25 -year survey on the murder of Tina Rice Mcquoig in Jacksonville, Florida, still open

Rebecca Withers recalls the memories of her childhood friend Tina Rice Mcquoig with affection. “His parents came to our house and Tina would come,” he told Dateteline.

The girls were the same age and were called “sleep friends”.

“He would go to the lake house with us on the weekends,” said Rebecca.

Over time, friends have lost touch. Years later, purely by chance, Rebecca would have played a role in an attempt to help solve the mystery of her old friend.

Tina Rice Mcquoig was the last time on March 15, 2000, leaving her job in what was then known as Jacksonville Medical Center of Jacksonville, Florida. Since then the name has been changed to UF Health Jacksonville.

Tina, a mother of one of one 27 years old, was a pharmaceutical technician.

Dateteline spoke to Tina’s mother, Linda Rice, who remembers having heard the heartbreaking news that was missing from her daughter. “As I discovered, initially, it was that I received a phone call from her husband. He asked me if I heard from Tina. I said: “No.” He says: ‘Well, it’s not at home from work, and it’s 6:15. It is generally at home by 5:30, “he said.

“So we were all wake up all night waiting to see if he would show up, and he never did it,” Linda recalled. “We called the cops the next morning and came out.”

In one and -mail, the agent Max Morel of the Jacksonville sheriff office confirmed to Dateteline that Tina was reported dispersed by the family. “A bolus has been completed throughout the city (being looking) in which the agents are informed that Tina is a disappeared person. An image of Tina was also released to the public together with an image of its vehicle, “he wrote.

Four days passed without a sign of Tina.

But on March 19, the old friend Rebecca Withers took place on a clue. He had learned that Tina was missing from family members and knew he was looking for her and/or vehicle. He was going to Blockbuster when something attracted his attention in the parking lot of a shopping center. “It was his little silver car that I noticed first,” said Rebecca.

He retired to the parking lot to investigate. “His car was parked in front of the road, the main road,” said Rebecca. “He was not parked as if he were entering a shop or anything, he was just parked alone,” said Rebecca.

When it arrived in the car there were no sign of Tina. “I went to the trunk and screamed his name in the trunk,” said Rebecca. “I was, you know, I was just terrified that it was there it would be.” There was no answer.

Investigators were called on the scene, a Walmart on Normandy Boulevard. They found no sign of Tina in the vehicle.

“He had just disappeared,” said Rebecca. “It was just crazy. I couldn’t believe it. I felt like God guided me there. ”

“The vehicle was developed for tests and surveillance, if available during the period, would have been reviewed,” said Morel. He was unable to comment on what tests were found in the car.

Tina was dispersed for almost three years.

While waiting for the news of his daughter, Linda Rice tried to do everything possible to help other families to try her own pain. “During that period, I started an organization – a non -profit organization – for missing adults. (Tina) He was an adult. She was not a child, but she was my daughter, “Linda said. The organization, who is no longer active, was called the families of missing loved ones.

“I found four other families in Jacksonville who had a disappeared adult child. So one day we all gathered and met in the church on the corner of my house. We created our small organization, “Linda explained.” I was busy with that organization, which occupied my mind, and I was busy, so I didn’t focus so much on what was happening. ”

However, he hoped that Tina would be found safe. “Honestly I felt like it was still alive,” Linda said.

In December 2002, everything changed.

“We received a call from the police department,” we would like to go out and talk to you, “Linda recalled that they said. When they arrived, the police said some The remains had been found which could belong to Tina. According to agent Morel, the remains were found by a detection crew in a wooded area near Cecil Field, at the time a military base in Jacksonville, now known as Cecil airport. The location is located about 10 miles from Walmart where Tina’s car was found. The Duval County Medical Medical Office established that the way of death was “violence for murders”.

The results of DNA tests on the remains returned in March 2003. “The DNA is perfectly combined,” said Linda. “So this means that it was certainly my daughter. That was Tina. “

After three years, Linda was finally able to be grieved her daughter. “We had a small, small memorial for her because we knew then we found her,” Linda said. “We had about a hundred people who arrived at the service and we had it in the church in Normandy Boulevard, not too far from the cemetery. And then we went to the cemetery and made a small burial to the cemetery. ”

What they had not were answers.

On March 15, 2011, the eleventh anniversary of the disappearance of Tina, the justice coalition of the County of Duval and the office of the jacksonville sheriffs held a Press conference An announces an $ 5,000 reward for information that leads to “the arrest and condemnation of the person or responsible people” for the murder of Tina. “In this case, it’s not that we have no evidence,” said the sheriff at the moment. “We only have enough evidence to get a conviction.” He urged the community to reach the information, no matter how small. “It could be a small piece that leads to solving this crime,” he said. He also ensured Tina’s family that the investigation is in progress. “We will never stop working in this case,” he said.

Today, 25 years after the murder of Tina, the sheriff’s office confirms that all the leads have been exhausted in case. Someone will have to come forward with that only information if justice must be served.

Linda Rice is now 74 years old and a great -grandmother. Tina’s son, who was only 4 years old when his mother disappeared, now has a son of his own. “Tina would be a grandmother now, and it would be the best grandmother because she loves children,” Linda said to Dateline. “He was still a child, you know, and he doesn’t even remember her. But he knows he has a mom. He knows he’s supervising him. “

If you have some information that can help in Tina Mcquoig, contact the Jacksonville sheriff’s office at 904-630-0500. You can also send an e-mail to [email protected] or contact Crimestoppers at 1-866-845-Tips.

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