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Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Chilling mystery of the missing teenage Scarface actress whose final months were consumed by paranoia someone was 'coming to get her' after witnessing something 'distressing' at a Hollywood wrap party
As the 1980s got into full swing and Tammy Lynn Leppert turned 18, the model and actress who starred alongside Al Pacino had the world at her feet. But the Florida-born starlet's rise to fame was abruptly stopped in 1983 when she vanished from Cocoa Beach. More than four decades on, no sign has ever been recovered of Tammy Lynn, while her loved ones remain haunted by chilling details of her final months before her disappearance which were marred by paranoia. In the years since she vanished, Tammy Lynn's friends have revealed the actress had become 'fearful' and was a 'different person' after witnessing something distressing at a cast party on the set of Spring Break, a sex comedy film directed by Sean S. Cunningham. So intense was her paranoia that when Tammy's big break came with a small role in gangster movie Scarface, in which she played a bikini-clad girl who distracted a lookout car, she hysterically ran off set in tears after watching the cast act out a murder scene. After the incident, she quit the film altogether and moved back home with her mother. While film fans may not remember Tammy Lynn's fledgling career, they will likely recognise the bikini body used to promote Spring Break, which is thought to be her torso and legs. Tammy Lynn Leppert began modeling in beauty pageants at the age of four, taking home 280 crowns from the 300 pageants she entered. Throughout her teenage years she worked primarily as a model before dipping her toes into acting shortly before she went missing. And her star was rising fast after landing the role of a boxer in the 1983 comedy Spring Break - before a fateful cast party after filming had wrapped changed the course of her life forever. Tammy Lynn attended the party unaccompanied but, according to her friend Wing Flannagan, she came home 'a different person'. She refused to divulge exactly what she saw on the night of the party, but kept insisting 'they' would come after her. She also refused to eat or drink out of fear that she would be poisoned. In the weeks following her departure from Scarface, Tammy Lynn's mental health began to decline even further. She reportedly smashed all the windows of her house with a baseball bat when she was locked out, in a frantic panic to get back in. Her mother, Linda Curtis, who was a theatrical and modeling agent and guided Tammy's career, saw the change in her daughter and has since revealed she expressed fears that someone was trying to kill her. Linda recalled: 'Then she said Mom, what would you say if I told you somebody was trying to kill me. I just took a deep breath, and I said, 'do you think somebody's trying to kill you, Tammy?' She said, 'yes.' Linda checked her daughter into a mental health facility, where an evaluation revealed that Tammy was not abusing drugs or alcohol. It was also determined Tammy did not suffer from any significant mental illness and she was released after a 72-hour observation. She insisted that Tammy should report her safety concerns to the police, however even though she did go to the police she did not mention that she felt her life was in danger. For two weeks Tammy went into isolation at home, staying in her room and getting people to test her food to see if it had been poisoned. A frightened Linda was unsure if her daughter's fears were paranoid delusions or real concerns. She was adamantly insisting that she had 'seen something awful, that she was not supposed to see' at the Spring Break cast party. However things took an even more bizarre turn when Tammy left her house without brushing her hair, which her mother found to be out of character, to meet a male friend, Keith Roberts. Tammy and Keith drove to the local beach where, according to Detective Jim Skragg of the Cocoa Beach, Florida Police Department, they started to argue. Keith told authorities he left Tammy in the car park at the Glass Bank building in Cocoa Beach, near an Exxon gas station on State Road A1A, which was about five miles from her house. According to Detective Skragg, it was the last time she would be seen alive. When her daughter never returned home, Linda made a missing person report to police on July 11, 1983. According to the police report, she was wearing a blue shirt with floral appliques, a blue denim skirt, carrying a gray purse and wearing flip-flops. In the days after her disappearance, local newspaper Florida Today ran a front page article with the headline Have You Seen Tammy-Lynn? Keith gave an interview in which he said Tammy Lynn had called him and asked him to pick her up on the day she went missing. She asked to borrow $300 and they fought because he would not drive her