Murder of Tina Harmon
| Tina Harmon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
Tina Marie Harmon June 9, 1969 Creston, Ohio, United States |
| Died |
October 29, 1981 (aged 12) Creston, Ohio, United States |
| Cause of death | Strangulation |
| Nationality | American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Occupation | Student |
| Known for | Murder victim |
Tina Marie Harmon (born June 9, 1969 – October 29, 1981)[1] was a 12-year-old American girl who was abducted, raped, and murdered on October 29, 1981 after being dropped off in Lodi, Ohio.[2] After the discovery of her body, she was later buried at the Maple Mound Cemetery.[1] One man was originally convicted of her murder on circumstantial evidence but was eventually released when the conviction was overturned. Harmon's murder was solved in 2010 when DNA from the individual who raped her was matched to Robert Anthony Buell.[3][4]
Case history
Tina Harmon was reportedly last seen with a man in his twenties after she had been dropped off by her father's girlfriend in Lodi, Ohio.[5] Harmon's body was later found next to an oil well site in Navarre, Ohio, five days after her abduction.[5] Nutmeg-colored carpet fibers and dog hair were found on her clothing.[6][7]
In 1982, Ernest Holbrook, Jr. and Henry Ray Rucker were convicted of both the rape and murder of Harmon, but after complications with the witnesses testimonies, one of them recanted. Rucker was given a new trial and was released in 1983.[5]
Robert Anthony Buell
In 1984, Robert Anthony Buell was convicted of the 1982 murder of Krista Lea Harrison.[6] The dog hairs on Harmon's body were matched to the ones found on a dog buried in Buell's yard, once DNA testing became possible.[5] Buell was later matched to Harmon's murder by comparing his DNA samples with the ones found on Harmon's clothing several years later.[8]
The nutmeg-colored carpet fibers that were found on both bodies of Harmon and Harrison matched as well.[3] However, Buell was never tried for her murder because he was already on death row.[6] In 2002, Buell was executed for the murder of Harrison at age 62.[9]
Former journalist for the Cleveland Scene James Renner wrote about similar characteristics of the murders of Harmon, Harrison and Smith to the 1989 murder of Amy Mihaljevic, which is currently unsolved. Although Buell was incarcerated at the time of Mihaljevic's death, he stated Buell's nephew may be responsible and stated he could have been involved in the three preceding murders, if not been the sole perpetrator. in 2008, the evidence in Harmon's case was compared to that in the Mihaljevic case.[7] Ross was eliminated as the source of DNA from the Harmon case in 2010.[10]
See also
References
- 1 2 Reynolds, Krystin (2003). "Tina Marie Harmon". Find A Grave.com. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ↑ Rink, Matthew. "Family of Tina Harmon, abducted and killed in 1981, wants police to reopen the case". The Independent. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
- 1 2 Renner, James (2010-03-26). "Case Closed!". IndeOnline.com. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ↑ Renner, James (4 November 2011). "The Final Word on the Tragic Death of Krista Harrison". Retrieved 17 March 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 Renner, James (30 December 2008). "Ghosts Of Wayne County Doubts Haunt An Old Murder And The Execution That Followed". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
- 1 2 3 Monahan, Richard, dir. "Material Evidence." Forensic Files. TLC, TruTV. 31 Oct. 2000. Television.
- 1 2 Trexler, Phil (26 November 2008). "Closure as elusive as killer for family grieving daughter". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- ↑ Renner, James (7 October 2011). "The Final Word on Krista Harrison". WordPress.com. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
- ↑ "Robert Anthony Buell #801". ClarkProsecutor.org. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ↑ Renner, James (19 March 2010). "Finding Amy's Killer: Tina Harmon documents reveal Amy Mihaljevic info". Finding Amy's Killer. Retrieved 11 September 2018.