re: Connie Smith redux - Tioga teen murdered in 1983 - would have been 60 today

No, but only because I was somehow completely ignorant of it.

Just a bump to allow as many of our old posters as possible to see the topic.

I don't fully trust my memory about specifics, but I believe those seniors got out maybe half a day that day? That may have been their last required day of class ever. I do remember seeing older kids that following Monday, but they may have been juniors. The class I had with her was almost all juniors and seniors - there were only 2 sophomores in the entire class. I did walk with her to a hallway corner and waved saying, "See you later." I had all my remaining classes to attend for that day.

She was very active, though. This could have been something with her church, or cheer or whatever your sister might have been involved with and she certainly could have gone after their (IIRC half day) and before her senior party that evening.

The escape was regional/national news. The killer was out in California for months before being re-apprehended.

It was a sporting event on Friday afternoon. She had a friend (same church) who was competing.

That was during an interesting time for the school. There was a string of unusual tragedies:

Kirk Givens in 1981 - was a Boys State delegate staying in Kirby Smith at LSU, either fell or jumped to his death - the conclusion was he was sleepwalking

Connie Smith in 1983

And around the same time frame (1981 to 1984 or so), there was an incident with a sibling of someone mentioned in the main blog I linked above - a very strange set of circumstances around his death - attempted to exit a moving vehicle and was killed.

And the murder of Connie was forever linked to the murder of a teen in neighboring Pineville, also mentioned in the blog - Sophia Aragon was killed almost 1 year to the day after Connie and attorney Mike Small successfully saved both killers from execution.

I vaguely remember that story as well.

I knew CG through a fraternity. Tragic