A music-loving teen was found murdered after hanging out at a rock venue In the winter of 1982, nineteen-year-old Tina Elizabeth Foglia, a white female, was navigating the vibrant and sometimes gritty Long Island music scene. On the evening of January 31st, she left her family's home in Brentwood to see a friend's band, Equinox, play at Hammerheads, a popular nightclub on Sunrise Highway in West Islip, New York. Known for being adventurous and a frequent concert-goer, Tina often hitchhiked to her destinations, and that night was no different.
She was last seen leaving the bustling venue at approximately 3:00 a.m. on February 1, 1982. When she didn't return home, her concerned family reported her missing two days later.
The grim answer to Tina's whereabouts came on February 3, 1982. Department of Transportation workers picking up trash along the shoulder of a ramp connecting the Southern State Parkway to the Sagtikos State Parkway in North Bay Shore made a horrific discovery. Inside three plastic bags left in the brush were the dismembered remains of Tina Foglia. An autopsy would later reveal that she had died of asphyxia by smothering. The motive for the brutal slaying was believed to be sexual assault, with the murder committed to silence the victim. A diamond ring she always wore was missing, though robbery was not considered the primary motive.
The investigation into Tina's murder has spanned decades, yet no arrests have ever been made, and the case remains cold. Over the years, investigators have pursued various leads, all of which have led to dead ends. A male DNA sample was recovered from the crime scene, but it has never matched any profiles in the national CODIS database, suggesting the perpetrator may not have a criminal record in the decades since. Police interviewed her ex-boyfriend, male friends, and members of the band she went to see that night. Her sister later revealed that in the weeks leading up to her death, Tina had been dating a doctor she met at Hammerheads, but she never disclosed his name. The precision with which her body was dismembered led to speculation that the killer might have had medical knowledge.
For a time, Suffolk County police considered a possible link to Timothy O'Toole, a man suspected in several local murders and convicted of manslaughter in a separate case. However, a definitive connection to Tina's death was never established. More recently, with the arrest of Rex Heuermann, the man charged in connection with the Long Island Serial Killer case, questions have arisen about a potential link to Tina's murder due to the proximity of the dumping ground to Gilgo Beach and the similar manner of disposal of the remains. While investigators have not entirely ruled out the possibility, it is not being pursued as an active line of inquiry. The case continues to haunt Long Island, a brutal and unsolved chapter in its history, leaving Tina Foglia's family still waiting for justice.
