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Missing Indiana woman identified in 1985 cold case murder

Tina Marie McKenney Farmer was reported missing in 1984. Today she was identified as the victim in a cold case murder.

CAMPBELL COUNTY, Tenn. (WTHR) - It took 33 years to answer what happened to Tina Marie McKenney Farmer from Indianapolis.

On New Year's Day 1985, the Campbell County sheriff's department was called about a body.

It was found along Interstate 75. An autopsy found her body had been there for days.

The woman had no driver's license or anything else to identify her. She was put into the system as Jane Doe.

For decades that was the name assigned to her.

Indianapolis 1984

21-year-old Tina Marie McKenney Farmer was married and living in Indianapolis.

At some point that year, she went missing.

Her family looked for her for decades.

We found a post from November 2017, made by a woman claiming to be her sister. The posting on a Facebook page for unidentified and unclaimed people includes, "I Miss My Sister!"

Knoxville 2018

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation were asked to work with the Campbell County Sheriff's Department on a cold case.

In August, agents were made aware of a blog that focused on missing persons cases.

One of the individuals listed on the website was Tina Marie McKenney Farmer.

She matched the description of the Jane Doe they were looking into. Fingerprints were compared and came back as a match.

Possible Serial Killer

"About 35 years ago, six women were murdered by who we believe could be the same man," said Shane Waters, who co-hosts a podcast called "Out of the Shadows," looking at murder cases that have gone cold.

"Largely, these cases have slipped the public's view," Waters said.

Six months ago, the podcast featured what has come to be known as "The Red Head Murders" because of the victims' hair color.

"Our goal was to share the stories of these six women to remind the public that they were murdered and that they were forgotten about," said Waters.

Waters even visited the sites where the women were found and put up red crosses. There's one for Tina Farmer.

"Ironically enough, this specific Jane Doe, the Campbell County Jane Doe, who we now know is Tina Farmer, that episode was supposed to come out today," said Waters, explaining it will now be released in a few days.

Waters and his co-host put in more than a year of research into "The Red Head Murders."

They looked at old news clips and talked to some of the same people police talked to more than 30 years ago.

Waters has shared that information with investigators.

Right now, police are using DNA to try to identify another victim found in Kentucky.

Where the investigation goes now

With a name, agents are hoping to learn how Farmer got from Indianapolis to the area in Tennessee.

They hope someone is able to provide information that will help solve Tina Farmer's murder.

If you have information about this homicide, specifically any knowledge about individuals Ms. Farmer may have been with before her death, please call 1-800-TBI-FIND.

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