THE MISSING FILES: Friends of 'murdered' Tammy Mahoney allege 1981 crime was covered up by powerful people
THE MISSING FILES is a weekly special feature that looks into cases of missing people across America that have shattered communities and families. It delves into the known facts and the latest updates on these mysterious disappearances.
This article is based on sources and we have been unable to verify this information independently.
ONEIDA, NEW YORK: Tammy Mahoney attended the State University of New York Morrisville and wanted to be a veterinarian. She was a happy 19-year-old who had several aspirations. But all her dreams were cut short when she tragically disappeared in 1981.
Tammy was hitchhiking on Route 46, heading to Hamilton, New York, on May 8 of that year. It is believed that she was picked up and taken to a party on the Oneida Indian Reservation. There are some witnesses who said they saw her at the party that night, but no one saw her alive again.
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Years after Tammy's disappearance, two of her friends have opened up on the details of the case. While her disappearance remains unsolved, it has been reported that information provided to law enforcement claimed she was gang raped and murdered at the party.
"Tammy and I were friends from elementary throughout high school," Theresa Humphrey, a classmate and friend of Tammy, told MEAWW. "We attended religious classes together and grew up in Farmingdale, Long Island. I fondly remember walking in the snow with her to school," she added.
"Tammy was a somewhat shy girl but friends would bring out her laughter. She loved animals. We spent the last summer I saw her taking buses to Jones Beach. Tammy left for school upstate New York and at one point, wanted me to come visit. I asked her if she could take classes local at SUNY Farmingdale but she had friends she was going to stay with in New York," Humphrey, 61, added.
Although there were several suspects in Tammy's disappearance, no one was ever publicly identified. The Madison County sheriff believed the case could go to the grand jury in 2003, and thought he had identified the people responsible for killing Tammy. The US Attorney, however, did not move forward with the case.
'Tammy was brutally gang raped and murdered'
"There were reports about Tammy going missing but there was no initial announcement on what actually happened," Humphrey said. "All that was reported was that she was last seen hitchhiking along a road. There were several witnesses interviewed and names were given to investigators this information was given to the New York State Prosecutors and District Attorneys, but Grand Juries were never called. A so-called person-of-interest was investigated. It turned out that the investigators had been told that Tammy was picked up, brought to a trailer party on Territory Road on Oneida Indian Territory, Oneida, New York, where she drank, following which she was brutally gang raped and murdered," she added.
"Her body was being hidden. Through the years, many within the Reservation kept the secret about their relatives' involvement. It was reported that the guilty parties ended up being on the power positions of the Reservation and the ones who cared about getting justice for Tammy were considered the meek ones. Even today, the Reservation operates with this dark cloud over its head," she continued.
She added, "I truly believe that similar to today's politicization of our law enforcement agencies, Tammy’s case was an early example of how cases can be covered up. Time and again the investigators would ask the District Attorney to conduct a grand jury, and it would go nowhere."
Humphrey said representatives and members of Congress have been sent letters listing the facts in Tammy’s case and the need to punish her alleged killers. "Tammy’s life was taken away. At 19 years old she was looking forward to being a veterinarian and her life was taken for what? I’m going to see this through. I look forward to two things that I promised Tammy -- to see who did this to her in and to be able to lay her to rest in Long Island at a memorial with our high school friends and town."
What is the Oneida Indian Reservation?
The Oneida Indian Reservation, where Tammy may have been taken before her disappearance, is an indigenous nation of American Indian people. According to the Reservation's website, "The Nation was a key ally of the United States during the Revolutionary War, and it has been a cultural and economic anchor for the region. Through the diversified business enterprises it has successfully built in recent decades, the Oneida Indian Nation has become one of the largest employers in New York. It has also forged agreements with neighboring governments that have fortified the Nation’s sovereignty in perpetuity."
"The Oneida Indian Nation is a federally recognized Indian nation in Central New York. It is a member of the Haudenosaunee, known in English as the Six Nations or Iroquois Confederacy. The word Haudenosaunee means “people of the longhouse.” The Oneida are known as the “people of the standing stone.” Currently, the Oneida Indian Nation consists of approximately 1,000 enrolled Members, about half of whom still live on their homelands. Through ingenuity, tenacity and hard work, the Oneida people have created a wealth of new opportunities and hope for their Nation and the Central New York region. While holding fast to its traditions and culture, the Nation now enjoys a level of prosperity, through the success of its enterprises, that provides housing, education, health and cultural services to its Members," the website adds.
'Suspect’s brother ran a backhoe during search'
Mike Grello, 62, who also went to school with Tammy, described her as a "sweet, kind, fun-loving person." Grello said he believes there is a possibility that something was going on between Tammy and her boyfriend the evening she disappeared, which may have prompted her to go out alone. "There were many search operations done by law enforcement, cadaver dogs, and ground-penetrating radar search teams," Grello said, adding, "It has even been rumored that a suspect’s brother ran a backhoe during one search operation in the beginning."
Thanking the FBI for their constant efforts to solve Tammy's case, Grello said, "I am grateful that there are still many people trying to get this case to the court. It is time for justice to be served." Humphrey and Grello run a Facebook page titled 'Justice for Tammy Mahoney' to raise awareness about the case.