Episode 33 - The Disappearance and Presumed Murder of Tammy Lynn Leppert

Today we’re journeying to a sun-drenched Florida beach town in the late 1970s, where the disappearance of a vibrant young woman shattered a community’s idyllic facade and sparked a search that has endured for over four decades. We’re diving into the 1979 disappearance of Tammy Lynn Leppert, an 18-year-old from Cocoa Beach, Florida, who vanished after leaving her home for a supposed meeting, leaving behind a trail of fragmented clues and a case that remains proofless due to the absence of her body and unanswered questions about her fate. This is a story of a talented teen with big dreams, a moment of vulnerability, and a family’s unyielding fight for the truth. So, settle in for an exhaustive exploration of a mystery that continues to haunt and compel.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:18):
Welcome to the thirty third episode of Proofless, where we
plunge into the depths of America's unsolved mysteries, cases that
linger in the shadows, defying investigators and leaving families with
questions that resonate across generations. I'm your host, Anna Burger,
and today we're journeying to a sun drenched Florida beachtown
in the late nineteen seventies, where the disappearance of a

(00:41):
vibrant young woman shattered a community's idyllic facade and sparked
a search that has endured for over four decades. We're
diving into the nineteen seventy nine disappearance of Tamulin Leppert,
an eighteen year old from Coco Beach, Florida, who vanished
after leaving her home for a supposed meeting, leaving behind
a trail of fragmented clues and a case that remains

(01:02):
proofless due to the absence of her body and unanswered
questions about her fate. This is a story of a
talented teen with big dreams, a moment of vulnerability, and
a family's unyielding fight for the truth. So settle in
for an exhaustive exploration of a mystery that continues to
haunt and compel. Let's set the scene. It's July nineteen
seventy nine in Coco Beach, Florida, a coastal city of

(01:25):
about ten thousand people on the Space Coast fifty miles
east of Orlando. Known for its sandy beaches, surf shops,
and proximity to the Kennedy Space Center, Coco Beach is
a vibrant mix of tourist bustle and small town charm.
The A n A Highway runs through the heart of
the city, lined with motels, diners, and the iconic Ron

(01:46):
John surf shop, while the Banana River and Atlantic Ocean
frame its laid back lifestyle. Residents gather for rocket launches,
beach bonfires, and community events at Shepherd Park. Tamulin Leppart
is an eight teen year old recent graduate of Coco
Beach High School. A charismatic young woman with a radiant presence.

(02:06):
Born on February fifth, nineteen sixty one to Linda and
Richard Leppert, Tammy is the youngest of three siblings, with
an older brother, Stephen twenty two and sister Suzanne twenty
With her long blonde hair, blue eyes, and five four
athletic frame. Tammy is a rising star in local beauty pageants,
a talented dancer, and an aspiring actress or model dreaming

(02:29):
of a career in Hollywood. The Leopert family is a
cornerstone of Cocoa Beach. Richard, a real estate agent, and Linda,
a talent agent who runs a small modeling agency. Raised
their children in a two story home on Minute Men
Causeway overlooking the Banana River. Tammy, nicknamed Tams by her siblings,
is the family's spark, often seen practicing dance routines in

(02:52):
the backyard or filming homemade movies with her Super eight camera.
At school, she was a cheerleader, a drama club stand out,
and a regular in local pageants, winning Miss Cocoa Beach
in nineteen than seventy eight. She works part time at
a surf shop on a one a saving for acting
classes in Los Angeles, and spends weekends surfing at Cocoa

(03:13):
Beach Pier or hanging out with friends at the Glass
Bank Building's arcade. Friends describe her as ambitious but grounded.
She loves the spotlight, but always calls home if running late.
In early nineteen seventy nine, Tammy lands a small role
in a low budget film shot in Miami, fueling her
Hollywood dreams, though she's recently become anxious, confiding in her

(03:36):
friend Debbie about weird vibes from someone in the industry.
On the morning of July sixth, nineteen seventy nine, Cocoa
Beach is sunny and humid, with temperatures in the high
eighties and a salty breeze from the Atlantic. Tammy tells
Linda she's meeting a friend at a nearby diner on
a one A to discuss a modeling gig, a vague

