Account
Dec 12, 2008
Dec 21, 2023
Gina
Hall
62
18
60 inches
White / Caucasian
Female
On a summer night in 1980, 18-year-old Gina Renee Hall, a freshman at Radford University, ventured out for a night of dancing to celebrate the end of her exams. She was last seen on June 28, 1980, leaving a nightclub in Blacksburg, Virginia, in the company of a man named Stephen Epperly. The two traveled to a cabin at Claytor Lake in Pulaski County. In the early hours of the morning, Gina made a call to her sister, sounding nervous, and said she would be home later that day. That was the last time anyone heard from her. When she failed to return home, her sister reported her missing, sparking an investigation into her sudden and troubling disappearance. The investigation quickly focused on Stephen Epperly, who initially claimed he had dropped Gina off after they left the lake house. However, the evidence began to tell a different story. Gina's sister's car, which she had been driving, was found abandoned near a railroad trestle over the New River. The driver's seat was pushed far back, inconsistent with Gina's petite stature. Inside the trunk, investigators discovered bloodstains matching Gina's blood type and hairs consistent with hers. A search of the cabin at Claytor Lake revealed further disturbing evidence, including bloodstains and signs that someone had attempted to clean the scene. A bloodstained towel found near the abandoned car contained fibers that matched the carpet in the cabin. Despite the mounting circumstantial evidence, Gina's body was nowhere to be found. In a landmark legal case for the state of Virginia, Stephen Epperly was charged with Gina Hall's murder. The prosecution built its case entirely on circumstantial evidence, as there was no body, no confession, and no eyewitnesses to the crime. Prosecutors theorized that Epperly had killed Gina after she rejected his sexual advances. In December 1980, a jury found Stephen Epperly guilty of first-degree murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison. This was the first time in Virginia's history that a murder conviction was secured without the victim's body. For decades, Gina's family continued to search for her remains, hoping to one day bring her home for a proper burial. In a significant development years later, partial remains were discovered in 2016 and were positively identified as Gina Renee Hall in July 2020 through DNA comparison. The case remains a poignant example of the pursuit of justice in the face of incredible challenges, highlighting the enduring pain of a family's loss and the unwavering efforts to find answers.
Jun 28, 1980
Radford
Virginia
Radford City
Radford
No
20124
Radford City Police Department
Radford
Virginia
Radford City
24141
20 Robertson Street, Virginia
5407313624
Local
Law Enforcement
Radford City Police Department
Brown
Unknown
Unknown
Yes
05/29/2026
