Terry L. Allen was 16 years old when she was murdered. Her body was found in a field in Kansas City, Missouri, four decades ago, and the person responsible for her death has yet to be brought to justice.
At around 5:45 p.m. on June 24, 1983, Terry, a student at East High School, left her residence in the 2600 block of Park Avenue and went to the local cleaners to pick up a load of clothes.
When she failed to return home later that evening, her mother contacted family and friends to find out if they knew Terry’s whereabouts.
At around 9 a.m. the following morning, on June 25, 1983, Terry was found dead, according to the Kansas City Missouri Police Department.
When several of her friends learned that she had gone missing, they searched for her and found her naked body in a field near a radio transmission tower on 22nd Street and Woodland Avenue.
The field was about a mile from Terry’s house.
An autopsy showed that Terry died from strangulation, and the medical examiner ruled her death a homicide.
After learning of Terry’s murder, her teachers at East High School spoke highly of her personality and smile.
They also described her as a good student.
One teacher said she was “the kind of learner who liked to sit smiling at the front of the class,” The Kansas City Star reported.
Although Terry had her hands full with cheerleading, track, managing the football team, and being a statistician for the basketball team, she excelled in school.
She also worked downtown at a fast-food restaurant.
On Sundays, she sang with the choir at Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church.
Investigators worked diligently to find Terry’s killer, but her case eventually turned cold.
About a month after Terry was found dead, police officials turned to the public for help.
A police spokesperson at the time stated that the department believes that “someone out there must know something that could help us solve this case.”
Anyone with information regarding the unsolved murder of Terry L. Allen is encouraged to contact the Kansas City Missouri Police Department’s Cold Case Squad at 816-234-5136.