Cold Cases

Heather Ann MacCrossen

DOB: 07-03-81
Race/Sex:White Female
Incident Date: 08-17-07
Identifying Marks: Tattoo on right arm "BMM", rose tattoo on back

Circumstances: Heather was returning to Florida from Michigan on a bus. She was supposed to get off in Lake City, Fl but may have continued to Gainesville. She was last heard from on the phone when she got off the bus.

ACSO Case # 08-13657

James Edward Tuff, Jr.

DOB: 02-17-82
Race/Sex:Black Male
Incident Date: 12-04-06

Circumstances: On 12-04-06, at approximately 1:00pm, James Edward Tuff was found shot and lying on the edge of SE CR 2082, at about the 11000 block. Tuff was last seen alive at a residence in Lamplighter Mobile Home Park in Gainesville earlier that morning. Tuff was a lifelong resident of Gainesville.

ACSO Case # 06-15353

Wende Ellinger

DOB: 08-22-70
Race/Sex: White Female
Incident Date: 03-18-05

Circumstances: On 03-18-05, at approximately midnight, the body of Wende Ellinger was found in a fire at her residence at 10207 SW 84 Ave, Gainesville (Kanapaha Highlands). Wende was last seen alive at approximately 10:30 PM, 03-17-05, in her residence. The investigation revealed that she sustained other injuries prior to the fire and it was ruled a homicide. Wende Ellinger was the mother of three small children who were not home at the time.

ACSO Case # 05-3214

Wayne Hutchinson

Nickname: “Frog”
DOB: 08-08-58
Race/Sex: Black Male
Incident Date: 10-11-03

Circumstances: On 10-13-03, at approximately 1:00 PM, the body of Wayne Hutchinson was found lying next to a storage container at 6419 SE 215 St., Hawthorne. The investigation was ruled a homicide. Wayne Hutchinson sustained multiple injuries which including being stabbed. Wayne Hutchinson was a life long resident of Hawthorne.

ACSO # 03-11819

*UPDATE* Two subjects were indicted, are in jail, and are currently awaiting trial for 1st degree murder.

Baby Jane Doe

Incident Date: 08-20-03
Age: 2 weeks to 5 months
Race: Black Female
Sex: Female

Circumstances: Alachua County resident discovered the body of a female baby floating in a private pond. The pond where Baby Jane was discovered is located at the end of NW 102nd Place just 3 miles north of the Highway Patrol Station. NW 102nd Place is a dirt road that runs east off of State Road 121, and after a half a mile it dead ends into private property.

Recent advances in DNA technology has been utilized to determine that Baby Jane was a black female whose parents were both black and most likely of Caribbean descent.

ACSO # 03-9523

Unidentified Human Remains

Date Found: 3/21/2001
Estimated Date of Death: Years prior to discovery Age: 20-45
Race: Black
Sex: Female

Circumstances: On 3/21/2001, the skeletal remains of an unknown black female were found in the woods, east of SE 35th St, near Trout Lake, in Alachua County. The remains were found along with a red dress, two sweaters, a blue cloth belt, and an undergarment.

ACSO # 01-3566

Michael Shane Crutchfield

Incident Date: 05-13-99
DOB: 06-14-75
Race/Sex: White Male

Circumstances: On Thursday, 05-13-99, at approximately 2300 hours, Michael Shane Crutchfield, was shot in the doorway of his apartment. The apartment is located in the Hickory Hills Apartments at 4023 SW 16th Lane, Apt. A, Gainesville, FL., 32607. Alachua County Sheriff's Office is looking for a light colored sedan that was seen leaving the area with at least one unknown male suspect. The investigation revealed MICHAEL SHANE CRUTCHFIELD'S death was the result of a homicide.

ACSO # 99-06101

Jose Rodriguez

Incident Date: 05-29-98
DOB: 10-08-08
Race/Sex: Hispanic Male

Circumstances: On 05-29-98 JOSE RODRIGUEZ walked away from his residence at 319 NW 5th St., in an unknown direction. RODRIGUEZ was last seen at approximately 1730 hours, on NE 39th Avenue between NE 15th Street and Waldo Road, walking eastbound towards Waldo Road.

At 2147 hours, on 05-29-98, RODRIGUEZ'S nude body was found in the shallow waters of Newnan's Lake at the 6000 block of Lake Shore Drive, Gainesville, FL. Investigation revealed RODRIGUEZ died as a result of blunt trauma injuries. Investigation revealed RODRIGUEZ'S death was the result of a homicide.

ACSO # 98-6996

Beverly Springer

Incident Date: 12-23-97
DOB: 09-18-59
Race/Sex: Black Female

Circumstances: Found deceased in the 11000 block of North CR225, approximately one mile north of the Gainesville Raceway. She was found partially clothed along the west side of of the roadway. Investigation revealed SPRINGER suffered trauma to the upper torso. Investigation revealed SPRINGER'S death was the result of a homicide.

ACSO # 97-15422

Sharon Roberts

Incident Date: 12-16-95
From: Gainesville, Florida
DOB: DOB 08-25-95
Race/Sex: White Female

Circumstances: On 12-16-95 victim was taken to Shands ER by ambulance. Victim died later this date from "Shaken Baby Syndrome".

ACSO # 95-13175

Jemal McGowan

Incident Date: 12-31-94
DOB: 08-23-69
Race/Sex: Black Male

Circumstances: Shot on 12-31-94 on the street in front of his residence, 1415 SW 42nd Street.

