Robert Creter, 60, of Winnipeg, Canada has been arrested for the murder of Tamara Tignor in 1997 in Bridgewater, N.J., according to a news conference by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office and Bridgewater Township Chief.
On November 4, 1997, at approximately 4:38 p.m., Bridgewater Township Police received a 911 call reporting the discovery of the body of a deceased female. The deceased body was located on a dirt access road that ended in a cul-de-sac off Gilbride Road near Washington Valley Park. Detectives from the Bridgewater Township Police Department and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Crime Scene Investigation Unit responded to investigate. The victim was subsequently identified as Tamara “Tammy” Tignor, 23, of Newark, New Jersey. An autopsy was conducted by the New Jersey Regional Medical Examiner’s Office. The manner of death was determined to be homicide.
Over the years, the investigation into Tignor’s death was continued by detectives from the Bridgewater Township Police Department and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Cold Case Unit and Major Crimes Unit but remained unsolved.
In January 2023, detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit met with detectives from the New Jersey State Police Cold Case Unit as part of their Garden State Cold Case Network and Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Grant to discuss the furtherance of this investigation.
It was determined that evidence collected in the investigation could be resubmitted for DNA testing, which may not have been possible in years past. As a result, on April 6, 2023, during a search of CODIS, members of the New Jersey State Police Laboratory’s Office of Forensic Science were able to generate a high stringency match for Robert Creter.
Further investigation into Creter and the circumstances surrounding the death of Tignor was conducted. It was determined that Creter had relocated to Winnipeg, Canada in 2002.
On May 18, 2023, charges of 1st degree Murder for the death of Tignor were authorized for Creter. The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office worked with the U.S. Department of State to adhere to the legal process of serving Creter with his criminal complaint in Canada. On Thursday, June 27, 2024, Creter was taken into custody by Canadian authorities based on his New Jersey arrest warrant for murder.
On Tuesday, November 26, 2024, Creter was extradited to the United States from Canada by members of the United States Marshals Service. Upon his arrival in New Jersey, detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office and the New Jersey State Police Cold Case Unit took custody of Creter, transporting him to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office for processing. Creter was subsequently transported to the Somerset County Jail where he was lodged pending a detention hearing on this matter.
“The arrest of a suspect in this decades-old case is a testament to the unwavering dedication of law enforcement to seek justice, no matter how much time has passed,” said Colonel Patrick Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “The Garden State Cold Case Network and the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Grant have been invaluable tools in revisiting unsolved cases, utilizing advanced technology and investigative techniques to bring new hope to victims’ families. This achievement highlights the power of collaboration among local, state, and federal partners to bring closure to those who have waited far too long for answers.”
Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald and Bridgewater Township Chief of Police John Mitzak request anyone with information relating to the homicide to contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office at (908) 231-7100 or the Bridgewater Township Police Department at (908) 722-4111 or via the STOPit app.
Republished courtesy of Somerset County Prosecutor's Office (NJ)