Cindy Gingerich was found shot to death outside of her Sumiton, AL home In the late hours of September 7, 1994, the quiet of a Sumiton, Alabama evening was shattered by a single act of violence that would leave a family searching for answers for decades to come. Twenty-six-year-old Cindy Gingerich, a Caucasian female, was shot and killed outside of her Main Street home. Inside, her two young children slept, blissfully unaware of the tragedy that had just unfolded and would forever alter their lives.
At the time of her death, Cindy was separated from her husband, Ed, who has remained a steadfast advocate for justice for his late wife and their children.
The investigation into Cindy's murder quickly focused on the possibility that this was not a random act of violence. Family members, including her estranged husband and parents, have long believed they know who was responsible for her death. Their suspicions fell upon a man Cindy had been seeing at the time, who had reportedly left a series of threatening phone messages for her in the days leading up to the murder. They have voiced their belief that these messages were a crucial piece of evidence that should have been thoroughly investigated. Early in the investigation, law enforcement officials indicated that they had a person of interest in mind, but a lack of sufficient evidence prevented any charges from being filed. Ed Gingerich has stated that he passed two polygraph tests to clear his name and has continued to publicly call for the case to be re-examined.
Over the years, the case grew cold, but the family's determination for answers never wavered. Their persistent efforts, including speaking with news outlets, have helped to keep Cindy's story in the public eye. In 2021, after a renewed wave of media attention, the Walker County District Attorney's office located Cindy's case file and some of her personal belongings, which were returned to her family. Despite these developments, the case officially remains an open and unsolved homicide. A reward, initially offered by the governor in 1994, is still available for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of Cindy Gingerich. The identity of any specific suspect has never been publicly released by law enforcement.
