The Murder of Tracy Jo Shine
Hey guys, I hope you all had a great weekend! I took a few days off to spend time with mom and husband. But, I’m back with a new post. I watched an episode of Forensic Files. It’s season 7 episode 27, titled, ‘Cold Storage.’
A young dancer drops out of school and moves in with her older boyfriend.
Background
Tracy Jo Shine was born on December 7, 1962. She grew up in Houston, Texas, and had dreams of being a dancer one day.
At 18, Tracy Jo met an older man named Michael Neal, who was 31. Tracy’s grades slipped, and she dropped out. She moved in with Michael and his mom, Barbara. Tracy became addicted to drugs, and tried to get help several times.
Tracy Jo Shine
The Disappearance
Shortly before her disappearance, Tracy Jo was questioned by the Houston police about a racially motivated shooting Michael was involved in. Michael was in the Aryan Brotherhood, a violent white supremacist group.
Tracy Jo was arrested on a drug charge. The police had found the syringe still on the couch. While she was at the police station, Tracy Jo admitted that Michael was involved in the shooting. Tracy Jo told the police that she would testify against Michael, in hopes of her jail time being reduced.
On, or around April 8, 1987, Michael bailed Tracy out of jail. Tracy visited her mom, Virginia, to borrow some money. It was the last time anyone would see or hear from her.
Michael was asked by Virginia about Tracy Jo’s whereabouts, but Michael said he didn’t know. Michael claimed that Tracy Jo had left after returning back from jail. Virginia filed a missing persons report.
The Anonymous Tip
A few weeks after Tracy Jo disappeared, the police received an anonymous phone call. The caller said that a girl was killed by her boyfriend, and her body was put inside a refrigerator. The caller said the refrigerator was left on a used car lot owned by the girl’s boyfriend. The caller said the victim was Tracy Jo Shine.
The police went out to the used car lot with a search warrant. It was clear to them that the fridge had just been cleaned with bleach. But, the police did find some human tissue and hair follicles.
The police tried several techniques to test the tissue and hair, but they were all unsuccessful or inconclusive. The police spent months looking all over Houston for Tracy Jo’s body, but it wasn’t found.
Where is Tracy Jo?
The police spoke to Barbara, Michael’s mom, and learned that she had been trying to sell some of Tracy Jo’s jewelry at her consignment shop. Barbara said that Tracy Jo had left it behind when she left.
Michael Neal was eventually arrested for another shooting incident, and his brother Robert, was convicted on a meth charge. Michael was sentenced to life in prison. Michael and Robert denied being involved in Tracy Jo’s disappearance.
In 1999, a cold case unit reopened the case. The cold case unit decided to re-test the tissue that had been found in the fridge. Sadly, the sample was too degraded.
The fridge had still been in the police property room. During another examination of it, the police found human skin. The testing of the skin was also unsuccessful.
A Twisted Family
The police learned that a new form of testing called mitochondrial DNA testing was being done by the FBI.
First, the police took a sample of Tracy Jo’s DNA from some of her old letters. After this was unsuccessful, they took a swab of Virginia’s DNA to compare it to the skin found in the fridge. It was a match.
Virginia Shine in the Forensic Files episode
Michael Neal was charged with murder. Robert had still been in prison for his meth charge, and agreed to talk with the police. Robert implicated himself, Michael, Barbara, and his sister.
Robert said Michael was afraid that Tracy Jo was going to testify against him for the drive by shooting. Michael had picked up Tracy Jo from jail in April 1987, and strangled her in their bedroom.
Michael left Tracy Jo’s body in the room for 3 days until Barbara found her from the smell. Michael and Robert had transported the fridge to their used car lot, while Barbara and her daughter cleaned the bedroom. Robert said he never saw Tracy Jo’s body, and didn’t know where Michael had placed it. Robert did say that Michael had put Tracy Jo’s body in a 55 gallon drum.
Michael was convicted of murder, and an additional 45 years were added on to his sentence. Michael Neal has since died. In 2001, he had taken the police to where he claimed he had put Tracy Jo’s body, but nothing was found.
Barbara and her daughter were never implicated in the murder. Robert was still in prison when he admitted to his role in the crime.
Robert and Michael
FINAL THOUGHTS
My heart breaks for Virginia and the rest of Tracy Jo’s family. They did everything they could to get her help, but she was addicted, and I’m sure it was hard to quit. Tracy Jo deserved to get the help she needed, but Michael took her future away from her.
Sources
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Tracy_Jo_Shine
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/96132157/tracy-jo-shine
https://murdervictims.com/case/tracy-shine/
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Prisoner-pleads-guilty-to-murder-of-girlfriend-in-1997306.php
