Tammy Annette Cloninger, a 40-year-old woman from Hickory, North Carolina, was shot and killed behind a home on 11th Street Northwest on February 15, 2016. She was taken to Frye Regional Medical Center and later died of her injuries.

Police arrested 35-year-old James Willard Thacker and charged him with second-degree murder in connection with Tammy’s death. After spending about three and a half years in jail, Thacker pleaded guilty at trial. The Honorable Karen Eady-Williams sentenced him to 21 to 26 years in prison; during the hearing Thacker apologized to Tammy’s family and said he wished it had been him instead. Tammy’s father, Steve Cloninger, and her brother, Tony Cloninger, addressed the court about the loss of a daughter, sister, and mother and the toll the years since her death have taken.

Lt. Justin Levey of the Hickory Police Department led the investigation, and Assistant District Attorney Melanie Earles prosecuted the case for the state. Does anyone have memories of Tammy or information about the events on 11th Street Northwest that could add to the record?