The Murder of Troy Temar
For this case, I watched an episode of Nightmare Next Door. It’s season 4 episode 10, titled ‘Flames of Passion.’
A 30-year-old man is found dead in the trunk of a burning car.
Background
Troy Temar was born on March 18, 1969. He grew up in a loving family, in a small town next to Cincinnati, Ohio. Troy graduated from Deer Park High School, where he played football, ran track, and was even Homecoming king.
After college, Troy went into the construction business. He later created his own construction business with his brother, called Temar Construction. He was described as generous, caring and sincere.
Troy Temar
The Crime Scene
On July 4, 1999, a call came into the Warren County Sheriff’s office, around 4am. A passerby had seen a burning car near an abandoned farmhouse.
After the flames were put out, a firefighter said that he believed a deer caracas was in the trunk. Detective Roger Barnes immediately knew that it was not a deer caracas, but a charred human body.
The police were able to find a license plate, key and key fab on the ground. There was also an obvious sign that an accelerant was used. There was a trail of burnt grass leading from the car to the driveway.
Once the body was removed from the trunk, the police also discovered that the person had been shot twice before being set on fire. The shots had been fired from outside the car, at a downward angle.
A Positive Identification
The license plate was run, and it led them to a Jimmy Temar. Believing that the body was Jimmy, the police went over to the Temar house to notify his family.
Donna Temar, Jimmy and Troy’s mom, told the police that Jimmy was the owner of the 1998 Ford Mustang. However, she had just spoken to Jimmy an hour earlier. The body was actually of Jimmy’s brother Troy. Jimmy said he had lent his car to Troy the previous night.
The coroner confirmed through fingerprints that the body was that of Troy Temar, who had only been 3o years old.
The Suspects
The first suspect was Jimmy Temar. He was believed to have been one of the last people to see Troy alive. However, it was clear to the police that Jimmy wasn’t involved. He was emotional, cooperative, and had an alibi.
The next suspect was a client of Troy’s, who he had a falling out with over money and a construction job. The man said he didn’t like the work that Troy was doing, and refused to pay. Troy took him to court, but it was settled. The man was ruled out as well.
During the investigation, the police learned that Troy was quite the ladies man. That was until he met a woman named Theresa (Terry) Voss. They soon were inseparable, and even moved in together 6 months later.
Troy’s family liked Terry, but they did notice some red flags almost immediately. Terry was manipulative and whiny. She also made allegations that Troy abused her, which led to Troy being arrested for assault. He was later exonarated on the charge.
Terry and Troy were together for about 4 years, but he broke it off with her after discovering that she had embezzled money from his friend.
A Cold Case
The police questioned Terry. She told the them that she had moved on from Troy, but that they were friends. She even admitted to being with him on the night of the murder. She said he picked her up around 10pm on July 3, they drove around, and he dropped her off around 12am.
The police believed Terry could’ve been involved, but that she probably had an accomplice. Terry was very small, and Troy was around 190 pounds.
The police spoke to two men who were close to Terry, her brother Eric, and boyfriend Steve. However, they both had alibis, and were ruled out.
The police believed that Terry had more motive than anyone else that they had interviewed. There was no evidence at the crime scene that linked her to the murder.
The investigation went cold for 5 years, until a new investigator John Newsom joined the case in 2001.
A Manipulative Individual
John Newsom looked through Troy’s background, his personal life, and interviewed new and old suspects. One name kept coming up in the investigation: Terry, who was now living with her new husband in Cincinnati.
The police questioned Terry again, and her story never changed. She said Troy picked her up around 10pm on July 3, 1999. They drove to Lunken Airport, French Park, and then he dropped her off around midnight.
Detective Newsom now had information that could possible put Terry at the crime scene. A mother and daughter had been out driving around, when they heard a man yell for help. They said it was sometime between 10:15-11:30pm.
Terry’s dad, who she had been living with, also changed his story. He said Terry had come home around 11:30pm, not midnight like he said years earlier.
Detective Newsom did his own test. He used a stop watch to drive from Terry’s parent’s house, to the airport, park, and the crime scene. He discovered that it would take 2 1/2 hours to drive around to those areas, but only 15 minutes to the crime scene. Terry could’ve killed Troy in the span of an hour, and then went back to the crime scene to set the car on fire.
A former boyfriend of Terry’s said that after he broke up with her, she hired a man to hurt him. He said he had woken up to a man standing over him with a hatchet. The man almost took off his hand, but he was able to get away.
The Confession
The police once again came face to face with the two men in Terry’s life that she could’ve manipulated into helping her: her ex-boyfriend and her brother.
After taking a closer look at Eric, Terry’s brother, they realized that his life had spiraled after the murder. Eric had been having financial and marital issues. He had also been arrested for grand theft.
Detective Newsom spoke to Eric, and Eric finally said that he wasn’t the one who shot Troy. He said Terry had called him that night around 11pm, and when he arrived to pick her up, Troy was dead.
Detective Newsome asked Eric where Terry put the gun. Eric said she had thrown in a dumpster at a gas station. They then went back to the crime scene, and set the car on fire.
Eric Hoerlein was arrested, and charged with tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse.
The Convictions
Terry was also arrested, and charged with aggravated murder.
At trial, Terry maintained her innocence. She said she had mental issues, and that if she had done it, she didn’t remember.
On October 26, 2006, Terry was found guilty of first degree murder. She was sentenced to 33 years to life.
Eric pleaded guilty to abuse of a corpse, and was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
It’s believed that Terry killed Troy because he was moving on without her in his life. Troy’s family has asked Terry to tell them what really happened, but she hasn’t responded to them.
Theresa Voss
Donna Temar, with a picture of her son
Other
The press box at Deer Park High was rededicated to Troy.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I will never understand how someone, let alone two people, can take someone’s life. It’s pretty clear that they both had some mental health issues, but that isn’t an excuse.
Terry should tell Troy’s family what really happened. I don’t think Eric is telling them everything either. Detective Newsom made a promise to Troy’s family that he would solve this case, and he did. Troy’s family deserves to know what really happened to their son and brother. I hope one day they will get the answers they need.
Sources
http://cincybusinessmag.com/Main/Articles/Haunting_the_Past_5012.aspx
https://www.fox19.com/story/5595889/voss-found-guilty-of-murder/
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/dayton-daily-news/20120401/281943129851630
https://law.justia.com/cases/ohio/twelfth-district-court-of-appeals/2008/2008-ohio-3889.html
