Fort Worth mother asks for help nabbing her daughter’s killer

Every Sunday, Tijuana Terry cooked a meal for her mother. She also prepared food for her mom, Sharon Terry, on every holiday.

Those days ended with Tijuana Terry’s stabbing death in March.

Sharon Terry, other family members and friends appealed for help Thursday finding and arresting the killer.

“An animal did that to my daughter,” Sharon Terry said Thursday from her home as she sat with friends and family members. “She’s had her troubles, but she didn’t deserve to die that way.”

Family members and friends plan to post fliers on Saturday in the neighborhood where Tijuana Terry was found stabbed to death.

On the morning of March 31 just before noon, Tijuana Terry, 36, of Fort Worth drove to a convenience store on the city’s north side and never came back.

Family members believe she was driving her truck when she was stabbed more than 10 times while she fought off an attacker.

Several family members and friends voiced frustration Thursday with police and the investigation.

“A cousin of Tijuana got a surveillance video from a store near where she was found, and it showed my daughter was at that business just before she was killed,” Sharon Terry said. “We got the video and gave it to police. That video would have been deleted if we had not gotten it.”

Sharon Terry also noted that she was not allowed to view and identify her daughter’s body until April 2, two days after Tijuana Terry was found dead.

“It’s all been unprofessional,” Sharon Terry said.

Fort Worth police provided no other details on Thursday.

“We cannot even begin to imagine the pain and frustration that the family of Tijuana must be feeling,” Fort Worth Officer Brad Perez said Thursday in an email. “This investigation is ongoing and we will continue to follow up with any and all leads that we receive.”

Officials at the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office said they lack facilities for viewing.

“Arrangements have to be made with the funeral home,” medical examiner’s spokeswoman Carol Lawson said Thursday.

Cousin Lisa Terry of Fort Worth said that she talked to Tijuana Terry on March 30.

“She wasn’t nervous and didn’t mention about having any problems with anyone,” Lisa Terry said. “She would have told me.”

The store surveillance video shows a woman driving a truck that arrives at a convenience store near Azle Avenue on the morning of March 31. Family members identified the driver as Tijuana Terry.

Within seconds, a man jumps into the passenger side of the truck and the truck leaves about 10:45 a.m. Family members said the man was interviewed by police, but he was not arrested.

Tijuana Terry was pronounced dead at 11:33 a.m. March 31 in the 4900 block of Azle Avenue in the truck, which was in a grassy area near the street.

Anyone with information about the case should call Fort Worth police at 817-392-4330.

This story was originally published May 4, 2017 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Fort Worth mother asks for help nabbing her daughter’s killer."