Robert Creter has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to the 1997 aggravated manslaughter of 23-year-old Tamara “Tami” Tignor
After nearly three decades of unanswered questions, a long-cold New Jersey homicide case has ended with a confession — and a prison sentence.
On Wednesday, July 23, Robert Creter was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to the 1997 aggravated manslaughter of 23-year-old Tamara “Tami” Tignor. The resolution came more than 27 years after Tignor was found dead on a remote access road in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey.
Creter, now in his 40s, admitted to manually strangling Tignor with his bare hands. As part of a plea deal, he avoided a trial and more serious murder charges that were originally filed in 2023 following a DNA match.
A Crime That Haunted a Family
On November 4, 1997, Tignor left her home for a walk — but never returned. Hours later, her body was discovered in the woods near Washington Valley Park. The cause of death: strangulation. She had also been sexually assaulted.
The case remained unsolved for years, until advances in DNA technology led investigators to Creter. In 2023, evidence from Tignor’s original sexual assault kit was retested, and Creter was identified as a likely suspect.
Authorities later tracked him to Winnipeg, Canada, where he had been living since 2002. He was arrested by Canadian officials in June 2024 and extradited back to New Jersey in November.
A Courtroom Confession
“I never meant to hurt anybody,” Creter said in court Wednesday. “It was just a bad situation that got out of hand and I made the worst decision of my life.”
Creter told the judge he wished he could undo what happened. “If I could take that day back, I would. It wasn’t planned.”
But for Tignor’s family, the apology did little to ease the pain that’s lasted for nearly three decades.
‘He Was Free Longer Than She Was Alive’
Tami Tignor would have turned 50 years old on the day of Creter’s sentencing.
Her mother, Piper Bailey, gave an emotional statement in court: “For 27 years, her killer was out running free while we were all in prison. I scoured the area from where she disappeared day and night. I don’t sleep without nightmares over her death.”
“He took my daughter’s life. He strangled the life out of her, and he should be locked up forever,” Bailey added.
The judge, while bound by the plea agreement, acknowledged the family’s grief and said she hoped Creter is denied parole when he becomes eligible in 8.5 years.
Justice, Delayed — But Not Denied
The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed in a statement that Creter had confessed to the killing, admitting he picked up Tignor while she was out walking and later strangled her.
While the 10-year sentence has drawn criticism from the victim’s family, prosecutors emphasized that without the recent DNA breakthrough, the case might have remained unsolved.
For Tami’s loved ones, the sentencing marks the end of a decades-long wait — and a renewed call for justice that doesn’t come too late for other families still waiting for answers.
