NC NC - Darlene Tilly, 13, Durham, 14 October 1980

I have heard about this young girl much of my life. I never realized that her case has never been solved. WRAL just did an update story on her.


Facts I have found:
-She lived in East Durham (Gorman community)
-Her body was found near the railroad tracks off Old Oxford Highway
-All articles I have read have alluded to the suspect being someone well respected in the community
-WRAL has her last name spelled "Tilly" her mother's obituary has "Tilley"
-She went to Liberty Christian School for elementary (according to friends on one of her memorial FB pages)
-She may have attended Bible Baptist Church (Stated in Durham Herald Sept. 23, 1980)
-She was an 8th grader at Chewning Middle School when she was abducted (per Durham Herald Sept. 23, 1980)


Here is WRAL's current article- http://www.wral.com/nc-wanted-autho...r-1980-durham-county-murder-suspect/15142263/

I will see what other facts I can find to add here. I think I know from hearing about it where she went to school, but I wanted to confirm before I listed it as fact.

I have her missing dates wrong. She went missing September, not November.

May 16 2019
Durham County Reopens Unsolved 1980 Teen's Murder
"DURHAM COUNTY, N.C. -- Deputies are reopening the county's oldest cold case

• In September 1980, Darlene Tilley, 13, disappeared after walking from her friend's house in the Glenn School Road area near Interestate 85.
• An autopsy revealed she died from blunt force trauma and multiple stab wounds. Her killer remains at large.
• Butler tells Spectrum News Tilley's friend prompted them to reopen the case to help generate new leads. The office put out a Facebook post Wednesday night.
  
  "We're actually walking through the entire case from day one. So we're re-interviewing everyone just like it's from day one," he said.
  
  If you have any information, you're asked to called DSCO at 919-560-0880."
  

Friend hopes to bring closure to 39-year-old Durham cold case :: WRAL.com

Captain Jimmy Butler, with the Durham's Sheriff's Office, says now four to five investigators are actively working this case.

"We're actually walking through the entire case from day one," he said. "We're re-interviewing everyone, just like it's day one."

Carden says she wants closure for Tilley's family. She also wants to know that the killer cannot hurt anyone else.

"I'm a firm believer that whoever did it should actually pay for what they have done," Carden said.

Investigators say thanks to the increased publicity on this case, they have been receiving multiple tips.

I think there's two threads for this case under two variations of her name.