Jul 25, 2024
It has been thirty-five years since Mena Richie was brutally murdered in her home in Signal Hills. Her family and the first detective who arrived on the scene, that evening, hope this will finally be the anniversary where they get some answers.
In these last three-and-a half-decades, persons of interest have come and gone. Investigators have passed on. But, Mena Richie's family and the first detective on the scene are still around. And they hope that maybe one person with some knowledge of the case will finally come forward.
Mena Richie was brutally murdered in her home in Signal Hills.
Mena Richie's case has been featured on Crime Stoppers nearly every year since her murder in 1989. "There were hundreds if not thousands of hours of manpower and crime lab hours put into this investigation," said Tim Carroll. "But, 35 years ago today, we're still at zero." The retired Chattanooga Police Assistant Chief was a new detective when he heard the call over the radio that Monday evening. "It's 4:45pm, I can remember this thing like it happened in 35 minutes ago," he said.
Mena's granddaughter had found the 69-year old beaten to death, lying in her dining room in her Signal Hills house. Mena's face was covered with a cloth. "We know for a fact that we had a burglary," Carroll remembered. "We don't know if any of her valuables or money or jewelry is missing. The house was ransacked, but I truly believe there was two people involved. And the reason why I think that is the mud foot prints that are inside the house."
On the front porch, Carroll says, was a smaller muddy footprint; perhaps that of a woman. "What I'm hoping for this segment is, maybe that female is more of a witness," said Carroll. "She might've ransacked the house. She might've assisted being a lookout. she could've been the getaway driver. But, I really think the male person is the one that did the blows that caused her death."
Maybe that person is still alive. Maybe they were scared, at the time. But, now it may be finally time to tell this family and investigators the truth. "You've got two daughters and three granddaughters. Now, they've got kids," Carroll said. "This family has been living this, like anybody else with a cold case, for 35 years and I was really hoping somebody with conscience would call Crime Stoppers and give us that information to convert this from a cold case to a closed case."
If you know anything about this case, please consider giving Mena's family the resolution they deserve. Now is the time to call Crime Stoppers: 423-698-3333. There is up to $1,000 available for your good tip that finally solves this case.
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