Unsolved Murder Spotlight: April Marie Tinsley

April Marie Tinsley. Handout.

April Marie Tinsley was 8 years old on Good Friday in 1988 when she was abducted while walking home from a friend’s house in Fort Wayne, Ind.  Three days later, her body was found some 20 miles away, in an area of farmland.  Extensive effort put forth by the Fort Wayne police department and other law enforcement agencies did not result in the capture of her killer. Two years later, a note appeared on a barn door near where April’s body was found. The note, seen below, read “I kill 8 yea old April marie tisley. I will kill agin (sic.)” Near the message, “ha ha” was faintly scrawled. Fourteen more years had passed when four more notes in a similar handwriting began appearing at several Fort Wayne residences. Three were left on little girls’ bicycles; the fourth was in a mailbox. The notes claimed responsibility for the murder of April Marie Tinsley and threatened to kill again.  They were written on yellow lined paper and placed in baggies that included used condoms or Polaroid pictures. Since 2004, the killer has not been heard from.

If you have any information regarding April Marie Tinsley’s killer, call 1-866-60A-PRIL or email aprilinfo@ci.ft-wayne.in.us

Thanks to reader Sara for suggesting this case. If you know of an unsolved murder you’d like to see featured on Crime Library, email us at CrimeLibraryInfo@gmail.com

The note left on a barn door in 1990. Photo: FBI.gov

One of the notes left in 2004. Photo: FBI.gov

The four notes left in 2004 were written on yellow paper and found in plastic baggies. Photo: Fort Wayne PD

This bedspread is seen on a Polaroid left along with one of the notes in 2004. Photo: FBI.gov

A map of events in the April Marie Tinsley case. Photo: FBI.gov

See Also:

Unsolved Murder Spotlight: Dalton Mesarchik