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A woman disappears the night after her son’s wedding and is found murdered.
CASE DETAILS In Reno, Nevada, 38-year-old Tim McClure lived with his mother Terri off and on throughout his twenties. Tim and his mother were often seen together at the slot machines or dining out. Even after Tim moved away, he remained close to his mom:
 Her son Tim was a prime suspect In 1983, Terri McClure was 62-years-old and living alone. She was thrilled when Tim called to tell her he was getting married. His wedding took place on Friday, January 14, 1983, in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The wedding party celebrated by doing a little gambling. Then at around 10 PM, Tim walked his mother to her car. She planned to drive straight home to Reno, which was about an hour away. The next evening, when Tim and his new bride stopped by to visit Terri, they noticed signs that she had not made it home:
 She had taken out a life insurance policy Tim called various family members and friends of his mother. Since no one had seen or heard from Terri, Tim called the police. Three days later, on Monday, January 17th, Terri McClure’s car was found in the parking lot of a Carson City casino. It was a half hour drive outside of Lake Tahoe. The keys were in the ignition, the doors were locked, and Terri was sitting upright in the front seat. She had been shot twice in the head. The day after they found the body, Carson City detectives questioned Tim. He was shocked when they asked him if he wanted to have an attorney present. It soon dawned on Tim that he was considered a suspect:
 Why did Tim fail a polygraph test? Tim told the police that on the night of his wedding, he walked his mother to her car and then returned to the casino. He said his wife was still gambling with her parents, so he gambled alone for two hours. He then rejoined her and they went out dancing until dawn. Tim also told the police that, two days before his mother’s body was discovered, he searched the main highway between Lake Tahoe and Reno. Detective Sergeant Burau of the Carson City Sheriff’s Office became suspicious when Tim said he was looking for Terri’s purse:
Tim also drove through the parking lots of the casinos along his mother’s route. According to Tim, he proceeded at a slow crawl through the lots of every casino except one:
It was the same casino parking lot was where Terri’s body was found two days later, on Monday, January 17th. Police estimated that Terri had been dead since Friday, the night of Tim’s wedding. Police were also puzzled by a call Tim made to cancel one of his mother’s credit cards. The credit card company said Tim made the call on the Friday before his mother had disappeared. However, Tim claimed he made the call on Monday the 17th, the day Terri’s body was found:
Investigators also discovered that, six months before Terri McClure was murdered, she had taken out a $10,000 insurance policy on her life. Tim and one of his sisters were named as co-beneficiaries:
On February 14, 1983, one month after their wedding, Detective Sergeant Burau asked Tim and his wife to take a polygraph test:
All the circumstantial evidence was eventually submitted to the Nevada D.A., but he deemed it insufficient to arrest Tim McClure. Eventually, Tim McClure was arrested for the murder of his mother. However, the D.A. ultimately decided not to prosecute. The case was dismissed “with prejudice.” Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season one with Robert Stack and season seven with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu. SUBMIT A TIP |
Ayman N.
Even the arguments in Favour of her son being innocent R so dubious!
JB
WTH does he gain from canceling credits regardless of which day? He gains nothing!!! Zero! It’s likely the call he placed was Monday and he was putting a stop on them because it’s reasonable to believe a robbery occurred for someone murdered at a casino!! Person who took the call could have made a mistake, people make them daily. His entire family said he loved his mother and friends also told police he would never harm her. All his own family and friends are liars? How reliable was polygraph tests in the 80s??? You can’t use them in court for a reason, cause they are NOT reliable, simply put. Is it a weird case… absolutely. No alibi for him or his wife is most interesting thing here but you need a murder weapon… did Tim own a gun? Did he have any gun shot residue on his hands or clothing or blood on his clothing, why does the police not address any of those obvious things before they accuse him of murder? There is a reason the prosecutor did not move forward and that is simple fact you have nothing to convict beyond reasonable doubt and no way you could put someone away without legit evidence. Failing a polygraph and your opinion he was strange, does not prove beyond a reasonable doubt, he murdered his mother. People grieve in there own ways as well, show me he owned a gun or had residue on his hands or that someone can prove he even purchased a gun and it matched the bullets fired into her head. Blowing someone brains out causes blood splatter and I heard nothing about whether he or his wife had clothing with any blood on it. I have not seen sh*t to convict this man of murder beyond reasonable doubt.
