On this day 30 years ago, 35 year old Tina Huston was found dead in her home at the Blue Gem Estates mobile home park.
Since that time, the search for the killer continues.
Her three children are still alive, and are still waiting for closure. The kids were 15, 14, and 12 when their mother was beaten and choked to death.Â
The anniversary has the emotions bubbling back up.
For days surrounding her death, Tina Huston was last seen by coworkers at convention center. The next day she was supposed to pick up two of her kids from her ex-husband.
"We drove by the house or the mobile home I should say, no signs, no activity, nothing," said Tracy Huston, Tina Huston's youngest child and daughter.
On October 30, deputies arrived to her home for a wellness check.
"They knocked on the door, but got no answer," said John Mercer, former KTVN Anchor and Reporter who did a story on this case 30 years ago. "Deputies then found an open window."
That's when investigators found her body, but 30 years later, there are still no answers as to what happened.
Tina Huston's children said it's a moment in time they'll never forget.
"Right after we were told my mom was dead, like, they insisted on interviewing us in the middle of the night," Theresa Huston said. "Like, why would you do that to a 12 year old, a 14 year old, a 15 year old? They just made it more traumatizing for us when we were that age."
Now, sights are set on getting justice.
"We're just looking for closure really," said Will Huston, Tina Huston's oldest child and son.
Will Huston, was in high school when the killing happened. He was living in northern California with his father after the divorce.
It had been more than a year since the split up.
The father was questioned about the crime.
"As far as like we've ever been told, as far as the evidence has ever led to, there's no reason for us to think that he had anything to do with her death,"Â
All three still have a relationship with him. Theresa Huston says she believes he was the only suspect in the case.
Will Huston says that everyone in the family has their own speculations on who could have done it.
We reached out to the Washoe County Sheriff's Office. Our requests for interviews and a public records request were all denied saying it's an "ongoing investigation."
However, one retired detective said this one that's difficult to crack.
"All of these people, all of these cases live with me," said Tom Green, retired Chief Deputy, Washoe County Sheriff's Office.
Green wasn't one of the initial detectives on the case. He started looking into it years after it happened, but he did have access to the detectives to get a feel for the case.
He set out to organize 34 unsolved murders at the time in the early 2000's, but this case in particular stuck out.
"When I say it was horrific it was really horrific and one of the worst things I've seen as a detective and so that's always stuck with me," he said.
Green says multiple detectives worked this case over that span. He adds that as time goes on it becomes harder to solve.
"They're exponentially harder because memories fade, people die, people move, you know people's loyalties change," Green said.
Information as to what happened is hard to come by, but the retired detective thinks there's someone out there who could turn the tide.
"I truly believe that there's someone out there that has information that would be vital to solving this case," Green said.Â
So far, no neighbors have come out saying they saw or heard anything.
"It's just hard to imagine that there's all those neighbors there and no one saw anything at the time," Theresa Huston said. "It was a brutal, violent murder and how did no one hear anything or see anything?"
The Huston family says they will continue to share stories of their mother.
"I have a young six-year-old child since my child came along like you know preserving her memory became really important to me like I don't want my son not to know his grandma." Theresa Huston said.
The three say things have gotten easier over time, but the emotions do sting.
"It's not as hard as it was that long ago, but there's days every few years that really, really hits hard," Will Huston said.
Tracy Huston wishes one thing had gone differently the last time she saw her mother.
"I think I was frustrated that she was making me go out to my dad's for that weekend so that she could work the convention center, get some extra money," she said. "And I don't remember saying that I loved her that last time."
If you know any details about this case or were in the Blue Gem Estates mobile home park area around October 28 to 30, 1995, please call Secret Witness at (775) 322-4900.
