The arrest of Robert A. Creter, a resident of Winnipeg, Canada for the murder of Tamara “Tammy” Tignor 27 years ago was announced Monday by Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald.
The body of Tignor was found on Nov. 4, 1997 on a dirt access road near Washington Valley Park. Tignor was 23 years old. An autopsy determined her death was due to homicide caused by strangulation.
Authorities said new technology helped them reanalyze DNA gathered from the crime scene at the time. That, along with eye-witness testimony, led to a direct match with Creter.
“The Garden State Cold Case Network and the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Grant have been invaluable tools in revisiting unsolved cases, utilizing advanced technology and investigative techniques to bring new hope to victims’ families,” said Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.
Creter, a day laborer who has lived in Canada since 2002, was adopted as a child by an American family and lived in Middlesex and Somerset counties at the time of Tignor’s death.
