NASHVILE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The family of Gail Elizabeth Norris is speaking out after 45 years, hoping to finally get the answers they’ve been searching for since her tragic death in 1979.
Gail was found stabbed to death in Nashville, and her murder remains unsolved to this day. The case, one of hundreds of cold cases in the city, continues to haunt her loved ones.
“It’s very important. I mean, it would help us close this case,” said her sister Pamela.
Though the area near St. Cecilia Convent in Nashville appears peaceful on this spring day in 2025, it was the scene of a grisly crime during the summer of 1979. The murder of 21-year-old Gail Norris shocked the community, and her sisters still carry the weight of uncertainty and grief.
“It's something, even though I was quite young, it's been kind of troubling to think that someone that is walking amongst us, you know, ended the life of our sister, and we have no clue as to who that person is,” Pamela said.
Pamela, along with their sister Shirl, remembers Gail as a kind and loving individual who kept to herself.
“Gail was very, very loving. She was quiet; she kind of stayed to herself. She wouldn't hurt anyone. That’s what has always been a shock to us. Who would want to hurt her in that manner? That was just not her personality.”
On August 6, 1979, Gail’s body was discovered off the side of the road near the St. Cecilia Convent at 8th Avenue North and Clay Street. A utility worker had come across her lifeless form in a grassy area. The discovery also revealed a Temtex Products insurance pamphlet near the scene.
Gail was last seen at a friend’s apartment in the 4000 block of Albion before her life was violently cut short.
Her death has been one of the many unsolved cases that have left families without closure.
“This would help—it would help close this case, relieve the stress and the fear from us that someone is still out there,” said Pamela, hoping to finally put the pieces of the puzzle together. “It would help our niece too, to close some things in her life, especially the death of her mom, whom she never got to meet.”
Gail’s case, like so many others, has been highlighted on the Metro Nashville Police Department’s newly launched cold case website, which aims to bring attention to these long-unsolved crimes.
Yet, despite efforts to gather new leads, details surrounding the murder remain limited.
For Gail’s family, the pain of not knowing who is responsible continues to weigh heavily.
“What was in your mind? What did she do to make you commit this crime against her, take her life?” the sisters asked.
The family is urging anyone with information about Gail’s death to come forward. If you have any details that could help solve this case, please contact the Cold Case Homicide Unit at MNPDColdCase@nashville.gov.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at kelsey.gibbs@newchannel5.com
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