(03:56):
plan that raises no immediate concern. Dressed in a red
sun dress, white sandals, and a silver bracelet, Tammy carries
a small purse with her wallet, keys, and a pack
of Benson and Hedges cigarettes. She leaves her car a
white nineteen seventy seven dots in to eighty Z at home,
saying her friend will pick her up. Around eleven thirty

(04:17):
a m A neighbor sees Tammy walking along Minuteman Causeway
toward A one A, appearing cheerful. Another witness, a cashier
at a seven eleven on a one A, reports seeing
Tammy around noon, buying a soda and chatting briefly. This
is the last confirmed sighting of Tammy Lynn Leppert. When
she doesn't return by three p m, Linda calls her friends,

(04:39):
including Debbie, who says no meeting was planned. At five
p m, Richard searches A one A, finding no trace.
At seven p m, the Leopards report Tammy missing to
the Cocoa Beach Police Department CBPD. The CBPD, led by
Detective John Carter, responds quickly given Tammy's age and local prominence.

(05:00):
Officers search the Leopert home, finding no signs of forced entry,
but note Tammy's room is untouched. Her script notes and
pageant Tiara remain on her desk. Volunteers, neighbors, classmates, and
pageant community members comb A one A, nearby beaches and
the Banana River banks while divers check the water. On

(05:21):
July seventh, a surfer finds Tammy's sandal strap broken in
a parking lot near the Glass bank on A one A,
about a quarter mile from the seven eleven. The sandal,
identified by Linda, is sent for analysis, revealing no blood
or DNA, only sand and asphalt traces. On July eighth,
a jogger finds Tammy's purse zipper torn in a ditch

(05:42):
off State Road five, twenty a mile from the sandal.
The purse contains her keys, but no wallet or cigarettes.
The findes escalate the case to a suspected abduction, and
the CBPD sets up a command post at the Cocoa
Beach City Hall. The investigation zeros in on Tammy's last
night movements. The seven eleven cashier confirmed she was alone,

(06:03):
appearing relaxed, and left around twelve oh five pm. The
neighbour's eleven thirty am sighting suggests she was heading toward
A one A, possibly to meet someone. A third witness,
a lifeguard at Coco Beach Peer, reports seeing a woman
resembling Tammy around twelve thirty pm near a dark green
sedan talking to a man described as thirty forty years old,

(06:24):
five and eleven in with short, dark hair and a mustache,
but the distance obscures details. The CBPD interviews Debbie, who
mentions Tammy's recent anxiety about a creepy guy from her
film shoot, possibly a crew member who made inappropriate comments.
Richard and Linda Distraught provide photos Tammy and her Miss

(06:44):
Coco Beach sash, offering a five thousand dollars reward, later
raised to fifty thousand dollars with donations from local businesses.
The case grips Cocoa Beach, dominating Florida Today and WESH TV.
The leopards appear on Good Morning America and The Today
sh Show, sparking national coverage on CBS Evening News tips
flood in a motel clerk reports seeing a girl like

(07:07):
Tammy and Daytona Beach. A trucker claims the sighting in Miami.
None are verified. The FBI joins, given the possibility of
interstate travel along Florida's coast, setting up a task force
with the CBPD. They analyze a partial tire track near
the purse, matching a common goodyear tread, but it's inconclusive.
Cadaver dogs alert to ascent in the State Road five

(07:30):
twenty ditch, but digging uncovers only trash. The investigation targets
local men with criminal histories. A local drifter, James Jimmy
Ray Thompson thirty five, a former film extra with a
nineteen seventy six arrest for assault, becomes a suspect Thompson,
matching the sedanman's description, was seen near a na that day.

(07:50):
Questioned on July twelfth, he claims he was fishing at
the pier, but his alibi lacks witnesses. A search of
his apartment finds a camera and women's clothing, but no
link to Tammy. He fails a polygraph sighting nerves, but
is released. Another suspect, Robert Bobby Lee Harris twenty nine,
a bartender at a Cocoa Beach club, was spotted near

(08:13):
State Road five. Twenty. Harris, with a nineteen seventy seven
arrest for theft, drives a green Ford Falcon, but a
search finds no evidence, and his alibi working a shift
is verified. A third lead points to a transient Michael
Mike Evans, known for loitering near the pier. Evans, seen
on A and A, provides no clear alibi, but is released.

