Task Force Discovers Missing Woman Is Alive Acting On Tips From Relatives, Police Find Her Staying At Spokane Motel

Fri., Oct. 16, 1998

By Adam Lynn adaml@spokesman.com

A woman reported missing Wednesday by Spokane’s serial killer task force has been found alive.

Relatives of Tina Marie Gray called the task force after seeing media accounts of her disappearance to say she is all right, sheriff’s Capt. Doug Silver said Thursday.

Detectives tracked her to a motel in Spokane, said Silver, a co-commander of the task force.

“This is the best possible example of the sheriff’s office using community resources to garner information that would have otherwise tied up several detectives for a lot of hours,” Silver said in a written statement.

The task force appealed for information on Gray’s whereabouts after a friend said she hadn’t seen Gray since the 20-year-old woman climbed into a black and brown pickup near Sprague and Division last week.

Task force investigators spent five days looking for her or her relatives but came up empty handed.

Detectives were concerned about Gray because she lives a lifestyle similar to that of the victims attributed to Spokane’s serial killer. Many of them worked as prostitutes and used illegal drugs.

Gray has been arrested on prostitution and drug charges in Spokane.

Task force detectives believe nine women - eight in Spokane and one in Tacoma - have been killed by the same person since last November.

Most of the victims were shot, stripped and dumped in out-of-the-way places. One of the women - Melody Murfin - is presumed dead even though her body has not been found.

This sidebar appeared with the story: Information Anyone with information about the serial killer cases is asked to call Crime Check at 456-2233 or toll-free at (888) 211-4980.

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