Susan Tucker was 44 and a writer when she was found murdered in her Fairlington condominium in Arlington, Virginia. The discovery was made December 1, 1987, though investigators believe the killing occurred on or about November 27. Tucker had been raped and strangled with a ligature, and the scene resembled other recent slayings in the Richmond and Arlington areas that autumn, prompting concerns about a serial offender the press called the Southside Strangler.

Police identified 25-year-old Richmond resident Timothy Wilson Spencer as a suspect; he had been in the Arlington area for Thanksgiving, visiting his mother about a mile from Tucker’s home. Spencer was arrested January 20, 1988. His trial for Tucker’s murder began July 11, 1988, and was among the earliest in the United States to use DNA evidence in a capital murder prosecution. The DNA presented at trial linked Spencer to the crime scene; he was convicted of rape, burglary, and capital murder and sentenced to death.

Anyone who knew Susan Tucker, lived in Fairlington in late 1987, or has information about her killing is asked to share what they remember.