Sally Tullos

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Austin Police Department (TX)

Offense Location:

Austin, Texas

Summary:

Sally Tullos was a 33-year-old framing artist from Johnson City, Texas, who was fatally stabbed on March 1, 1983, while sunbathing near Barton Creek at Zilker Park in Austin. Her body was found nude and covered in brush a mile from Barton Springs Pool. The case remains unsolved.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

On Tuesday, March 1, 1983, a typical warm spring day in Central Texas, Sally Tullos left her friends and went down to the Greenbelt by herself. At around 10 a.m., 33 year-old Tullos parked her car at Zilker Park and walked to Barton Creek, near Campbell's Hole. During her walk, she was attacked and stabbed in the throat. Her clothes were removed, and she was covered in brush. Sally, left for dead on a dirt trail, walked 50–75 yards before collapsing. Her nude body was found at 11:30 am a mile from Barton Springs Pool. Police believe the assault was sexually motivated.

Additional Details:

Sally graduated from Austin High School as a national merit finalist. She majored in psychology and math for two years at the University of Texas. Sally lived in Johnson City with her boyfriend, Stephen Minarik, and worked as a framer for Joseph's, a frame shop and gallery. Tullos had a boyfriend at the time. He was questioned and quickly ruled out as a suspect. Detectives have questioned multiple people throughout the years, but they've never made any arrests. The year 1983 was around the time when Austin had a Barton Creek rapist. The man was believed to be linked to dozens of sexual assaults. To this day, he has not been positively identified or definitively connected to this case.

Case Last Updated:

Jun 10, 2026