Detectives seek information in 36-year-old La Porte cold case
LA PORTE COUNTY, Ind. -- Detectives with the criminal investigations division in La Porte County are looking into the deaths of 16-year-old Tamara Gifford and 17-year-old Christina Hillis, specifically the cause and manner of their deaths.
Their bodies were found 36 years ago in the same general area.
According to detectives, 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. They were believed to have been in Starke County shortly after they ran away, where detectives say Tamara had relatives. It’s unknown how they got there from Florida.
Detectives tell ABC57 Tamara is originally from Starke County and buried in Indiana. They say she spent the summer of 1988 in Indiana as well.
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. That’s south of Hanna, Indiana.
On Monday, detectives in the area found Hillis’ body. 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.
Chief of Detectives with the La Porte County Sheriff's office, Capt. Andy Hynek is the lead investigator in this case. He says the sheriff's office can revisit this case now, with a full staff.
According to Hynek, the cause and manner of their deaths have been, and still are, undetermined.
“We're able to go back and revisit this, you know, most importantly, so we can get some closure for the victims, and take a new set and a fresh approach at these cases, looking at these cases, as well as using, obviously, stuff, you know, technology that the detectives back in 1989 didn't have,” said Hynek.
He says the original detectives at that time did a lot of good work, which is very helpful to them now.
“Both scene documentation, evidence preservation, and just overall documenting of the case. You know, I'm able to pick up exactly where they left off without a lot of questions as to what they did,” said Hynek.
Hynek says he took the initial deputy who responded in 1989, who has since retired, back to the scene with them recently, documenting the area with modern technology, like drones and photos.
He's also discussed the case with the lead detective at that time, who has also since retired. Hynek says they do this to get an idea of where they should look and who they should talk to now. He says it's important in cold cases to rely on information from people who were there--if possible.
Hynek says this happened in a very rural part of LaPorte County, not far from Starke County.
“Because it happened in a small community, oftentimes there are more people who have information or are able to get information third hand. They may not have it firsthand, but they've heard from a relative or friend who did have firsthand information. So as investigators, we'll go back and re-interview people or interview people that maybe weren't talked to back around that time,” said Hynek.
As far as the cause and matter of death, Hynek says they keep that information close–because they say—that's how they gauge credibility of information that does come in.
“We are kind of unsure as to what the cause and manner of death is, and truthfully, that is actually one of the things that we kind of hold close to our chest in some of these investigations, because that allows us the ability to validate information,” said Hynek.
He says they are looking to talk to somebody familiar with them or who may have seen them, who can give detectives information about the cause and manner of death.
“Any information that you have, especially with these old cases, it's important to stress that a lot of times people have information that they don't realize is as valuable as they have they may think it's just a little piece we'll eat. If I can put each of these little pieces together, then we can hopefully come up with a resolution for the family,” said Hynek.
Hynek also says they can also use modern technology now– that wasn't around before, like having a modern-day pathologist take a look at autopsy reports–to help determine the cause of death.
If you have any information related to Gifford, Hillis, or this case, please contact Capt. Andy Hynek, chief of detectives with the La Porte County Sheriff's Office.
Phone: 219-326-7700 ext. 2401
Email: [email protected]
Hynek says they spoke with the families of Gifford and Hillis and says they are grateful their loved ones have not been forgotten about.