Has there been any recent developments on this case? I know at this point it's probably been around 30 years...

Has there been any recent developments on this case? I know at this point it's probably been around 30 years...

I can't recall the names, but I think there is a strong suspect. Its believed to be a man who died in prison in 1994, only a couple years after Heather's murder. He was in prison for unrelated crimes and supposedly had a drug overdose. I don't remember the details or why they thought it might have been him.

Know that isn't much help but will research the case again first chance I get.

Officially it's still unsolved but I think it's pretty obvious that "Tom Johnson" was Tom Steeples. He already committed a similar double murder, was a computer company owner, and was also from Nashville.

I can't recall the names, but I think there is a strong suspect. Its believed to be a man who died in prison in 1994, only a couple years after Heather's murder. He was in prison for unrelated crimes and supposedly had a drug overdose. I don't remember the details or why they thought it might have been him.

Know that isn't much help but will research the case again first chance I get.

I believe it was mostly due to this forum or Websleuths-somebody noticed the amazing similarity between the photo-fit & Tom Steeples, the similar devious nature of his other crimes & that he owned a computer company in Nashville-so had the motive to steal the computer & the ability to sell it easily.

This article shows his life was a total mess at this point-it always was, but it really was totally out of control in the early 1990's.

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean/34122471/

Officially it's still unsolved but I think it's pretty obvious that "Tom Johnson" was Tom Steeples. He already committed a similar double murder, was a computer company owner, and was also from Nashville.


What has happened with this Tom Steeples than, and has anything been (legal-wise) followed up potentially with this old case?

What has happened with this Tom Steeples than, and has anything been (legal-wise) followed up potentially with this old case?

I don't have an exact link, but I am 99% sure Tom Steeples committed suicide in prison for unrelated charges, around 1994.

What has happened with this Tom Steeples than, and has anything been (legal-wise) followed up potentially with this old case?

He intentionally overdosed in jail a couple of years later after being convicted of murder. Guess if it was him that he didn't leave any DNA, or the police didn't bother collecting it, or retaining it if they did. This was 1992, so still pretty early in the days of that.

I believe it was mostly due to this forum or Websleuths-somebody noticed the amazing similarity between the photo-fit & Tom Steeples, the similar devious nature of his other crimes & that he owned a computer company in Nashville-so had the motive to steal the computer & the ability to sell it easily.

This article shows his life was a total mess at this point-it always was, but it really was totally out of control in the early 1990's.

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean/34122471/

Someone here made the Johnson/Steeples connection (in this thread (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=194339&highlight=tom+johnson&page=7))

https://i.ibb.co/5Mb3TT6/steeples.png

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/unsolvedmysteries/images/d/da/Tom_johnson.jpg/

I think this is the same guy.

This is from the UM Wiki on the case and answers my question why Jeremy couldn't identify Steeples:

Jeremy asked to view his photograph in a photo lineup; however, police did not do this because they did not consider Steeples a suspect at the time. They noted that he was much older than Johnson's suspected age. In July 1994, Steeples died of a drug overdose in prison without ever being officially connected to this case.

Jeremy later joined the Peace Corps as a telecommunications adviser. Tragically, he was killed in a car accident in Winburg, South Africa, on March 31, 1997; he was hit head-on by a driver who had apparently fallen asleep at the wheel. He was twenty-seven.

This is from the UM Wiki on the case and answers my question why Jeremy couldn't identify Steeples:

https://i.ibb.co/5Mb3TT6/steeples.png

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/unsolvedmysteries/images/d/da/Tom_johnson.jpg/

I think this is the same guy.

Why are his lips green? Green mist lol? Drugs? I never saw these pix of steeples before! The only pic of him i saw online was a decent pic, shaved, clean cut, combed hair. = that looked almost exactly like Tom Johnson sketch!!!!

This is from the UM Wiki on the case and answers my question why Jeremy couldn't identify Steeples:

I believe he was trying to hide his age/change his appearance somewhat somewhat with the glasses etc. Jeremy wanted to view him in a photo ID, but the cops refused his request, based on their belief about the age & as we have seen many times the cops beliefs are usually wrong.

I think if they had lined up 12 photos & not told him which one was Steeples, that he would have still picked out his photo, or singled it out as being highly similar.

This is from the UM Wiki on the case and answers my question why Jeremy couldn't identify Steeples:


​Re: Tom Steeples.. that couple he killed in Nashville were almost killed b4 by someone in Mexico who held 1 captive and the other asked his mom in usa for several thousand dollars, didnt notify police. This couple went to Mexico also for fame as a country singer. Years later this couple traveled from western USA to Nashville, again for fame as he wanted to sing, was a good singer too. This time Tom Steeples killed them both. I saw this on a TV true crime around 7 yrs ago.

Why are his lips green? Green mist lol? Drugs? I never saw these pix of steeples before! The only pic of him i saw online was a decent pic, shaved, clean cut, combed hair. = that looked almost exactly like Tom Johnson sketch!!!!

Looks like somebody photo-shopped the actual picture, where he has a mustache. https://skdb.fandom.com/wiki/STEEPLES_Thomas_E.

Why are his lips green? Green mist lol? Drugs? I never saw these pix of steeples before! The only pic of him i saw online was a decent pic, shaved, clean cut, combed hair. = that looked almost exactly like Tom Johnson sketch!!!!

If you look closely, the lips seem to have been cut and paste from the sketch.