In 1988, eight-year-old April Tinsley disappeared during a short walk through her Fort Wayne neighborhood. Days later, she was found murdered.

For decades, the killer taunted investigators in various ways. Despite DNA evidence, witness sketches, FBI profilers, and hundreds of leads, the man responsible remained hidden in plain sight.

Thirty years later, this horrific monster was finally brought to justice. 

This is the story of April Tinsley.

SOURCES

• Wikipedia — Murder of April Tinsley
• FBI.gov — Tinsley Killer Profile (primary BAU profile, May 19, 2009)
• FBI.gov — April Tinsley Murder, Parts 1, 2 & 3 (archived, 2009)
• Time Magazine — probable cause affidavit reporting, July 2018
• CNN — case coverage, June 2009 & July 2018
• NBC News — sentencing coverage, December 2018
• WANE-TV (Fort Wayne) — detective interview, January 2019; sentencing coverage, December 2018; Miller death, September 2025
• WTHR (Indianapolis) — genealogy break reporting, July 2018
• ABC News — arrest coverage, July 2018
• CBS News — case coverage
• Inside Edition — abduction and arrest coverage
• The Burr Magazine (Kent State) — Everett Shull sourcing, citing Crime Junkie interview with Janet Tinsley
• Casefile True Crime Podcast — Everett Shull detail, Miller post-confession statements
• True Crime Edition — FBI profile excerpt, case timeline
• Parabon NanoLabs — DNA Snapshot composite releases, 2015 & 2016
• America's Most Wanted — Season 22, Episode 29 (2009 segment)