MURDER
CASE #: 1989-22
Tamara Gifford
Status:
Open
Date of Offense:
Date of Offense:
Jurisdiction:
Offense Location:
Crestview, Florida
Related Cases:
Summary:
Tamara Gifford was a 16-year-old from Florida who was found dead in La Porte County, Indiana in March 1989. She and her friend Christina Hillis were reported missing as runaways on December 7, 1988, believed to have been murdered in December 1988. Their deaths remain unsolved.
Vital Statistics
Circumstances of Offense:
In early December 1988, Tamara Gifford and Christina Hillis of Crestview, Florida, ran away from home. The teens were reported as runaways on December 7th, 1988. Tami and Christine were last seen in Florida on December 9, 1988. They left school early in the day and were seen later that day hitchhiking north out of Florida. They were believed to have been in Starke County shortly after they ran away, where detectives say Tamara had relatives. On Saturday, March 11, 1989, a fisherman found Gifford's body in a large ditch in southern La Porte County that feeds the Kankakee River off State Road 8, about a mile west of State Road 39. Two days later, detectives found the body of 17-year-old Christina Hillis, also from Florida, in the "general area" where Gifford's body was found. Both were badly decomposed and were fully dressed except for underwear. Both girls had been strangled.
Additional Details:
Based on the pathology reports, detectives say they had been in the water for quite some time, and their estimated time of death was December 1988. La Porte County Coroner Lynn Swanson said the cause of death for Gifford was ruled a homicide as a result of a violent act that was undetermined. The ruling in the death of Hillis was she probably died from a broken neck resulting from an unspecified act of "homicidal violence." The case grew cold after no additional information was discovered. However, in 2025, the La Porte County Sheriff's Office says that "several weeks ago" detectives with the Criminal Investigations Division began reviewing the case file, specifically the manner and cause of both deaths. This led detectives to revisit the location where Gifford and Hillis' bodies were found.
Case Last Updated:
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Share what you learnTimeline of Events
Christina Hillis' body found in general area where Gifford was located
Fisherman found Tamara Gifford's body in water-filled ditch off State Road 8
Estimated time of death for both girls
Girls reported as runaways
Tamara and Christina last seen in Florida, hitchhiking north out of state
Associated Persons
Christina H. (Friend) - Deceased
Related Cases & Persons
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