CASTLE HOT SPRINGS, AZ — In this episode of Arizona's Coldest Cases, we look into the murder of 24-year-old Lisa Marie Wingo. January marks 35 years since her body was found in the desert.
Our true crime series host, Ashley Paredez, has been working with the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office over the past year to receive exclusive information, documents, and pictures from the case file. This episode features interviews with YCSO Commander Tom Boelts and Investigator Theresa Higdon, who go over key details in the investigation from 1989 to now.
Watch this full episode of Arizona's Coldest Cases in the player above.
"Her daughter has three children who never knew their biological grandmother. She did not deserve the demise that she got," said Investigator Higdon.
Wingo grew up in Chicago but was living in Phoenix with a roommate in 1989. She was a young mother who was estranged from her husband. Investigators said she worked as a waitress at Shanty's Fish & Chips in Glendale. Since she had no transportation, she would typically ride two buses to get there. But Wingo was also known to ask for rides from friends, acquaintances, and people she didn't know.
"We're still working on it, but this is a difficult one because of those relationships, because of that lifestyle. It just expands your pool of suspects," said Commander Boelts.
Investigators said she was last seen on Jan. 9, 1989, as she was leaving for work. Her roommate filed a missing person report after she failed to return home. It was several days later when hunters discovered her body on the side of a dirt road, lying underneath a tree, in the Castle Hot Springs area northwest of Lake Pleasant.
Investigators interviewed bus drivers in the area who said they did not see Wingo on the day of her disappearance. Acquaintances were also interviewed but did not turn up any results. Since Wingo's murder, no arrests have been made.
We're told the case is more difficult than others as she had a large social circle.
One key piece of evidence was hair found on Wingo's clothing. YCSO recently sent DNA to a lab for genealogical testing, hoping that will bring them closer to a suspect.
If you have any information regarding Wingo's murder, you can submit an anonymous tip to Yavapai Silent Witness: 1-800-932-3232.
Watch previous episodes of Arizona's Coldest Cases in the player below:
