Three years ago, a developmentally disabled mother and her daughter were found dead in Clinton Township. Police say they have a lot of evidence, but they’re missing a key element.
Now they need your help to solve this cold case.
Tina and Krissy Geiger were inseparable in life, and tragically, in death as well. The 47-year-old mother and her 11-year-old daughter were murdered together inside their Clinton Township apartment.
“I really miss them a lot,” said Tina Geiger’s sister, Cheryl Gladieux. “I light a candle for them every night to this day.”
Family and friends of the Tina and Krissy desperately want the killer – or killers – locked up.
Both Tina and Krissy were developmentally disabled, so a social worker regularly checked on them. But back on July 30, 2013, after a caregiver could not get in touch with the Geigers, the apartment manager went looking for Tina and Krissy.
Both mother and daughter had been stabbed several times.
Police rushed to the Parkway Village Apartments near Harper and 16 Mile. They scoured the Geiger’s second floor apartment for fingerprints, DNA and whatever other evidence they could gather.
Clinton Township detectives Joseph Burns and Lt. Eric Reincke say nothing was taken from the apartment, and they found no signs of forced entry.
“It’s a situation where the door could have been unlocked. The door could have been ajar before somebody went in or it could have been a known party. We don’t know at this point,” said Det. Lt. Reincke.
Their bodies were found on a Tuesday. The last time neighbors had seen Tina or Krissy was 4 or 5 days before that, when Tina was doing the laundry in a common area which was just steps from her door.
But after 3 years, Cheryl Gladieux fears the leads in this murder mystery have gone cold.
“I’m just so worried [her case is] going to be put on a shelf somewhere and not be heard of again,” said Gladieux. “I need closure.”
“There is a tremendous amount of evidence in this case, but evidence is only as good to us as when we are able to correlate it with actual individuals that may potentially have been there,” said Det. Joseph Burns.
That’s why police are hoping there’s someone out there who just hasn’t come forward yet.
“Did anybody see them with anyone? What did those people look like if they saw them with anyone? Did they see them get into any cars that could potentially be helpful to us,” said Det. Burns.
Detectives say Tina did not drive. The Geigers were somewhat reclusive, and had a very simple routine. Each day they would walk to the nearby 7-Eleven to buy Slurpees, and then stop at the dollar store.
“We’re looking for the individual that maybe did come across them on a regular basis, had conversations with them, maybe saw something that they didn’t think was important, but may be important to us,” said Det. Burns.
Shortly after the murders, police locked up a convicted sex offender. Thirty-two-year old Jay Thomas Miller ultimately pleaded no contest to resisting and obstructing and lying to the police about their investigation.
Investigators say he lied about being at the apartment complex, and he did know Tina Geiger. But Miller has not been charged with the murders.
“Because we don’t know the motive for the murder, we don’t know if there’s potentially a possibility that someone could have been a regular at Tina’s residence and Krissy’s residence that nobody has brought to our attention before,” said Det. Burns.
“Someone’s got to know something. They got to know something, I truly believe that. There’s too many people in that apartment to not know something, but I’m sure they were scared and hopefully after 3 years they won’t be scared no more and they’ll actually come forward,” said Gladieux.
The convicted sex offender who was jailed briefly in connection with the murders is now institutionalized.
There is a reward for information and you can remain anonymous.
Call Crime Stoppers 1-800-SPEAK-UP or Clinton Township Police at 586-493-7839. You can also email tips to detectivebureau@clintontownship-mi.gov.
If you have a story for Heather Catallo email her at hcatallo@wxyz.com or call 248-827-4473.
