Killing of Tammy Vincent

Tammy A. Vincent grew up on a farm in Okanogan County, Washington. Described as adventurous, she ran away from home repeatedly during her teenage years, and in 1978 she left for good, eventually living in Seattle, where she was exploited in prostitution as a teenager.

In August 1979, Vincent was detained in a vice police raid. In exchange for immunity, she agreed to testify against five men under investigation by King County, Washington authorities in a prostitution and racketeering case. She was relocated for her protection but was located and returned to the men's control. She was last seen in Seattle on September 10, 1979. The following day, a King County judge signed an order naming her a material witness; she never appeared in court.

Vincent is believed to have been taken to San Francisco. On the morning of September 26, 1979, her body was found on a beach at Blackie's Pasture in Tiburon, California. She had been attacked in a nearby parking lot, set on fire, and fatally shot; her injuries left her unidentifiable at the time. Evidence, including items purchased at a San Francisco store, was left at the scene.

Because her remains could not be identified, examiners recorded only basic physical characteristics. In 2002 her body was exhumed for further examination, and in 2007 DNA was matched to Vincent's mother and sister, confirming her identity 28 years after her death. Her ashes were returned to her family in Washington by a detective who had worked the case. It had been speculated that her death might be connected to the Green River killings, but the case remains officially unsolved.