Latest news with #unsolvedmurder
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Who killed Debra Sue Moore? Odessa cold case still unsolved after nearly 40 years
ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- In the early hours of May 17, 1986, a scream echoed through the courtyard of what was once called the Viva Apartments in Odessa. Neighbors stepped onto their balconies to find a woman collapsed near the gate, bleeding, barefoot, and yelling for help. The woman was 25-year-old Debra Sue Moore, a mother of two from Monahans. Her overnight bag was still slung over her shoulder when a neighbor performed CPR on her in the doorway of Apartment 51. She was rushed to the hospital, but it was too late. Nearly 40 years later, her case remains unsolved. Debra had arrived at the Viva Apartments around 8:15 p.m. the night before, according to Charles Azelle, the man she was seeing at the time. The two went out to The Brewery with friends and returned to Azelle's apartment in the early hours of the morning. Debra had planned to stay the night. Sometime after 3 a.m., she stepped outside, possibly to retrieve something from her car. Within minutes, she was stabbed near the entrance to the complex. Azelle told police she was screaming his name when she stumbled back inside. On that tragic night, witnesses reported seeing a tall man with shoulder-length brown hair fleeing the scene through a nearby gate. One neighbor described the man grappling with Debra before running. Another saw someone matching the same description moments earlier. Within minutes of Debra's collapse, another woman was confronted, but in her case, the threat was narrowly avoided. Roughly 15 minutes later, a woman working at a nearby 7-Eleven reported what was described as a 'chilling encounter.' A man entered the store and told her, 'If you get into my car, nothing will happen to you. But if not, I can't be responsible for what happens.' She refused, and he sped away in a dark blue Oldsmobile with glass T-tops. Debra's murder wasn't an isolated case. It came during a disturbing string of attacks on women in Odessa that same week, at a time when the city was already gripped by a wave of violence. Just four years earlier, Odessa had been dubbed 'Murder Town, USA' after logging one of the highest per-capita homicide rates in the nation during the oil bust of the early 1980s. While the rate had slowed by 1986, the scars of that era lingered, overwhelmed investigators, limited forensic tools, and a community still shaken by what was once described as random violence. In the days before Debra's death, a UTPB student was abducted at knifepoint, sexually assaulted, and buried under sticks and brush in a field. Miraculously, she survived. Her description of the attacker: a man with long hair and a mustache, again, bore a striking resemblance to the man seen near Debra. That same week, another woman reported being approached by a man with a knife outside an auto body shop. She managed to scare him off by pretending to reach for a gun in her car. The 7-Eleven incident, the attempted abductions, the stabbing, it all pointed to a possible pattern. The man linked to the 7-Eleven attack was soon identified as David Good, a resident of a nearby apartment complex. When police questioned him, Good admitted to attempting the abduction. He told investigators he had planned to rape or kill the store clerk, and acknowledged having violent thoughts toward women. When asked whether he was involved in Debra's murder, Good gave a chilling response: he said he didn't know and suggested hypnosis might reveal the answer. Despite his disturbing statements and his resemblance to multiple witness descriptions, Good was never charged in connection with Debra's death. Investigators said they couldn't firmly establish a timeline. Good refused to put his confession in writing, and any potential evidence tying him to the scene was never publicly disclosed. Years later, David Good died, without ever being definitively ruled in or out as a suspect in Debra's murder. Debra's estranged husband, Tim Moore, was also considered a suspect early on in the investigation. Multiple witnesses described a pattern of abuse in the marriage. According to reports, Tim admitted to past violence but denied involvement in her murder. Officials shared that he also passed a polygraph in 1986. Despite this, detectives have recently voiced concerns about whether key questions, such as whether he had paid someone to hurt her, were ever asked. He has since died. In interviews for The Deck podcast, Debra's son Bert recalled the trauma that shadowed their family. 'She always sang. She was awesome,' he said. 'They just took her away too young.' For the first time in decades, the case has been reopened with fresh eyes and modern tools. Detective Lauren Gonzales, the cold case investigator assigned to Debra's murder, recently submitted evidence for DNA testing. 'She had blood under her nails,' Gonzales said in The Deck. 