Tarina Michelle White

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Federal Bureau Of Investigation (DC)

Offense Location:

Jackson County, FL

Summary:

Tarina White and her boyfriend were found dead in the cab of a submerged truck at the end of the boat ramp found by a fisherman's drone in Compass Lake in Alford, FL. The 14th Judicial Medical Examiner Office performed an autopsy and ruled Tarina's death was "Accident" cause "Drowning." In May 2023, Tarina's body was exhumed, and an autopsy was performed by Dr. Daniel L. Schultz. He determined the manner of death "HOMICIDE " cause "MECHANICAL ASPHYXIATION" (meaning by hands of another person).

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

The bodies of Tarina White, 46, and her boyfriend, Billy Pullam, 60, were discovered on April 3rd, 2016, after the top of his pickup truck was spotted in 12 feet of water near a boat ramp in Compass Lake. They had last been seen 36 hours earlier buying beer at a nearby bar in the rural Alford community. Dr. Daniel Schultz, a Tampa-based forensic pathologist working pro-bono for the family, has long opined that the two were likely murdered, with the scene at the lake staged to look like an accident or murder-suicide. Both bodies were found with arms crossed in what Schultz called a “funeral pose,” with White lying across the floorboards and Pullam across the bench seat. Schultz’s new report is based on a “second look” autopsy he conducted last May on White’s exhumed body, including a full dissection of neck tissue that he said didn't occur during the state's autopsy. He wrote that he found deep hemorrhages in her neck that show “with a reasonable degree of medical certainty” that she was strangled. In an interview with the Democrat, Schultz, owner of Final Diagnosis in Tampa, said the bruises in the deep tissue were caused by "pressure applied to the neck."

Additional Details:

The deaths were ruled accidental drowning, but my family nor did Billy's family ever believe that they both drowned. WE believe that Tarina and Billy were "MURDERED" because of the photos that were taken at the Compass Lake (on scene while the bodies were in the truck) by authorities). There were "visible" (suspicious) injuries to Tarina's body that include bloody nose, petechia both eyes, cut to the upper lip, both lips being swollen, bruises on the temple area and the ligature marks on the neck, etc. During the period of 2016 thru 2024 we sought help with Tarina's suspicious death from the 14th Judicial Medical Examiner Office, 14th Judicial State Attorney Office, Florida Highway Patrol, Jackson County Sheriff Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, The Office of Attorney General, Attorney Joshua Zelman, Attorney Fred Flowers, Tallahassee Democrat (Jeff Berlow), Karl Knight (Private Investigator) and most recently the Federal Bureau Investigation (Jacksonville, Florida). In May of 2024, I provided the 14th Judicial State Attorney Office (Panama City, Florida) a copy of the "NEW EVIDENCE" (autopsy report of Tarina's exhumed body that was performed by Final Diagnosis (Dr. Daniel L Schultz).

Case Last Updated:

May 16, 2026