Tracey Neilson was described by those who knew her as vibrant, intelligent, and full of life. Born on January 5th, 1960, she grew up in Oklahoma and was pursuing her studies at Oklahoma State University. In August 1980, just five months before her death, she married Jeff Neilson, a medical student at the University of Oklahoma. The couple shared a modest apartment in the Jamestown Square complex on NW 10th Street in Moore, a quiet suburb south of Oklahoma City.
January 5th, 1981, was Tracey’s twenty-first birthday, but otherwise started out like any other day. She spent the morning running errands around Moore, including grocery shopping. Neighbors reported seeing her return home just before noon. She had plans to meet a friend for lunch that afternoon, but the friend canceled at the last minute. Throughout the day, several friends and family members tried calling to wish her a happy birthday, but the calls went unanswered after twelve p.m.
Jeff Neilson returned home around five p.m., bearing a birthday card and a bottle of perfume as gifts for his wife. He found the door unlocked and Tracey lying face-up on their blood-soaked bed. In shock, he ran to a neighbor’s house to call 911. Jeff was quickly ruled out as a suspect, as he had been attending classes all day.
Investigators believe Tracey was killed shortly after noon. There were no signs of forced entry into the apartment, suggesting she may have known her attacker or let them in willingly. Autopsy reports revealed she had been stabbed multiple times in the chest and neck, with her throat slit. No evidence of sexual assault was found, and nothing of value appeared to have been stolen from the home, leaving authorities puzzled about the motive.
The Moore Police Department initially responded to the murder, but the case was soon handed over to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI).
Several pieces of evidence were discovered at the scene, including a latent fingerprint that remains unmatched as of this writing. There was also the matter of Tracey’s personalized keychain, engraved with her name, which was missing from the apartment. Authorities believe the killer may have taken it as a trophy.
Additionally, a cable trouble ticket book was left in the apartment, with the last entry indicating work completed at the Neilson residence at eleven fifty-one a.m. on the day of the murder. The book contains unidentified initials, and despite efforts, the repair person has never been located. This could indicate the last person to see Tracey alive, or potentially the killer.
Early in the investigation, two composite drawings were released based on neighbors’ descriptions of a white male seen near the apartment around the time of the murder. However, this individual might have been the cable worker.
Initially, police believed Tracey was specifically targeted, but Jeff Neilson now suspects it may have been a random act. In 2015, the OSBI held a press conference releasing new details, including photos of the keychain and ticket book, in hopes of generating tips. Over the years, investigators have pursued more than 1,500 leads, but none have led to an arrest. As of 2025, the case is listed on the OSBI’s cold case files.
Crime Immemorial 