Evidence in Tinsley cold case released

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A crew from America’s Most Wanted was in Fort Wayne Monday to follow up on previous coverage of the 1988 April Tinsley murder case.

The show’s host, John Walsh, interviewed a current detective with the Fort Wayne Police Department along with retired detective sergeant Dan Camp who was one of two lead investigators in the case.

While taping the episode, FWPD revealed never-before-seen evidence found with Tinsley’s body.  According to police, a plastic Sears shopping bag was nearby carrying a sex toy.

Investigators said the object is unique in design and could be recognized by a former intimate partner of Tinsley’s killer.

GRAPHIC WARNING: Click here to see the uncensored picture of the sex toy

The evidence was kept quiet until 24-years later in case it could be used to easily prosecute a suspect who would know about the object’s existence exclusively.

On April 1, 1988, eight-year-old Tinsley left her friend's Fort Wayne house, never to be seen again. The young girl's body was found in a Dekalb County ditch, after someone molested and suffocated her.

Investigators think the killer could still be living in the area.

The America’s Most Wanted episode recorded Monday will air Friday at 9:00 p.m. on Lifetime.

NewsChannel 15 put together a video timeline of events surrounding the death of April Tinsley: