Gray Laframboise: Suspect identified 45 years after Tammy Sue Aldridge was found dead with ankles bound

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

ALAMANCE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA: The authorities in North Carolina have finally solved a cold case about a student from East Carolina University, which had remained unresolved for almost 45 years.

At a press conference held on Thursday, the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office revealed Gary Lane Laframboise as the individual responsible for the abduction and murder of Tammy Sue Aldridge in 1979. Notably, Laframboise died in 2020, as per Huffpost.

Tammy Aldridge found dead three days later after reported missing

Authorities stated that Aldridge was reported missing on June 30, 1979, when the 20-year-old did not return home after going for a jog.

Her body was discovered three days later on July 3, 1979, in the middle of a highway in Graham, North Carolina. 

Investigators found her ankles bound with rope, along with evidence of bindings on her neck and hands. 

Sheriff Terry Johnson revealed during the press conference that Aldridge's body was still warm when found. 

Additionally, her clothes were discovered to be backward, indicating that she was dressed after her death. Johnson further stated that medical examiners determined that she died from strangulation. 

Throughout her captivity, Aldridge managed to make two phone calls home, which were the last communications her family received from her. 

Investigator Dan Denton recounted that during these calls, Aldridge assured her family of her safety and expressed hope of returning home soon. 

The identification of Laframboise as the perpetrator comes after another individual was charged and subsequently found not guilty in connection with Aldridge's disappearance, leaving the case unresolved.

Tammy Aldridge’s murder case reopened in 2020

In 2020, when the case was reopened, detectives acquired a DNA sample from a family member of a person of interest, which ultimately led investigators to identify Laframboise as their primary suspect, Johnson explained.

Laframboise would have been 19 or 20 years old at the time of the killing and resided approximately 4 1/2 miles from where Aldridge's body was discovered.

Johnson disclosed that Laframboise had been arrested in an unrelated kidnapping just three months after Aldridge disappeared. He pleaded guilty in that case and served a prison sentence from 1980 to 1982.

While Aldridge's family members are relieved that the case has been closed, they still have lingering questions. They described her as a straight-A student who aspired to work with the elderly.

Authorities cannot confirm whether he acted alone in this case. Tammy's family suspects that another individual was involved in her demise.