'Maybe she was trying to fight back. Maybe his DNA is under her nails.' Gonzales also hopes to compare samples from Good and Azelle, if they can be obtained, to rule them out, or in, definitively. When contacted for additional details about the status of DNA testing or the current scope of the investigation, the Odessa Police Department declined to comment. Susan Rogers, CEO of Odessa Crime Stoppers, has worked closely with law enforcement on cold cases for years. 'There were no cell phones, no security footage,' Rogers said. 'You depended entirely on memory and handwritten notes. And those memories fade.' Rogers said both Odessa Police and the Ector County Sheriff's Office have investigators assigned to review unsolved murders like Debra's, but they often juggle active cases as well. 'These cases aren't forgotten,' she said. 'They just take time, resources, and new information to move forward.' Debra Sue Moore was more than just a victim, she was a daughter, a mother of two, and a young woman whose life was stolen far too soon. Nearly four decades have passed, but those who loved her still carry the weight of unanswered questions. If you know something, anything, that could help bring closure, now is the time to come forward. You can submit a tip anonymously to Odessa Crime Stoppers at 432-333-TIPS (8477) or through the P3 Tips app. Be sure to reference case number 86-35818. 'Even the smallest detail can bring justice,' said Susan Rogers, CEO of Odessa Crime Stoppers. 'Sometimes it just takes one person to break a case wide open.' In January 2024, the City of Odessa and Odessa Police Department promoted Debra's story through The Deck podcast, hoping to bring new eyes and new leads to her case. 'Despite decades of efforts by the Odessa Police Department, Debra's case is still unsolved,' city officials wrote. 'Please listen to the episode and share it with your friends and family.' The case remains active. You can listen to the full episode of The Deck: Debra Sue Moore on all major podcast platforms or click here to listen now. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Murder victim's father goes to his grave without knowing who stabbed his daughter to death in closed train carriage in one of Britain's most notorious unsolved crimes
The haunted father of the victim of one of Britain's most notorious unsolved murders has died before any suspect was ever arrested, MailOnline has learned. The savage killing of Deborah Linsley on a suburban commuter train as it arrived at London 's Victoria station in 1988 is regularly cited as one of the UK's most high-profile unsolved cases. Deborah's father Arthur, a retired insurance broker, spent more than three decades campaigning for justice for her - regularly appearing in the media to ensure her case was not forgotten and that the police continued to try to find her killer. But now MailOnline can reveal that Mr Linsley has sadly died before anyone could ever be linked to the attack and prosecuted. The case was particularly infuriating for detectives as they have a full DNA match for the killer - but no match has ever come up for them or any relative. A source close to the Linsley family said: 'Arthur's life since 1988 revolved around finding who killed his daughter. 'We had all hoped he would live until the police made an arrest - which as they have the DNA seems like it must inevitably happen at some point. 'There was also a £20,000 reward but it didn't yield a suspect. 'Deborah's mum died 14 years ago and Arthur carried on alone, campaigning and keeping Deborah's memory alive. 'But sadly he too died a little while ago - in 2023 - and now there's no one left to push the case. 'It's so sad that Arthur never got to find out who killer her and see them jailed.' Arthur had been still living in the house where Deborah grew up in Bromley, Kent, but it has now been sold. Deborah, 26, was born in Bromley, south London, to and his wife Marguerite, a fraud investigator for the DSS. She had moved to Edinburgh to pursue a career as a hotel manager and on the week of her death had returned to stay at the family home while she could attend a course. Deborah was on her way back to Edinburgh when she was attacked in the closed carriage of a commuter train. On the afternoon of Wednesday March 23, 1988, she had lunch with her brother Gordon, who then gave her a lift to Petts Wood station. Linsley boarded the 14.16 from Petts Wood in south London to London Victoria when she was viciously attacked. When the train arrived at that busy terminal, a station porter discovered her body in the blood-soaked coach when the train arrived at its final stop. She had been stabbed 11 times with one wound penetrating her heart and killing her. The murder is thought to have happened in the six minutes between the train pulling out of Brixton and arriving in Victoria. The police were convinced of this because another passenger, a French au pair, told them she heard a scream after it had left Brixton. She didn't pull the emergency cord and didn't take any other action. Police initially suspected the murder may have been an attempted rape. Deborah had defensive marks on her hands and had seriously injured her attacker as she tried to fight him off. This meant police would have a full DNA profile. But despite regular familial DNA testing they have never uncovered a match and the case remains unsolved. Deborah was buried in the bridesmaid's dress she would have worn to her brother's wedding - which had been due to take place just wo weeks after she was killed. Arthur was still appealing for information just a few years before his death. In 2018, on the 30th anniversary, he said: 'My daughter Debbie was murdered and despite the DNA profile of the suspect being available, the person responsible has still not been found. 