Scott
It is absolutely unbelievable how many people want to crucify someone on circumstantial evidence. 5K of life insurance money is not a motive. His mom not liking his wife is not a motive. The fact that he spent 2 hours away from his wife on their wedding night is weird and shows a less than ideal husband, but it does NOT make him a murderer and it’s astonishing how many of you choose to see him as such. There is no murder weapon, there’s no positive test for gun residue on his hands, and every “weird” answer he gave to the cops could’ve easily been seen as standard. They thought him looking for the purse was strange? Of course you could look for that because she may have been robbed. Sure it’s strange that the records show he called on Friday, but they’re handwritten records, so someone could’ve made a mistake, that alone is NOT evidence. Polygraphs are not accurate, they’re not admissible in court and to insinuate that someone should be arrested because they fail a polygraph shows how little you really understand about their reliability.
Did he kill his mom? I don’t know, but there isn’t NEARLY enough evidence to convict. As someone else said, it looks more like a robbery murder, but either way, there is nothing that actually links him to the crime. Get off your high horses and leave the man be.
Federal Farmer
All,
Take note, this case was dismissed WITH PREJUDICE. With prejudice means Tim can never be tried ever again. This tells me the government did something woefully unethical or there is another suspect (wife?) that came to light. Don’t forget, he was charged 9 years after the murder. What new evidence could have been unearthed in that time? (wife?). Regarding the credit card, what does Tim gain by cancelling her credit cards prior to the murder? What does he gain by going to Unsolved Mysteries 6 years after the murder? It could be Terry was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I can easily be convinced of Tim’s guilt but not based on this evidence. His wife’s polygraph showed deception on one question, did she know who murdered Terri? The below is an insightful podcast.
https://www.trailwentcold.com/2017/04/26/the-trail-went-cold-episode-32-terri-mcclure/
Flergal Timpany
No, “with prejudice” means that he CAN be prosecuted once sufficient evidence is found.
Goofy
You are confused, “with prejudice” means it cannot be filed again, it means it is without merit
ErikaLG
It can’t be tried ever again… with prejudice means its dismissed permanently. Google it.
Bill Blaski
So the DA arrested Tim and charged him with the murder of his mother. Then the choose not to prosecute and dismiss the case with prejudice? Maybe a prosecutor or criminal defense attorney can comment why this was done? Seems very strange to me what am I missing?
Cheri
So sad her son got away with killing his mother. Why don’t they go back and check DNA. The credit card person put the wrong date? That’s their job to put correct info. He was looking for her purse??? Failed polygraph. So much evidence…
Sara
No evidence.
D.
Plenty of evidence, they made an error during the prosecution and the case got tossed. I’ve lived in Carson City most all my life and know people involved with this case. Scott was one of the best Detectives I’ve ever met, and if he investigated someone, there was always something there.
Tim ran with a crowd that were not pillars of the community, quite the opposite In fact. The casinos he claimed to drive checking the parking lots of were right next door to each other and are very tiny, not what most people think like you see in Vegas. We’re talking parking lots that hold maybe 25-50 cars. His statements are also all over the place. Telling them he was driving looking for a purse when only the killer knew she was dead. Also, credit card companies are very accurate.
As someone who does investigations for a living, there are so many red flags with just his interview and mannerisms. Bottom line, he got away with murder
Linda Winch
Can’t convict some one because of red flags and mannerisms!
Becca
Does anyone know where Terri was laid to rest?
Jason
Why is it that some people being interviewed insist that THEY are the victim, instead of the ACTUAL victim. “Someone twisted the dates around and mixed up my words”, “during the polygraph, the chair felt like an electric chair, so hard and uncomfortable for me…”
Dude, your Mom’s dead and it’s all about YOU?? Dear God!
I don’t have any info for this case which is closed forever. Peace be with the family
Sara
Yes, his defense is all about him. Remember, when that was filmed, he was not charged yet. People actually have the constitutional right at a defense, whether it’s by a lawyer, themselves, or the combination of the two.
APN
Although he may potentially murdered his mother, I think people should realize that polygraph tests aren’t reliable evidence especially in 2018 when they are proven unreliable.
Jason
Right. At the same time, he remains the ONLY suspect and he can NEVER be charged with it again.
Annie
Very, very true. I don’t understand why they even mess with polygraph! I was a witness to a murder back in 2011. Police was giving everyone polygraph. Mine came back inconclusive! INCONCLUSIVE?! About what? All I did was repeat exactly what I saw, heard and WITNESSED, yet it came back inconclusive with a “hint” of deception. BS. Stop using those crap science. They’re worthless, time consuming and cost too.
