Tracy Sissom, 33 years
old, was packing up her apartment to move back into her mother's place
on September 20, 2004. She was borrowing her father's 1995 Black Chevy
Trailblazer. She was using the vehicle to load up her stuff to move back
in with her parents. Her apartment was near 30th and Post Road in
Indianapolis. Her mother also lived near or in Indianapolis.
At about 7:30 pm, Tracy
called her mother to let her know that she was finishing up and would be
heading back. She probably felt melancholy. She was moving because she
was now estranged from her husband. Some describe the relationship as
toxic, others said that the couple just weren't good for one another.
Rumors swirled about whether or not Tracy was recovering from drug
addiction.
When Tracy did not show
up that evening, her mother began to worry like every mother should.
Some sources say that Tracy's parents reported her missing within hours,
others say that they reported it the following morning. Regardless,
officers commend the parents for making a report to IPD so quickly.
When investigating the
disappearance, neighbors claimed that a suspicious vehicle had bee
present in the area on the night Tracy had disappeared, according to
Police Sergeant Jeff Deckard. The neighbors described a dark SUV, which
might be ruled out as being the vehicle that Tracy was using to move.
On October 4, 2004, a
Marion County Sheriff Deputy spotted the trailblazer. The vehicle was
found on North Oakland Avenue. When asking about the vehicle, police
found that the vehicle had been driving erratically until it turned on
to North Oakland Avenue. Once the vehicle was parked a witness claimed
that a man and a woman fled from the vehicle on foot and did not return
to it.
When the vehicle was
examined, police found a partial box of ammunition in the vehicle. They
were unable to pull any finger prints or DNA from the vehicle according
to some reports. This raises the question as to whether or not the
vehicle had been wiped clean.
On the evening of
October 7, 2004, a man was driving in a rural area of Brown County near
Gnaw Bone when he hit a deer. He had a report made and was stuck dealing
with the aftermath and damage to his vehicle. It was too dark to locate
missing pieces of debris, so the driver decided to return the following
morning.
October 8, 2004 changed
the driver's life forever. While looking along the edge of the road for
pieces of his vehicle, made a gruesome discovery in the wooded area. He
found a body wrapped in a blanket.
Police released
information about the body hoping to identify it. The body was in a
state of decomposition when it was found, which made identification more
difficult. The remains were so decomposed that they could not tell
gender. In order to help with identification, officer released a
statement saying the remains had a tattoo of a chain on the ankle and a
flower on the back of the leg.
The remains were not
confirmed to belong to Tracy Sissom until December 17 of 2004. The
Indiana University School of Forensic Science did the analysis that
confirmed the identity via dental records. The cause of death has never
been released, but officers have confirmed the death to be a homicide.
At the time of her death, there were no drugs present in her system,
which could put drug rumors to rest.
Tracy was laid to rest in January of 2005.
As the investigation was
underway, detectives were unable to link Tracy to Brown County. None of
her family or friends lived there. Detectives stated that they followed
numerous leads, but they have led no where.
In 2006, the family
offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the
murder of their loved one. Tracy's children continue to grow up without a
mother and that is heartbreaking.
Anyone with information on this case
is asked to contact the Indiana State Police.
(812) 332-4411
______________Author's Note_______________
Thank you guys for all
the feedback! If you have a case that you would like to cover, feel free
to put it in the comments or reach out via email at StudyofIndianaColdCases@gmail.com
_________________Sources________________________
"Cold Case Expert Knows
Persistence Can Pay Off." The Indianapolis Star. September 20, 2006.
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/126801462/
"Decomposing Body Found
Along Brown County Road." The Times of North West Indiana. October 10,
2004.
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/state-and-regional/decomposing-body-found-along-brown-county-road/article_52e041a4-e059-5095-be94-b68eead2fa79.html
"Family Offers $10K
Reward in Woman's 2004 Death." RTV 6. September 16, 2006.
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/family-offers-10k-reward-in-woman-s-2004-death
"Family of Slain Woman
Offers Reward To Find Killer." Jon Murray. The Indianapolis Star.
September 20, 2006. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/126801351/
"Sissom Investigation Continues." The Republic. May 4, 2005. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/149160080/
Maps Produced via Google Maps.
