Loretta Tinkham was reported missing on November 3, 1994, from the Peoria, Illinois area. Her disappearance was one of several in the region in the mid-1990s; investigators were also trying to account for Stephanie C. Gibson, Cheryl Murray, and Stacey Morrison.

Skeletal remains later recovered in a creek bottom near Edwards, Illinois were believed to be those of a female over age 18. Only the skull and some bones were found; the cause of death could not be determined and searches did not recover the rest of the skeleton. A forensic anthropologist developed a profile that could match up to eight missing women from Peoria, and detectives hoped to use dental records for identification.

Investigators linked several missing Peoria women to convicted killers, including Joseph Miller and Arlie Ray Davis, and believed four women who vanished in the mid-1990s, including Tinkham, may have been victims of Davis. It is unclear whether the Edwards remains were ever conclusively identified as Tinkham or whether any charges followed. Did anyone in the Peoria area have information about Loretta Tinkham’s last known movements or contacts?