The Murder of Tina Biggar
For this case, I watched an episode of Forensic Files. It’s season 5 episode 14, titled ‘Deadly Knowledge.’
A 23-year-old college student disappears.
Background
Tina Biggar was a 23-year-old student at the University of Oakland, in Rochester, Michigan. She was studying psychology, and worked her way through school at the Rochester Chop House.
Tina was described as vivacious, and as a dedicated, hard-working student.
Tina Biggar
The Disappearance
On August 23, 1995, Tina’s live in boyfriend Todd Nurnberger, a University of Michigan student, reported her missing.
Todd said Tina had been sleeping when he left for work. When he came home later that evening, she was not home. Tina’s car was missing, but her friends hadn’t hear or seen her.
Todd called the restaurant where Tina worked. They told him that Tina had quit about 4 months earlier. Todd was surprised, and did a little digging around the apartment.
Todd found a duffel bag that he had never seen before. Inside the bag was lingerie, condoms, thigh high stockings, lubricant, and an envelope addressed to the LA escort service. The name on the upper left corner of the envelope was Crystal.
Tina, with her boyfriend Todd
Tina’s Research Project
After she graduated, Tina really wanted to get into a good graduate school. So, she decided to do a research project on the health risks of high priced female sex workers.
When she started out, she would contact the escort services, asking to speak to different women. After awhile, she was caught up in the lifestyle. Tina, known as Crystal, was very popular to the clients. She would make around $250 per appointment. Tina needed the money to pay for school, and for a new car.
The escort service denied knowing who Tina was, but then revealed that Tina was in fact Crystal. She also worked for two other services.
The Client
During the investigation, the police were able to rule out Todd, Tina’s boyfriend. They had an on and off relationship, and Tina was planning to move out into her own place. Todd had also been seeing another women, so obviously they were both keeping secrets from each other.
The police then turned to a man named Ken Tranchida. Ken had called the escort service several times, also requesting Tina. Ken was a 42-year-old ex-convict. He had a history of fraud, passing bad checks, and embezzlement.
Ken and Tina had met for the first time at the Blue Bird Motel, just 12 days before she disappeared.
In Tina’s apartment, the police found a love letter from Ken. Ken admitted that he and Tina had started to see each other outside of the escort service. He said he and Tina were friends, and that she stopped asking him to pay.
A local car dealership employee came forward, and said that he had seen Ken and Tina together. Tina was looking for a new car, and Ken said he’d loan her the money. The money that he didn’t have.
A Botched Search
Ken made up many stories while the police spoke to him. He told them that a week before Tina disappeared, he had taken her to the airport. He said she was going on a trip to Ohio, to see an out of state client. There was no record of Tina ever going out of town.
The police searched Tina’s car, which was in Ken’s possession. He said that Tina had left her car with him while she was away.
Inside the car, the police found a list of clients and addresses. There was also debris found, but no signs of foul play. At least during the first inspection.
Ken was released, and then vanished. The police realized that they had made a mistake. Inside Tina’s car, they found blood stains on a coffee cup, and a large pool of blood under the carpet. The DNA revealed that it was a match to Tina.
The Confession
One month after Tina disappeared, Ken’s brother suggested that the police searched the property of a home that once belonged to their aunt.
In the backyard, the police found Tina’s badly decomposing body. Tina’s dental records were used to confirm that it was her.
There was no blood in the area, which suggested that Tina had been killed elsewhere. Kanu Virani, the medical examiner, believed that Tina had been strangled, but due to the decomposition, he couldn’t be 100% sure.
Ken was eventually found in a run down part of Detroit. After trying to slit his wrists while being in custody, Ken eventually “confessed.”
Again, he made up a lie. He said he and Tina fought over money. He said they struggled, she fell, and hit her head. The autopsy did reveal that Tina died due to injuries to her neck, and head. However, the X-rays of Tina’s skull revealed that a fall wouldn’t have been what killed her.
Ken then said that Tina was miserable in the last few days of her life. He said he took her out of her misery.
The Conviction
At his trial, Ken pleaded guilty to second degree murder. Tina’s family agreed to the plea deal, as they did not want her double life to be revealed.
The prosecution believe that Ken had lied about the money he told Tina he’d loan her. She confronted him, and hit her head, as they struggled. Ken then strangled her, put her body in the trunk, and took her to his aunt’s old property.
Ken was sentenced to life in prison.
Ken Tranchida
Other
In May 2021, Ken was granted a parole hearing. He confessed to the parole board, that he smothered Tina with his hand. He said he and Tina had been drinking, and using drugs that day, and that he didn’t want to lose her. She tried to leave, and he killed her instead.
There has been no information about the results of the parole hearing, but I believe Ken is still in prison.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I feel so bad for Tina, and her family. Tina was just trying to make it through school, and she became interesting in this lifestyle. I don’t think she was ashamed of it, and even today, we shouldn’t make people feel ashamed of their lifestyles. Unless you’re a murderer, pedophile, etc, then yes, you should feel bad.
It’s truly heartbreaking that Tina had to cross paths with Ken, who was described as a weasel. Ken lied over and over again, and probably will keep lying until he dies.
Sources
https://oaklandpostonline.com/11834/looking-back/looking-back-the-murder-of-tina-biggar/
https://forensicfilesnow.com/index.php/2021/01/31/tina-biggar-escort-and-scholar/
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/889704.The_Coed_Call_Girl_Murder
