Loretta Tinkham was reported missing on November 3, 1994, in the Peoria, Illinois area. She was one of several missing women from the region, including Stephanie C. Gibson, Cheryl Murray, and Stacey Morrison. Investigators later discovered skeletal remains in a creek bottom near Edwards, Illinois, which were believed to belong to a female over the age of 18. Authorities attempted to match the remains to one of several missing women from the Peoria area, including Tinkham.
The cause of death remained unknown, as only the skull and some bones were recovered, while searches for the rest of the skeleton were unsuccessful. A forensic anthropologist provided investigators with a profile of the deceased woman, which could potentially match up to eight missing women from the area. Peoria County Chief Deputy Mike McCoy stated that detectives hoped to use dental records to confirm the identity of the remains.
Several missing women from Peoria were linked to convicted killers, including serial killer Joseph Miller and Arlie Ray Davis, who was on death row. Investigators believed that four women who disappeared in the mid-1990s, including Tinkham, were victims of Davis. The location where the skeletal remains were found had previously been used as a dumping ground for murder victims. However, it is unclear whether Tinkham's remains were definitively identified or if any further legal actions were taken in relation to her disappearance and presumed death.