DeadJustice
This guy is clearly 100% guilty. He was acting so shady in the segment. “Oh gee, my wife is gambling, I will move away as to not bother her.” “Oh gee that person must have mixed up days when I called” And he got away with it.
Sara
There is literally no evidence.
Patrick
This Tim guy has a perfect scenario for everything and to many coincidences to be innocent.
Jonathan Albertson
This is one of the most clear-cut cases of premeditated homicide I have ever seen. The district attorney must have been completely incompetent or perhaps held a grudge against old ladies to conclude that there wasn’t enough evidence to issue an arrest warrant for this douchebag. You can almost feel the lies permeating out of him as he tries to convey the utter BS he conjured up to cover murdering his own mother.
jason
Seriously. I couldn’t imagine seeing my mom in that situation. There’s no emotion at all coming from this guy. SUPER-weird
Sara
Clear cut with absolutely no evidence?
Peter Shlong
WHERE is HIS “evidence” that he gambled for two hours alone? And on your Wedding night? NOBODY was found to verify this 6’5″ long haired guy was even at the Casino. He’s full of excuses. First the polygraph made him nervous, then the Credit folks were wrong. He rode around looking in ALL the parking lots but chose NOT to look in the lot she was found in. Looks can be deceiving, as we witness murders, rapes, robberies stories on the local and national news daily. Just a week ago a white lady killed two cops, she was the quintessential American woman who had children. You’re either his wife, ex, or family member to be so in defense of him. A few days ago, a black kid killed his MOTHER because she wouldn’t buy him a virtual headset. You can find many stories of someone killing their mother. It happens. Either he killed her or he had someone else do it, which would explain why he didn’t look in the lot where she was found, he didn’t want to see the mess that used to be his mother.
L Fitz
I did Terri’s hair the day of the wedding, I owned an operated the beauty salon, downstairs in the Nugget Casino..She told me she was going to her son’s wedding at Lake Tahoe, mainly to keep peace in the Family…..she wasn’t happy with her sons choice in women, especially his wife to be…..She said she better go he’s probably going to need money, an laughed, but, she said he just might be surprised…some changes were coming……I wished her well and told her to be careful on the road to Tahoe………..Later, I did the woman’s hair who did the re-enactment of the case……..I thought about the son right away and perhaps I should have come forward….I think she was killed at Lake Tahoe and then brought to the Carson Casino, because someone would have heard the shots…motels are located all across the back of the Parking lot……..Rest in peace Terri….I only knew you briefly…but a lot can be told while getting your hair done………
michaeljwise@yahoo.com
Oh wow, it is nice to hear from you. If you would like to get a copy of the segment, I can send one to you, please e-mail me. Maybe there is something in there that would jog your memory.
Toni Kells, AMFT,LAADC
L Fitz,
My name is Toni Kells and I am Terri’s granddaughter. Can you please reach out to me? I would love to talk to you about my grandmother.
I appreciate your post. tonikells@gmail.com
Johnny
Wish they could solve this case. No doubt Tim a good suspect here but a robbery murder sounds more likely. Tim had a strong relationship with his mother and can see no motive for killing her. The UM fans have been vocal on this case and have posited a few intelligent theories. It’s been over 30+ years since Terri was murdered. I think a Cold Case Squad in Nevada with fresh eyes and a fresh look could solve this mystery. Justice for Terri I think should be most important.
Sharon MT
Is that you Tim?
Becca
If any of Terri’s family read this. I’m looking for info on her final resting place. Any info would be appreciated.
Anonymous
So based on circumstantial evidence youd convict someone. Well i probably would too but this doesnt scream obvious to me. Police can easily make things up to try to make it look like they want it to so they can get an arrest. They dont care. Well some do some don’t. If a coo thinks someone did it they will make sure it looks that way until they get their guy. Even if they get it wrong. There are too many hear says in this story doesnt sound like actual facts against the guy. Sounds like someone making stuff up to get an arrest. And 5000 doesnt seem like enough to murder but then again hed have to need or want it real bad. Where’s that evidence???
