After recently being identified as Tammy Jo Alexander, the young girl whose murder captivated the Livingston County community was memorialized with an updated headstone bearing her name.
The old engraving on her headstone at Greenmount Cemetery reads, "Lest We Forget, Unidentified Girl." Over 50 people in the area attended the memorial, a testament to just how remembered she is, even 36 years after her death. These are the residents of the community that adopted Tammy Jo Alexander, back when she was known only as Cali Doe, found murdered in a Caledonia cornfield in 1979.
A lot has happened to Tammy Jo in the last year: a friend from high school reported her missing, her sister submitted DNA for comparison, and her body was finally identified. Now, the engraving on her headstone displays her name.
Tammy Jo's sister, Pamela Dyson, came to the memorial service all the way from Florida, where the two girls grew up together. She says Tammy Jo had a rough home life, and she could not think of a better final resting place for her sister than among the community that cared for her all these years.
"While it is not known why she was here, home was not a place that was happy to be. She clearly felt the need to escape. That, along with the great amount of love and compassion she was shown by this community, made my decision easy."
Dyson also took the opportunity to tell those in attendance about her sister.
"Tammy Jo was a sweet and gentle person who used to use her smile to hide her pain. She was outgoing and friendly, adventurous and perhaps a little mischievous. She never met a stranger, and if you spoke to her for a few minutes, you felt as if you'd known her forever."
It is believed that the 16-year-old ran away from home before she was killed. Her murder is still under investigation, and Livingston County Police say they are more committed then ever to solving the case.
