Robert Plympton was arrested on June 8, 2021 for the January 15, 1980 murder of 19-year-old Barbara Mae Tucker in Gresham, Oregon.
Tucker was walking alone to an evening class at the Mt. Hood Community College. She was last seen by witnesses on Northeast Kane Drive. She was standing in the road, trying to flag down passing motorists. Witnesses said she was frantic and had blood and mud on her face. Several cars nearly hit Tucker. No one stopped to help her. One witness saw Tucker being led back into the woods by a man. Her body was found the next morning by a Mt. Hood student. She had been sexually assaulted and bludgeoned to death.
The FGG investigation was conducted by Parabon Nanolabs. There is no information as yet on the method of confirmation.
Plympton had been charged in connection with an attempted sexual assault in 1997. He was accused of kidnapping a woman and driving her to a secluded place and attempting to sexually assault her, but the charges were dropped after a grand jury determined there was not enough evidence. He was previously convicted of kidnapping in 1985 and served a 30-month sentence. His trial is currently pending in Multnomah County Court.
Sources:
Eadens, Savannah. “‘She Will Always be 19’” Arrest in 1980 Cold Case Murder Brings Some Relief, More Grief to Family of Barbara Tucker.” Oregon Live, June 10, 2021. Last Modified June 11, 2021. Accessed June 13, 2021. https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2021/06/she-will-always-be-19-arrest-in-1980-cold-case-murder-brings-some-relief-more-grief-to-family-of-barbara-tucker.html.
Keizur, Christopher. “Solving Barbara Tucker’s Murder.” The Outlook, June 11, 2021. Accessed June 13, 2021. https://pamplinmedia.com/go/42-news/511694-409102-solving-barbara-tuckers-murder.
Mann, David. “Gresham Police Arrest Troutdale Man in 1980 Cold Case Murder.” KGW8 NBC News, June 8, 2021. Last modified June 9, 2021. https://www.kgw.com/article/news/crime/gresham-police-use-dna-to-link-troutdale-man-to-teens-murder-four-decades-ago/283-1d97677e-1313-499c-9e26-126a52728162?fbclid=IwAR1HigGa40mm8cev-xpoe-hJpq8174Pf6ciWiSedQ1yr3Gz1ossrl04ZVc0.
Shapiro, Emily. “Arrest Made in City’s Oldest Cold Case Murder Thanks to Genetic Genealogy: Police.” ABC News, June 9, 2021. Accessed June 13, 2021. https://abcnews.go.com/US/arrest-made-citys-oldest-cold-case-murder-genetic/story?id=78170321.