to a friend's home in Fort Lauderdale. He said: 'At that point, she said, 'Let me out! Let me out!' So I just said 'OK, whatever you want' and that's the last time I saw her.' After getting out of the car Tammy Lynn walked a short distance to a local petrol station where she made three frantic telephone calls to her aunt Ginger Kolsch, who never answered the phone. Tammy Lynn's sister Suzanne previously said she thought Tammy might have been three months pregnant at the time of her disappearance but this was never confirmed. Meanwhile her friends told police that they thought she had run away because she was unhappy with her home life. Linda claimed she didn't believe her daughter 'ran away,' as she had made plans to go to Hollywood for three months to shoot films. This theory strengthened when shortly after Tammy's disappeared, the Cocoa Beach police received a call from an anonymous woman claiming to know Tammy, who said she was 'alive and well'. She insisted that the actress had chosen to abandon her life and was attending school to become a nurse. Some other rumours that circulated suggested that Tammy might have been a victim of a serial killer. Vampire rapist John Crutchley, suspected of killing 30 women, moved to Brevard County in 1983. However in 2002, Crutchley committed suicide while in prison. A second suspect was Christopher Bernard Wilder, a roaming serial killer who had killed at least 12 women between California and Florida in early 1984. Wilder lured his victims by telling them that he was a photographer for a magazine. He was killed by police when he resisted arrest. Linda passed away on October 4, 1995 at the age of 54, never knowing what had happened to her daughter. To this day, 42 years on, Tammy Lynn remains missing and police have no new leads over her disappearance.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Speed bumps removed in Cocoa Beach after city leaders say they never wanted them
The Brief Speedbumps were installed for only a short period of time in Cocoa Beach. They're being removed this week. City leaders say they never wanted the speed bumps in the first place. Taxpayers are wondering why projects have to be done, then redone, in the community. COCOA BEACH, Fla. - Road crews in Brevard County spent the week removing recently installed speed bumps along State Road A1A, in Cocoa Beach just weeks after their controversial addition sparked backlash from both residents and city officials. What we know Road crews were out along State Road A1A this week re-paving parts of the road that had speed bumps put in recently. Cocoa Beach Mayor Keith Capizzi says he was clear with the agency. He never wanted the bumps installed and was surprised when multiple were placed in town. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) claims they were in communication with local cities for years planning safety improvements. The bumps were removed after enough pushback from residents and city leaders. This isn't the first issue like this on the Space Coast. In 2023, officials in Indialantic also had issues with a safety improvement speed bump installed on 5th Ave. That also had to be removed and repaved. Residents think the agencies and cities need to communicate better to save taxpayers from paying for projects twice. The entire safety improvements in Cocoa Beach were estimated to be $3.9 million in total. What we don't know FDOT says they aren't sure how much it will cost to remove the speed bumps. What they're saying Mayor Keith Capizzi said he was surprised to see multiple speed bumps — officially referred to as raised crosswalks — installed throughout the city, despite making it clear he opposed them. "It was surprising because I thought we agreed we weren't going to do that, so it was surprising," said Mayor Capizzi. "I just would like more collaboration." "I see the point of truing to slow people down, but they're kind of more of a hassle than anything," said resident Jason Anderson. "Coordination with the City of Cocoa Beach has occurred throughout every stage of this project to incorporate their feedback into the final design," FDOT said, citing multiple meetings, including a City Commission session on Feb. 1 where alternative design options — including raised crosswalks — were presented and discussed. Read Full FDOT Statement The agency released a lengthy statement Wednesday detailing its efforts to include Cocoa Beach officials and the public in the design process: "For any project, FDOT works closely with local municipalities and community stakeholders from the earliest planning stages through project completion."The pedestrian safety improvement project along S.R. A1A in Cocoa Beach is no different. Coordination with the City of Cocoa Beach has occurred throughout every stage of this project to incorporate their feedback into the final design. Throughout the development and design of the project, FDOT held stakeholder meetings with the