WMRA : More News, Less Noise WEMC: The Valley's Home for Classical Music
Sponsor Message

In Charlottesville, Seeking Her Killer

Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio

Exactly five years after her murder, the family of Pherbia Tinsley is still searching for answers. WMRA’s Sefe Emokpae has more on their message from Charlottesville.

On Saturday, the family of 51-year-old Pherbia Tinsley gathered at Forest Hill Park in Charlottesville. Friday marked exactly five years since the grandmother, mother and daughter was found shot to death in a car on Prospect Avenue.

TELAMBRIA TINSLEY: Since then, I haven’t heard anything from the police or anyone. Everything's been at a standstill.

Telambria Tinsley is Pherbia’s daughter. With no new leads and no new information, she says she feels her mother’s unsolved case has been swept under the rug and forgotten. The Charlottesville Police Department has identified a person if interest in the case. He’s described as a light-skinned black male with a stocky and muscular build between 5’8” and 5’11”. He may also have a thin mustache, and beard with tattoos on both arms and hands… possibly of the letters “M” and “C.” Telambria Tinsley is pleading with the community to come forward with any information and to remember her mother for the woman she was.

TINSLEY: She didn't have any enemies and that's all I keep saying. If you knew her, you loved her. Anything you needed whether it was money or food or a ride or anything, it was yours. So that's another reason that I just don't understand. Why?

Police have asked anyone with information to call Crimestoppers at 434-977-4000.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Sefe Emokpae was a freelance journalist for WMRA from 2014 - 2017.