(08:35):
Theories about Tammy's fate multiply, each clouded by uncertainty. The
primary hypothesis is that she was abducted by a stranger
while walking to the diner, possibly assaulted and killed. The
sandal person scent suggests a struggle, with her body hidden,
perhaps in the Atlantic Ocean, a landfill, or the Merritt
Island National Wildlife Refuge ten miles away. A nineteen eighty

(08:56):
search of a Brevard County dump prompted by a tip
about suspicious bags, yields nothing. Another theory posits a targeted
attack linked to her film or pageant work. Tammy's anxiety
about the creepy guy suggests someone in the industry may
have targeted her, possibly a producer or crew member. The
CBPD investigates the Miami film crew, but all members have alibis.

(09:20):
A third theory, fueled by Coco Beach's tourist traffic, suggests
a trafficking ring given reports of missing women in Florida.
A nineteen seventy nine FBI report notes trafficking activity in Miami,
but no evidence links Tammy. A fringe theory speculates she
ran away to pursue acting, but her close family ties
and lack of bank withdrawals dismiss this. The Leopards become tireless, advocates.

(09:44):
Richard takes a second mortgage to fun searches, while Linda
distributes flyers at Coco Beach Pier and Ron John's surf shop.
They appear on unsolved mysteries and America's Most Wanted, sharing
Tammy's pageant photos and offering a one hundred thousand dollars
reward by nineteen gundin TI. In nineteen eighty they found
the Tammy Leppert Foundation, supporting missing persons cases and youth

(10:07):
safety programs. The emotional toll is profound. Richard battles insomnia,
Linda keeps Tammy's room intact with her camera, and Stephen
and Suzanne struggle with guilt for not driving her. Annual
vigils at First Baptist Church draw hundreds lighting candles for Tammy.
The investigation sees renewed efforts. In nineteen eighty six, Detective

(10:28):
Laura Bennett reopens the case, reinterviewing Thompson, Harris, and Evans. Thompson,
now in jail for a nineteen eighty four robbery, denies
involvement but fails another polygraph. In nineteen ninety, Tip leads
to a search of the Banana River after a fisherman
reports a submerged bag, but divers find debris. In two
thousand five, the CBPD uses DNA technology to retest the

(10:52):
sandal in purse, but degradation yields no profiles. The Cold
Case Unit links Tammy's case to other missing women in Florida,
including a nineteen seventy eight case in Daytona Beach, suggesting
a possible serial predator. In twenty seventeen, a podcast Space
Coast Shadows explores the case, gaining six million downloads by
twenty twenty five and prompting a twenty eighteen tip about

(11:15):
a man confessing to a friend about hiding a girl.
In nineteen seventy nine, The man deceased is ruled out,
the case reshapes Cocoa Beach, a n A gets street lights,
and schools mandate safety escorts. The Leopard Foundation supports fifteen
missing persons cases, and Linda testifies before Florida's legislature in
nineteen eighty one advocating for a state missing person's database,

(11:39):
enacted in nineteen eighty four. Online reddits are Unsolved Mysteries
and ex posts debate the serial killer theory, citing similar cases.
A two ninety twenty four tip about a body in
the Merritt Island refuge prompts a search, but only animal
remains are found. Forensic advances like ground penetry radar offer hope,

(12:02):
but Without Tammy's body, the case stalls. The proofless nature
lies in the unknowns. Was Tammy taken by a stranger,
a film industry contact, or a trafficking ring, Linda, now
in her seventies, tells Florida Today in twenty twenty five.
Tammy's out there waiting for us. The Leopards keep her pageant, sash,

(12:22):
and camera a testament to a truth still elusive. That's
all for the thirty third episode of Proofless. Tammy Leppert's
disappearance is a tragedy that shook a beach town and
exposed the fragility of dreams. If you have information, contact
the Cocoa Beach Police Department or visit Tammy Leppert Foundation
dot org. Share your thoughts on our website or social media,

(12:45):
and join us next time for another journey into the unknown.
Until then, keep searching for answers. It