06-03-2025
Friends still seek closure 20 years after Maryland woman went missing on way to concert
The loved ones of Tracey Gardner are pleading for tips to find her body.
The Baltimore County woman disappeared 20 years ago on her way to a Motley Crue concert.
Her husband, Dennis Tetso, was convicted in the high-profile killing, but he has never revealed what happened to Tracey.
It was the first murder conviction in Maryland where the body was never found.
Friends push for proper burial
Laura Dickson has waited decades for closure, joining in on the first searches for Tracey Gardner after when she went missing in 2005.
"I always try to put myself in her shoes, and I would want somebody to look for me. I would want somebody to bring me home and remember me," Dickson told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. "I know it was gut wrenching for me. Some of those searches were in dumps. We were everywhere. We had a lot of volunteers. We had help from Motley Crue."
Gardner was on her way to the Motley Crue concert in Washington, D.C. Her E-ZPass showed she passed through the Harbor Tunnel.
Tracey's car was found 11 days later at a motel in Glen Burnie off Ritchie Highway.
Surveillance video of it being driven there became the smoking gun in the murder case against her husband Dennis Tetso.
He was the only one with the key fob.
Rocky marriage
WJZ covered every development in the trial including recorded phone calls played in court showing the breakdown in their marriage.
Tracey:"Just get your things and go then, OK? Just get your things and go."
Dennis:"If that's what you want, you're gonna get it."
Tracey:"Oh, OK."
Dennis:"I'll take my things, and I'll move on."
Dennis Tetso showed little visible emotion when he heard the verdict
Tetso never publicly apologized and maintained his innocence, serving just over a decade in prison before his release in 2021.
Dickson believes there may be someone else who knows the location of the body.
"Yes, there was a conviction. Yes, he did his time, but she's still not home. And she wasn't trash to be thrown away. She was a human being that now needs to be laid to rest with her family," Dickson said.
Friends remember victim's spirit
Days like this are tough for close friend Monika Barilla who spoke to Hellgren wearing a button with Tracey's smiling picture.
"It's Tracey. She never likes to smile and show off her teeth anyway. That's the grin. It was taken the night of her bachelorette party. I'm so glad I brought my camera and took all those pictures of her that night," Barilla said. "Somebody knows something. Just speak up. Could you imagine a family member missing? One little piece of evidence you think may not mean anything could solve the case and tell us where she is and let us bring her home and bury her properly. I think she would want us to close the door on it. I know she's in a better place."
Barilla often thinks about her close friend.
"Tracey was just a free spirit. She didn't hold back if something was on her mind. She spoke it. She was just very real, very real, and you knew where you stood with her," Barilla said.
Friends are hopeful someone is finally ready to share their secret and provide the justice that has alluded them for 20 years.
"She brought a lot of people together for good," Dickson said. "Now, she just needs to come home. She just needs to come home."
Call with tips
Tracey's loved ones stress anyone can remain anonymous with their tips and ask that people reach out to Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7-Lockup or Baltimore County police at 1-410-887-2214.
