"Wilson had experienced the death of a friend just a month before she would be killed.
17-year-old Cherisse Houle was found dead near Sturgeon Creek by a construction crew, and Wilson had left a tribute message on her Facebook wall, remembering watching favourite movies and eating meals together."

Did more research on unsolved cases in Winnipeg, will just post this old article from 2022 which lists more:

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2022/05/06/investigators-haunted-by-cold-case-files

 

[BlueJayBirdie]

It's the [bleep] Sixties Scoop again.

you read my mind!

 

[imstilla.grandma]

On Monday, May 19, Creter pled guilty to the first-degree aggravated manslaughter of Tamara “Tammy” Tignor on Nov. 4, 1997, before Judge Angela F. Borkowski in Somerville.

Creter admitted during the plea that on Nov. 4, 1997, in Bridgewater, "he manually strangled Tignor with his bare hands, causing her death," according to authorities.
In exchange for his plea of guilty, the State agreed to a 10-year New Jersey State Prison sentence for Creter, with 85 percent of that sentence to be served without parole. Sentencing is set for July 11, at 11 a.m

1997 Cold Case Strangulation Murder At NJ Park Ends In Confession, Guilty Plea

Robert A. Creter, 60, of Canada, admitted to strangling Tamara "Tammy" Tignor with his bare hands, causing her death in 1997.

patch.com

 

[dotr]

July 28 2025

Canadian man sentenced in Old Bridge woman's 1997 strangling in Bridgewater

Robert Creter, 61, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the 1997 strangulation death of Tamara Tignor in Bridgewater.

www.mycentraljersey.com

• ''Creter pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter after DNA found under Tignor's fingernails was matched to him through advanced testing.
• Creter was apprehended in Canada, where he had been living since 2002, and extradited to the United States.
• The cold case was solved after detectives resubmitted evidence for DNA testing as part of a cold case initiative.

SOMERVILLE – A Canadian man has been sentenced to 10 years in state prison for killing a woman in Bridgewater almost 28 years ago, one of Somerset County's oldest cold cases.

Robert Creter, 61, was sentenced July 23 by Superior Court Judge Angela Borkowski for the strangulation death of Tamara “Tammy” Tignor in Bridgewater on Nov. 4, 1997.

Creter had initially been charged with murder and pleaded guilty to the charge but was sentenced on the first-degree aggravated manslaughter charge. He must spend 85% of the sentence in prison before becoming eligible for parole.''

 

[dotr]

July 29 2025 rbbm.

Canadian man jailed in 1997 cold case killing of New Jersey sex worker

Robert Creter told detectives he was plagued by nightmares of the 1997 killing of a New Jersey prostitute with his bare hands.

torontosun.com

Robert A. Creter of Winnipeg in 1997, left, and today. NJSP
''In a NJ courtroom last Wednesday, Creter was sentenced to 10 years in a state prison for strangling sex worker Tamara “Tammy” Tignor in Bridgewater on Nov. 4, 1997.

“I have had nightmares about this happening for almost 30 years,” Creter reportedly told homicide detectives after he was arrested in Winnipeg in June 2024.''

''Cops said Tignor spent her final hours at a Newark soup kitchen. There, she showered, was given clothes and had a meal.

Several hours later, she was spotted speaking to someone driving an orange van. At the time, Creter worked for a moving company that had a fleet of orange vans.''

 

[dotr]

Jul 31, 2025

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/robert-creter-sentencing-1.7598565

''A Manitoba man who admitted to killing a 23-year-old woman in a New Jersey cold case has been sentenced to 10 years in prison thanks to a plea deal that upset the victim's mother.

Somerset County Judge Angela Borkowski accepted a plea deal to sentence Robert Creter, 61, to 10 years in a New Jersey prison on July 23, for the 1997 strangling of Tammy Tignor, according to court recordings reviewed by CBC News.''

''Creter, a Canadian citizen and member of Canupawakpa Dakota Nation in southwestern Manitoba, was working as a day labourer in Bridgewater, N.J., when Tignor's body was found, CBC News previously learned.

He moved to Manitoba in 2002, where he remained until his extradition, court records show. Creter had been homeless in Winnipeg in the months leading to his arrest.''

 

[vls12345]

Jul 31, 2025

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/robert-creter-sentencing-1.7598565

View attachment 605378
''A Manitoba man who admitted to killing a 23-year-old woman in a New Jersey cold case has been sentenced to 10 years in prison thanks to a plea deal that upset the victim's mother.

Somerset County Judge Angela Borkowski accepted a plea deal to sentence Robert Creter, 61, to 10 years in a New Jersey prison on July 23, for the 1997 strangling of Tammy Tignor, according to court recordings reviewed by CBC News.''

''Creter, a Canadian citizen and member of Canupawakpa Dakota Nation in southwestern Manitoba, was working as a day labourer in Bridgewater, N.J., when Tignor's body was found, CBC News previously learned.

He moved to Manitoba in 2002, where he remained until his extradition, court records show. Creter had been homeless in Winnipeg in the months leading to his arrest.''

I have to agree with the victim's family and loved ones that this is a ridiculously short sentence for killing someone. He should be locked up for the rest of his life. (And if he actually regretted what he did, he could have turned himself in anytime during the past decades.)

I am glad he was caught and is currently in prison, but this seems like a miscarriage of justice, imo.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/robert-creter-sentencing-1.7598565