NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A young mother was found murdered inside her South Nashville apartment, and almost 50 years later no one has been arrested for the crime.
Metro Police continue to investigate the cold case and are hoping some new tips from the public will help them provide answers for a grieving family.
Peggy Shipp, 25, grew up in Jasper, Alabama. She moved to Nashville to try and make it on her own. She loved to sing and was a backup singer for bands that performed across Nashville. She also worked at Vanderbilt University.
When she didn't show up for work on Feb. 9, 1976, and no one at her job could reach her, her supervisor called the manager of her apartment complex and asked for a welfare check. The manager of the Elysian Garden Apartments on Harding Place went to check Peggy's apartment and found her dead inside a downstairs bathroom and called Metro Police.
When Metro Police arrived on the scene around noon, they found Peggy had been shot in the head. There were also signs of a struggle in the apartment. However, no witnesses came forward to share information, and investigators weren't able to piece together what happened.
Now Metro Police detectives are asking anyone who was friends with Peggy or worked with her to share details about what was going on in her life in the days leading up to her death. They feel that piece of information may help them solve the puzzle of who killed her.
"I think there’s still some people around who may remember her," said Matthew Filter, a detective with the Metro Police Department's Cold Case-Homicide/Missing Persons unit who has been investigating the case since 2019. "We would really like to talk to them."
Peggy's son Jason Shipp was only 3 years old when his mother was killed. He said he doesn't have any memories of her, but has reconnected with her family in Alabama in recent years and been able to learn more about her.
"I've wondered all of my life what happened to her, and who did it," said Shipp. "I would like to know the truth. It would bring a lot of comfort to me, and I know it would bring a lot of comfort to the rest of the family too."
Jason also encouraged anyone who knew his mom to reach out to police.
"Maybe someone’s mother father or uncle told a story to a younger member of the family, and they might know something," said Jason Shipp.
"I think this case is very solvable," said Filter. "I think with assistance from the public I think we can definitely close this one out."
Anyone with information about Peggy Shipp's murder is asked to contact the Metro Police Department Cold Case Unit at 615-862-7329, or Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous.