city to understand their goals for the project. A public meeting was held on March 1, 2022, and meeting notifications were sent in advance to local elected officials, city staff, and property owners along the project limits. Members of the FDOT design project team attended a City Commission meeting on February 1, 2024, to present the proposed improvement options and receive feedback. One of the options proposed were 12 new crosswalks that were not raised. The City Commission then voted unanimously to approve their preferred alternative for the project and provided input on the crosswalks, design features, and signage, including two raised crosswalks at both ends of the project limits. After further follow-up with city staff after the meeting, FDOT confirmed these changes with a letter to the City and moved forward with construction in line with what was agreed upon by the City Commission and coordinated with staff. See the attached email for reference. "The 'speed bumps' you refer to are raised crosswalks, and were among the features discussed, revised, and finalized through this collaborative process. The total estimated construction cost for the safety improvements along S.R. A1A in Cocoa Beach is $3.9 million. The specific cost to remove the raised crosswalks is not yet determined. "FDOT values strong relationships and communication with our local municipal partners, whether a project is underway or not. Local input helps shape our projects and is always welcome. The Department looks forward to the continued partnership with Cocoa Beach and to delivering improvements that benefit all road users." STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source FOX 35's Reporter Esther Bower interviewed the mayor and residents on May 21, 2025. She also sent an email and spoke on the phone with reps from FDOT before she was sent a statement from the agency on May 21, 2025. She spoke with some workers in downtown Cocoa Beach who were inspecting the speed bumps.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Cocoa Beach could set new rules for E-bikes due to growing safety concerns
The Brief Cocoa Beach is considering new rules for e-bikes in the city. The police chief cited growing safety concerns with more kids riding them around town and no regulations currently in place. Police have recorded bikes hitting speeds of 35 miles-per-hour on city sidewalks. COCOA BEACH, Fla. - City leaders in Cocoa Beach are weighing possible regulations on electric bikes and scooters following safety concerns near schools. What we know On Thursday, Cocoa Beach commissioners were briefed by the police chief on the surge in electric bikes and scooters near schools. Police Chief Wes Mullins said his department is worried about safety for bikers and walkers. He wants the city to consider new regulations before someone gets hurt. Commissioners are considering speed limit regulations and possible citations for riders. Minuteman Causeway was the biggest concern location wise because it's close to several schools. What we don't know It's unclear when this will come up for a vote. Thursday's presentation was just a discussion. No rules were changed at the meeting. The city isn't sure if they want to enact rules citywide or in specific locations. Leaders are also debating who should be cited. If minors are on their bikes, will the police cite their parents instead? Why you should care Across the state, other cities have already enacted ordinances to manage the surge in E-Bikes. In Biscayne Bay, electric bikes are banned after a fatal collision. Miami Beach has also banned them in certain areas with a lot of pedestrians. What they're saying Public feedback reflects mixed reactions, with some calling for stronger enforcement and others supporting moderate regulation. "They have no helmets on," said Mike Brady, who's a walker in Cocoa Beach and worries about kids' safety on E-bikes. "That'll be good for the other people that's walking and riding bikes," said Andy Vanover, who rides E-bikes and supports speed limit restrictions being put in place. "I don't want to throw the book at them, but I want to start and see where we can meet in the middle," said Cocoa Beach Mayor Keith Capizzi. Walker Rebecca Valdez added, "I do think 100% they should not be on a sidewalk, and if they are caught on a sidewalk, I think they need to get a citation." Police Chief Wes Mullins briefed city commissioners Thursday on a recent surge in electric bike and scooter use. "Are we going to cite the kids? Are we going to cite the parents? How does that work?," asked Police Chief Wes Mullins to city commissioners. The Source FOX 35's Reporter Esther Bower watched the recorded city commission meeting on May 15, 2025,where the E-bike issue was discussed by the police chief. She interviewed the mayor, walkers and bike riders on May 16, 2025, on Minuteman Causeway. She also saw several students using E-bikes to get to and from school.