ACSO # 94-23939

Robert Howard

Incident Date: 04-18-94
DOB: 03-10-68

Circumstances: Found 04-18-94 after being reported missing on 08-05-92. Victim was found in a wooded area off Archer Road and SW 170th Street. Last seen 08-92 in Arredondo Farms.

ACSO # 94-13973 and 92-21097

Gary Flanagan

Incident Date: 12-29-93
DOB: 06-18-48
Race: White
Sex: Male

Circumstances: Found 12-29-93 at SR24 and NE 69th Avenue in the wooded area. Victim arrived in Gainesville Airport on 12-22-93, at 7:10 p.m. Victim was a resident of Nashville, TN. He was an ex-resident of Gainesville and still had a brother who lived here.

ACSO # 93-66895

Miguel Pineda

Incident Date: 11-04-91
DOB: 08-08-60
Race/Sex: White Male

Circumstances: Found 11-04-91 outside the front door of Pizza King. Cause of death shot during a robbery.

ACSO # 11421-91

Betty Delores Covington

Incident Date: 10-14-90
DOB: 04-20-54
Race/Sex: Black Female

Circumstances: The victim was found in a wooded area in Brooker, off of NW 218th Ave. She had been deceased for several weeks and was last seen in Starke, Fl getting into a pickup truck.

ACSO # 10852-90

Eileen Jones

Incident Date: 1-13-90
From: Gainesville, Florida
DOB: 11-19-22
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Race/Sex: White Female

Circumstances: Found 01-17-90 in her mobile home at Windmeadows Mobile Home Park

ACSO # 00467-90

Tiffany Louise Sessions

Missing: 2/9/89
From: Gainesville, Florida
DOB: 10/29/68

Identifying Marks: Bottom front tooth chipped. Crescent shaped scar on left hand at knuckle.

Jewelry: Two tone silver and gold ladies Rolex watch with blue face.

Last Seen Wearing: Red sweatpants. Long sleeved pull-over sweatshirt with gray horizontal stripes and the word "Aspen" in green letters on front. Blue or white low cut "Reebok" sneakers.

Circumstances: Tiffany disappeared from the University of Florida. At approximately 6:00 PM she told her roommate she was going for a walk and never returned. An extensive search provided no clues.

ACSO Case # 01569-89

Rita Melton

Incident Date: 08-28-88
DOB: 06-18-56
Race/Sex: White Female

Circumstances: On 8-28-88, the body of 32 year old Rita Melton was discovered in the woods by a citizen approximately 11/2 miles north of Orange Heights. Melton's blue and white Ford F100 pickup truck was located nearby. The body had been in the woods for several days. Her death has been determined to be a homicide.

ACSO # 88-09026

Gerald Davis

Incident Date: 02-05-85
DOB: 08-02-56
Race/Sex: Black Male

Circumstances: Found 02-05-85 on 329B (Newnans Lake Road) shot to death.

ACSO # 85-3746

Catherine Rochelle

Incident Date: 6-17-82
DOB: 11-02-32
Race/Sex: Black Female

Circumstances: Found 06-17-82 in her home at 3414 SE 16th Avenue. Killed by an intruder.

ACSO # 13983-82

*UPDATE* SOLVED.

Cecil Shealy

Incident Date: 05-20-80
DOB: 07-16-05
Race/Sex: White Male

Circumstances: Found 05-20-80 in a field off CR241, north of Alachua. Last seen leaving his car with a B/F, walking towards the field where body was found.

ACSO # 08861-80

Unidentified Human Remains

Date Found: 2/12/1979
Estimated Date of Death: 6-12 months prior to discovery
Age: Early to mid 30’s
Race: White
Sex: Male

Circumstances: On 2/12/1979, the remains of an unknown white male were found in the woods off SR 236, in Alachua County. The remains were found along with brown tie-up shoes, brown pants, a light colored short-sleeved shirt, and a light blue windbreaker jacket.

ACSO # 79-2218

Ernestine Boston

Incident Date: 10-27-75
DOB:08-09-59
Race/Sex: Black Female

Circumstances: Found 10-27-75 in a ditch on NE 53rd Avenue, near the City water plant. Cause of Death undetermined.

ACSO # 74-64661

Burley Junior Barnett

Incident Date: 09-20-74
DOB: 07-04-39
Race/Sex: White Male

Circumstances: Found on 09-20-74 in his car at the southbound rest area on I-75. Cause of death, severe blow to the head.

ACSO # 74-45638

Betty Ann New

Incident Date: 09-06-74
DOB: 01-29-57
Race/Sex: White Female

Circumstances: Found 09-06-74 in a field near Lake Burnett in Alachua County. Cause of death, knife wounds.

ACSO # 74-44984

Edwin Dusek

Incident Date: 07-03-73
DOB: 05-04-28
Race/Sex: White Male

Circumstances: Found 07-06-73 on a dirt road off Millhopper Road, shot to death.

ACSO # 73-27711

Pearle Bartley

Incident Date: 10-27-69
DOB: 04-18-1897
Race/Sex: White Female

Circumstances: Found 10-27-69 in a country store south of Paynes Prairie, strangled to death

ACSO # 69-3895

James Harold Thomas

Found Dead: 05/18/66
DOB: 03-01-42
Race/Sex: White Male

Circumstances: The victim was found in the wooded area south of Cross Creek, dead of a gunshot to his head. The victim was in the Army stationed in Ft. Hood Texas and was last seen there December 3, 1965. His vehicle was found abandoned nearby on 12/10/65. Investigation revealed Thomas’s death was the result of a homicide.

ACSO # 66-1270