Family tries to crack cold case

TAMPA - A cold case is brought to life. Tracey McClelland, a mother of three, was murdered two years ago in Tampa. Her killer is still on the loose. Family and friends have not given up hope.

One by one they hit the streets looking for answers. Hundreds of fliers were passed throughout a Tampa neighborhood.

The search for Tracey McClelland’s killer is underway through the efforts of her family and friends.

“Anything that we can do to help the police officers and the detectives in this case, we’re willing to help them. We don’t want to interfere with their case but we’re willing to do whatever it takes to solve this case,” said Lisa McClelland Whidden, Tracey’s sister.

It’s an investigation nearly two years in the making. McClelland, a college graduate and mother of three, would have been 39 this year. Police say she turned to drugs after a tragic death in the family.

Detectives believe she frequented Six Mile Creek, the area along East Columbus Drive, West of 50th.

McClelland’s life came to a violent end when someone found her body behind a business.

“We’re hoping, we’re praying that we have closure. And basically closure would help us, in one counseling to deal with the circumstance itself, but have closure to the case,” said Whidden.

To help with that, several volunteers are joining the effort.

“We basically decided that the resources here in Tampa, unfortunately, are stretched a little too thin. We got only one police officer working cold cases,” said Peter Jaug, one of a handful of volunteers.

“It’s wrong for anything like that to happen in your community. You want to know if you have a sick person running around out there, you want him of the street,” said Isaac Valdez, while distributing fliers.

Police say someone in the area may have seen her killer or has important information in the case. Without their help, the killer could go free.

McClelland’s body was found buried in a shallow grave and officials say she died from upper body trauma.

If you have any information about the case, contact the Tampa Police Department at (813) 276-3571.