'I appeal for those who have suspicions about a partner, a friend or a relative to please come forward.' A spokesperson for the Met Police said: 'The investigation into the murder of 26-year-old Debbie Linsley remains open, with detectives exploring ways to identify the suspect using DNA evidence. 'Debbie, from Bromley but living and working in Edinburgh at the time of her murder, was stabbed to death on the 14.16 train from Orpington to London Victoria on Wednesday, 23 March 1988. 'She boarded the train at Petts Wood in south-east London and entered an old-fashioned compartment with room for six people and doors at each side of the carriage. 'The train arrived at platform 2 at Victoria railway station and at around 14.50hrs, her body was discovered on the floor by British Rail staff. 'Detectives have a full DNA profile of the suspect - Debbie fought off her killer during the attack and traces of blood belonging to someone other than Debbie were found at the scene - and detectives are continuing to explore all opportunities, including advancements in DNA technology. 'The current investigation is being led by the Met's Specialist Casework Investigation Team which investigates unsolved, historical cases.' Deborah's brother Gordon was approached via an intermediary but declined to respond to a request for comment.
News.com.au
21-05-2025
- News.com.au
Third murder victim linked to William Tyrrell person of interest Frank Abbott, according to inquest evidence
Tony Masters wants people to know his sister Cherylee was someone who used to play hopscotch and skip, and who loved horses, cats and dogs – she wasn't only the teenager who went missing. If more people knew her story, Tony said, maybe Cherylee wouldn't have ended up the victim of an unsolved murder. Her body was found buried in a shallow grave on the NSW Mid North Coast. 'I just feel like every possible system really let her down,' said Tony. Today, podcast Witness: William Tyrrell can reveal just how badly Cherylee was let down – and it is shocking. After Cherylee's remains were recovered in 2006 they were lost again by the authorities for years, meaning Cherylee's father died before the family could hold a funeral. The police did not attend a memorial service for her, despite being invited, Tony said. The records of an inquest into Cherylee's death also seem to have been misplaced, with the Coroner's Court of NSW now saying ' archives have not had any luck finding this file after numerous searches'. The podcast also reveals new evidence linking Cherylee to a convicted child abuser came to light at the William Tyrrell inquest almost six years ago – but was not followed up with her family by the police. 'I feel annoyed that people knew this,' Tony said. 'I just feel like she surely is now just another number on someone's desk. Or locked away in a room that nobody bothers to go into anymore.' Tony said he has not heard from the NSW Police Force for years, but called them after speaking to us about these revelations, to ask who is handling his sister's case. Months later, he has still not heard back. Earlier this week we revealed other evidence tendered to the inquest into three-year-old William Tyrrell's disappearance allegedly links two other unsolved murder victims to the same convicted child offender, Frank Abbott. Abbott, who is in prison for assaulting two girls and a boy, was named a 'person of interest' by police investigating William's likely death but was not questioned at the inquest. He has privately denied any role in what happened to William and was found not guilty of one of those murders, of 17-year-old Helen Harrison. We are not suggesting the alleged links are true, or that Abbott was in any way involved in either case, just that they are contained in evidence before the inquest and have not been fully investigated. Seventeen-year-old Cherylee spent much of her life in and out of foster care, said Tony, and had developmental challenges that meant she was mentally closer to a 13- or 14-year-old. She was last seen in 2000, telling friends she planned to hitchhike from the city of Taree down the coast to Maitland. She never arrived. She was reported missing, but a former police officer who oversaw the work of the Taree detectives at this time told us he did not remember Cherylee's case being passed on for investigation. Six years later, her body was discovered in a shallow grave near what is now the Brimbin Reserve Picnic Area, just north of Taree. Police 'couldn't tell us anything – not how they believed she died, not any leads,' said Tony, and it was left to a funeral director to show the family that Cherylee had suffered a blow to the head. The findings of a 2009 inquest into her death make depressing reading, appearing to misspell Cherylee's surname and seeming not to acknowledge evidence she was seen alive in 2000. 