Latest news with #TamaraTignor
CTV News
31-07-2025
- CTV News
Winnipeg man sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing woman in U.S.
Robert Allen Creter is shown in an undated police handout photo extracted from a portable file document. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Somerset County Prosecutor's Office (Mandatory Credit) SOMERVILLE — A Winnipeg man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after he admitted to strangling a woman in New Jersey nearly three decades ago. Robert Allen Creter pleaded guilty earlier this year to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in the 1997 death of Tamara (Tammy) Tignor, whose body was found on a dirt road near Washington Valley Park. Prosecutors had agreed to a 10-year prison sentence, with 85 per cent of it to be served without parole, in exchange for the guilty plea. The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office says he was formally sentenced last week. A break in the cold case came in 2023 when evidence was resubmitted for DNA testing and pointed to Creter, who had moved to Winnipeg in 2002. A social media post from the prosecutor's office says when Creter was arrested in Winnipeg in 2024, he said, 'I have had nightmares about this day happening for almost 30 years.' The office thanked the RCMP and law enforcement in the area for their help in the case. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2025. The Canadian Press
CBC
31-07-2025
- CBC
Manitoba man who killed New Jersey woman in 1997 cold case sentenced to 10 years
Social Sharing A Manitoba man who admitted to killing a 23-year-old woman in a New Jersey cold case homicide has been sentenced to 10 years in prison thanks to a plea deal that upset the victim's mother. Somerset County Judge Angela Borkowski accepted a plea deal to sentence Robert Creter, 61, to 10 years in a New Jersey prison on July 23, for the 1997 strangling of Tamara "Tammy" Tignor, according to court recordings reviewed by CBC News. Creter was arrested in Winnipeg in June 2024 and extradited to New Jersey later that year. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in connection with Tignor's death in May. "He took my daughter's life. He strangled the life out of her," Piper Bailey, Tignor's mother, told the New Jersey court via video conference at last week's hearing. "For 27 years, her killer was out running free while we were all in prison." The last person who saw Tignor alive on Nov. 4, 1997, said they watched her get into an orange van in Newark, N.J., around 4 a.m., prosecutors previously said. DNA collected from Tignor's body — which was found about 12 hours later on a dirt access road near Washington Valley Park, more than 40 kilometres away from Newark — linked Robert Creter to her killing, after more advanced testing was used, prosecutors said. Bailey said she doesn't believe Creter's 10-year sentence was proportionate to his crime. She spent year after year searching for her daughter, contacting police and government officials, and having nightmares about her daughter's death. Creter should be "locked up forever," she said, adding that Tignor's friends and family will show up to any of his future parole hearings until they're all dead. "My daughter will never be forgotten. There is no closure." Prosecutor Michael McLaughlin told the court that Creter "committed several robberies" by killing Tignor, robbing the 23-year-old and her family of her life, and robbing the state of New Jersey of the chance to prosecute him for almost three decades. "A 10-year sentence is not justice here, it's a result of that theft of time," he said. "Tammy would be 50 years old today. Her killer escaped justice for longer than she was alive." Judge Borkowski said she hopes Creter won't be released once he's eligible for parole in 8½ years, because of the likelihood that he could commit another crime. "Hopefully, in the future, the victims' survivors will recognize that there is closure in this case — not to their emotions, but to the case generally," she said. 'Worst decision of my life': Creter Creter, a Canadian citizen and member of Canupawakpa Dakota Nation in southwestern Manitoba, was working as a day labourer in Bridgewater when Tignor's body was found, CBC News previously learned. He moved to Manitoba in 2002, where he remained until his extradition, court records show. Creter had been homeless in Winnipeg in the months leading to his arrest. When given the chance to speak in court, Creter apologized and said he wished he could take back what he did. "It wasn't planned. I never meant to hurt anybody," said Creter. "It was just a bad situation that got out of hand and I made the worst decision of my life." Brian DeMartino, a friend of Tignor's, told CBS News outside the courthouse that he didn't believe Creter's apology. Inside the court, he told Creter that Tignor was like a little sister to him. "I want to tell you that when you die, the world will be a better place and you should hope that I don't find your grave, because what I'll do won't pass for flowers," DeMartino said. Rhonda Reagan said she was relieved to know who killed her friend.
CTV News
20-05-2025
- CTV News
Winnipeg man admits to strangling New Jersey woman in decades-old homicide
Tamara Tignor is shown in an undated police handout photo extracted from a portable file document. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, *MANDATORY CREDIT* SOMERVILLE — A Winnipeg man has admitted to strangling a New Jersey woman nearly three decades ago after he was arrested last year. Robert Allen Creter pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in the 1997 death of Tamara (Tammy) Tignor, whose body was found on a dirt road near Washington Valley Park. The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office says Creter told court that he strangled the 23-year-old with his bare hands. It says prosecutors agreed to a 10-year prison sentence, with 85 per cent of it to be served without parole, in exchange for Creter's guilty plea. A break in the cold case came in 2023 when evidence was resubmitted for DNA testing and pointed to Creter, who moved to Winnipeg in 2002 and was extradited to the United States. Sentencing is scheduled to take place July 11. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 20, 2025. The Canadian Press
CTV News
20-05-2025
- CTV News
Winnipeg man admits to strangling New Jersey woman in decades-old homicide
Tamara Tignor is shown in an undated police handout photo extracted from a portable file document. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, *MANDATORY CREDIT* SOMERVILLE — A Winnipeg man has admitted to strangling a New Jersey woman nearly three decades ago after he was arrested last year. Robert Allen Creter pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in the 1997 death of Tamara (Tammy) Tignor, whose body was found on a dirt road near Washington Valley Park. The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office says Creter told court that he strangled the 23-year-old with his bare hands. It says prosecutors agreed to a 10-year prison sentence, with 85 per cent of it to be served without parole, in exchange for Creter's guilty plea. A break in the cold case came in 2023 when evidence was resubmitted for DNA testing and pointed to Creter, who moved to Winnipeg in 2002 and was extradited to the United States. Sentencing is scheduled to take place July 11. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 20, 2025. The Canadian Press
CBC
20-05-2025
- CBC
Manitoba man pleads guilty in U.S. killing of woman 27 years ago
A Manitoba man has admitted he strangled a woman in New Jersey in the late '90s, putting an end to a homicide case that had remained unsolved for decades in the U.S. Robert Creter pleaded guilty Monday in the death of Tamara "Tammy" Tignor from Newark, N.J., Somerset County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday. The 61-year-old was extradited to New Jersey from Winnipeg in November after being charged with first-degree murder in connection to the decades-old cold case. A news release issued by the prosecutor's office Tuesday said Creter admitted to strangling Tignor with his bare hands in the Township of Bridgewater on the afternoon of Nov. 4, 1997. The 23-year-old woman's body was found on a dirt access road near Washington Valley Park later that day. DNA collected from the remains linked Creter to her killing in 2023, after more advanced testing was used. Prosecutors said the man — a Canadian citizen who was working as a day labourer in Bridgewater when Tignor's body was found — moved to Manitoba in 2002 and remained there until his extradition. Creter had been homeless in Winnipeg in the months leading to his arrest last June. The man pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of aggravated manslaughter as part of a plea deal. Prosecutors have agreed to a 10-year prison sentence, with 85 per cent of that sentence to be served without parole, the release said. Sentencing has been set for July 11.
