MURDER
CASE #: 1987-25
Tracy McMath
Status:
Open
Date of Offense:
Date of Offense:
Jurisdiction:
Offense Location:
Mannheim, Germany
Summary:
Tracy McMath was a 20-year-old military wife and mother-to-be discovered murdered near a military base in Mannheim, Germany in September 1987. She was found bound and placed face-down in her bathtub, and her unborn baby also died. Her murder remains unsolved more than 30 years later.
Vital Statistics
Circumstances of Offense:
Tracy McMath was viciously murdered in Mannheim, Germany on Sunday, September 27, 1987. Jimmie Chrisco, Tracy's brother, arrived in Mannheim to visit his sister on Sunday, September 27th, while her husband Wayne was away on training. Doctors believe Tracy likely drowned the same day. On Sept. 29, 1987, the 20-year-old McMath was reported missing by a friend. When authorities finally entered the German apartment, they found Tracy McMath face down in the bathtub, naked, bound, and dead. She was found with her hands tied behind her back. Her ATM card had been stolen and was used to withdraw $600 in Kaiserslautern and Heidelberg.
Additional Details:
Her brother, Jimmie Chrisco, was originally charged with the crime, but eventually acquitted. He was acquitted on Thursday, February 4, 1988, after a 14 day trial. A German woman told the court that she talked to Jimmie at a bowling alley while he waited for his sister to pick him up. At that same time, someone used Tracy's teller card in Kaiserslautern, about 40 miles away. There were 16 fingerprints secured from the crime scene, with sets including three from the tiles in the bathtub where Tracy's body was found and one from the telephone receiver in the apartment. The fingerprints were checked for matches of German citizens or American military personnel, but only those military members who had ever been arrested by German Police. No matches came back. The Army Criminal Investigation Command has reopened the investigation into the murder of Tracy McMath and her unborn son. Reward money will be given for any credible information leading to the conviction of the person or people responsible for the death of Tracy McMath in 1987.
Case Last Updated:
Timeline of Events
Army CID announces reward for information leading to conviction in McMath case.
Defense attorney Timothy Shultis writes impassioned letter to Army referencing unidentified crime scene fingerprints.
Jimmie Chrisco acquitted of murder and larceny charges after 14-day trial.
Tracy McMath reported missing by a friend.
Tracy's body discovered in her off-base apartment bathtub in Mannheim.
Tracy McMath murdered in Mannheim, Germany. Brother Jimmie arrives to visit her while her husband Wayne is away on training.
Associated Persons
Wayne M. (Spouse) - Living
Timothy S. (Attorney) - Living
David H. (Friend) - Living
Jimmie C. (Sibling) - Living
Kyle K. (Attorney) - Living
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