Tammy Eleene Salyer was 18 when she was killed on Interstate 81 near Bristol, Virginia, in the early hours of February 28, 1990. She had been driving a 1989 Chevrolet Sprint home from work as an assistant manager at a Burger King. Responding officers found her car crossed the median and stopped against a fence with the engine running; Salyer was in the driver’s seat with a single gunshot wound to the head. Investigators later determined a bullet had been fired through the driver’s side window, and a casing was recovered in the backseat.

More than 150 interviews were conducted but no arrests were ever made. Police considered multiple theories, including that the shooter might be linked to similar highway shootings in other states; a non-fatal shooting on I-81 the same night was reported. The investigation eventually went cold, hampered by limited physical evidence and the passage of time, but the Bristol Police Department keeps the case open and periodically reviews the files.

If anyone remembers unusual activity on I-81 that night or has information about drivers or vehicles seen near the scene, please come forward.