Tammy Terrell
An unidentified 17-year-old woman was found dead in Henderson, Nevada in May 1980. She may have been a victim of human trafficking. Despite forensic examination, she was never identified. Her case remains in Clark County cold case files.
“Tammy Terrell” is an unidentified-persons case in the ColdCaseIndex database, associated with Henderson, Nevada. The remains are associated with May 1980.
Within the ColdCaseIndex taxonomy, Tammy Terrell is filed under Unidentified Person with a status of Unsolved. An unidentified-persons entry documents recovered remains whose identity has not been established. The record is cross-referenced under the themes unidentified person, Nevada, teen, human trafficking, unsolved, which connect it to related cases across the database.
As of the most recent information compiled here, no arrest has been publicly recorded in the Tammy Terrell case, and it remains open and unsolved. Cases like this can be reactivated at any time — advances in DNA analysis, forensic genetic genealogy, and renewed public attention have resolved cases that lay dormant for decades.
Primary jurisdiction for the Tammy Terrell case rests with local law enforcement in Henderson, supported by Nevada state investigative authorities. The case sits within a wider national picture: the U.S. homicide clearance rate has fallen from roughly 90% in the 1960s to about 54% today, and more than 346,000 homicides recorded since 1965 remain unsolved. ColdCaseIndex documents individual cases like this one to keep them publicly visible and searchable.
Curated starting points for verifying and researching this case. Direct references are checked; search links are provided as further-reading aids. ColdCaseIndex is an index of public information — see a case correction? Email info@coldcaseindex.com.
Have Information About This Case?
Cold cases are solved when someone comes forward. Even a detail that seems minor can matter. If you have any information about this case, contact law enforcement through one of these channels:
- FBI Tips (tips.fbi.gov) — submit a tip online to the Federal Bureau of Investigation
- FBI Tip Line: 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324)
- NamUs (namus.nij.ojp.gov) — the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System maintains records of unidentified remains and accepts public information
- The local police department or sheriff's office in Nevada, or the state bureau of investigation
Tips can usually be submitted anonymously. To report an error on this page, email info@coldcaseindex.com.