'The deceased Cherylee Master (sic), between October 1995 and October 2005, at an unknown place in the state of New South Wales, died of an undeterminable cause in circumstances that I have also not been able to determine,' the coroner wrote. Ten years after this inconclusive inquiry, a woman called Iris Northam gave a written witness statement to the inquest investigating William's unrelated disappearance. That statement describes a teenage girl who went missing from Taree a few years after the disappearance and murder of another local woman, Margaret Cox, and whose body was found 'in Brimbin Road'. 'I don't remember the girl's name but her father was Rex Nolan,' Mrs Northam said in her statement. Rex Nolan was Cherylee's father. Mrs Northam told us that Abbott also used to work at a local market where Cherylee's father had a stall: ' He helped at the markets out there, where Rex and (Cherylee's stepmother) Karen used to sell stuff.' Her statement alleges that Frank Abbott used to describe how he drove a particular back road north of Taree, close to the site where Cherylee's body was discovered. It also alleges a number of potential links between Abbott and Margaret Cox, whose body was recovered from the Manning River outside Taree in 1996. The detective who took this statement, and who worked on the strike force investigating William's disappearance, said this information would be provided to the force's Unsolved Homicide Team, Mrs Northam told us. Years later, she has not heard back from the police. Another potential witness named in her statement has also not been contacted. Cherylee and Margaret are two of 67 women and children murdered or reported missing between 1977 and 2009 on the NSW North Coast whose cases remain unsolved. Inquest files from some of these cases describe failures in the police investigations. The Witness: William Tyrrell podcast has also revealed major flaws within the Unsolved Homicide Team, including missing evidence, huge backlogs of cases and files sitting unopened on one senior officer's desk unopened for a year. Mrs Northam said it weighed heavily on her that she had given that evidence to the William Tyrrell inquest and ' even though I did say something to someone … nothing's been done or I haven't heard anything'. Tony Masters now wants to see the police investigate these latest allegations, saying ' you think you would at least inquire and ask around and do a little bit of digging.' Abbott and the Coroner's Court of NSW both declined to answer questions. The NSW Police Force also declined to answer questions, except to release a statement, saying, 'The Margaret Cox and Cherylee Masters matters are with the Unsolved Homicide Team, who are also aware of the Helen Harrison matter. 'Any information that is identified relating to a homicide is assessed and relevant inquiries conducted,' the statement continued. Tony Masters is still waiting for the police to get in touch.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Yahoo
Forensic evidence may help solve historic double murder
For 25 years, the families of Susan Kay and Joanne Teterin have been left without answers over the brutal slaying of their loved ones. NSW Police are pouring more resources into potential forensic clues and new lines of inquiry to find out who killed the pair in a suburban home. Officers forced their way into the property in Carrington, in Newcastle, on May 17, 2000, where they found the bodies of Ms Kay, 32, and Ms Teterin, 37. They had been bludgeoned to death. There were no arrests or charges laid over the murders at the time. However, investigations led police to believe the killings were drug-related after identifying illicit substances were being sold from Ms Teterin's home. Police also thought a phone call made from a public telephone booth to Ms Teterin early on the day of the murders could have held the key to solving the case. Investigators interviewed numerous people who visited Ms Teterin's home and made an appeal to speak with anyone who visited a local shopping centre in the hours before the crime. Despite the appeal, no answers were provided and a 2003 inquest further investigated the deaths which led to the case being referred to the unsolved homicide team for review and assessment. The case remains unsolved. With the 25th anniversary of the deaths days away, the unsolved homicide team has established a strike force to re-examine the case and has appealed for new information. "It was a brutal crime which has remained unsolved for 25 years," Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi said. "Homicide detectives are committed to seeking justice for the families of Susan and Joanne." The strike force will review all original investigative material and pursue new lines of inquiry and potential forensic developments. "We remain focused on finding the person or persons responsible and renew our appeal for anyone who may have held on to information - no matter how seemingly insignificant - to reach out to police," he said. "The families of Susan and Joanne deserve much-needed answers and justice."
