MURDER
CASE #: 1989-23
Christina Hillis
Status:
Open
Date of Offense:
Date of Offense:
Jurisdiction:
Offense Location:
Crestview, Florida
Related Cases:
Summary:
Christina Hillis was a 17-year-old from Florida whose body was discovered in March 1989 near La Porte County, Indiana, approximately three months after she died in December 1988. She was reported as a runaway on December 7, 1988, along with her friend Tamara Gifford. Her death remains unsolved.
Vital Statistics
Circumstances of Offense:
In early December 1988, Christina Hillis of Crestview, Florida, ran away from home and was reported as a runaway on December 7, 1988. She and Tamara Gifford were last seen in Florida on December 9, 1988, when they left school early in the day and were later seen hitchhiking north out of Florida. The teens were believed to have been in Starke County shortly after they ran away, where 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. On Monday, detectives in the area found Hillis' body. Christina was found further down the same canal from Gifford, and both were badly decomposed and were fully dressed except for underwear. The ruling in Hillis' death was she probably died from a broken neck resulting from an unspecified act of homicidal violence.
Additional Details:
The investigation included many interviews with individuals from Starke and La Porte Counties, along with people in Florida. The case grew cold after no additional information was discovered. Several weeks ago, detectives with the Criminal Investigations Division began reviewing the case file, specifically the manner and cause of both deaths, which led detectives to revisit the location where Gifford and Hillis' bodies were found. The girls had been seen hitchhiking, and initially, the cause of death was strangulation. Detectives have been in contact with the girls' family members. Tamara Gifford's twin sister is Cori Richie.
Case Last Updated:
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Share what you learnTimeline of Events
Estimated date of death
Christina Hillis reported as a runaway
Body of Christina Hillis found in the general area where Gifford's body was found
Body of Tamara Gifford found in water-filled ditch on State Road 8, about one mile west of State Road 39
Associated Persons
Tamara G. (Friend) - Deceased
Andy H. (Chief of Detectives) - Living
Lynn S. (Coroner) - Living
Cori R. (Sibling of Tamara Gifford) - Living
Related Cases & Persons
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