Sharon MT
Maybe he thought the insurance money was more, maybe he wanted her house, car, money in the bank. Also, her hair dresser said that Terry was not happy with his choice of a wife (and also how he probably needed money from her). They could’ve been arguing outside the casino and she pissed him off. He also could’ve been talked into doing it by his new wife. If he isnt guilty, he must be very unlucky because he tried canceling her credit cards and he claims the date was wrong (BEFORE she went missing)? He claims he checked every casino parking lot EXCEPT the one where her body was found? Nobody saw him at any casino after the wedding yet he says they were out gambling and partying all night?
Anonymous
I would like to know more about the gun that was used. Did police check if Tim owned a gun and if it was registered or that he bought a gun?
Phil
Also, gun residue on his hands…
Annie
He wouldn’t have gun residue on his hands because by the time he reported it, it was over 24 hours and he clearly had ample time to wash up.
Johnny
I remember this Unsolved Mysteries case. Suspicion was on Tim McClure but I don’t think he killed his mother. Tim and Terri had a close bond and she would have helped him out if she was in a jam. I doubt Tim shot his mom that viciously. There might have been blood spatter on his tuxedo or whatever he was wearing. Not always visible in the dark. It would have stood out when he went back to the casino. There probably are 2 scenarios to this crime. Terri might have stopped on the way to another casino with the urge to play the slots or some other games and was killed. Another scenario is someone from Tim’s past who he might have wronged or owed money. The shots to the head look like a professional hit. It’s also possible a criminal was hiding in the back of the car and showed himself as she was driving after a few miles. Directing her movements until the final shots. I agree with Tim $5,000 doesn’t seem to be a reason to kill his mother. This case may never be solved.
Deborah
This case has bothered me terribly since I first saw it years ago.
I know a lot of people may not believe in psychics, but there have been many cases solved by using their abilities.
Has anyone else thought about this?…….There’s certainly no harm in trying especially after all this time. It’s wrong that it seems to no longer be a priority to the investigators.
Remains Anonymous
This case was clearly a textbook example of forensic stupidity. So many questions were left unanswered and, without any of the information of reports from law enforcement or medical examiners, there are so many different ways to theorize what happened in this case. After seeing the segment 3 times and re-reading the synopsis of the case over and over, I honestly believe that Terri was shot post mortem after being placed in the parking lot of the casino. Having grown up in Carson City, I am family with the Nugget Casino where Terri was found. They did not have surveillance in that particular lot in 1983. Yet, I know that particular lot was fairly busy night and day and I would find it hard to believe that for nearly 3 days NOBODY noticed a car with bullet holes in the window and a person with bloody bullet holes in their head. A theory I have is that Terri could have been lethally drugged (and now a second possibility comes to mind that she may have been strangled or asphyxiated in some way) and then moved to the casino parking lot during a lull (approximately between 2 and 3 am) in the early morning of January 17 where she was then shot post mortem and her purse taken to make it look like a robbery gone bad.
But where are the toxicology reports? Where are the medical examiners notes that determined approximate time and cause of death? I can understand it that in 1983 technology wasn’t much of a help in forensics, but they had new information in 1992…yet the prosecutor dismissed the case “with prejudice” meaning that the case can never be reopened. That leads me to believe that the prosecutor may have been handsomely bribed or dangerously threatened to dismiss such a case with prejudice.
Dave
Wow…junior detective on steroids! Absolutely no evidence for any of your far fetched scenarios. Possibly you have been reading too many Dick Tracy comic books. Just to shoot down one point that many like you seem obsessed with….since her body was found 3 days later, a test for gunshot residue on anybody would have been useless.
maria shannon
How is it that the casino that has camerss every where werent looked at?. Evrry casino has them surrounding the location..Front door. It is amazing how he didn’t go back to his wedding party and his bride. Two hours he gambled by himself. Omg. That’s more then enough time to follow his mother and pull her into the parking lot.
While taking the poligrsph test he closed his eyes. And that is s sign of someone trying to hold his breath to calm the heart rate down by having no visual distractions So much evidence was overlooked. While watching his face in the TV interview his eyes shifted to the wrong side for memory. He was telling a lie. He got asst with murderer. Prosecuters failed to provide. I’m a sick about this. Her son propped his mother up I. The car I. A loving manner. You must not close the book on this. Look st his own car for blood drops. Shame on the prosecuters. I know he did it. And his wife knows
about it
the outside world sees died not
Jennifer
I’m with you 100% !! Nothing makes sense of his story!! And you can see he clearly lying he’s a horrible actor !!!! So sad. They should have picked him up based on the fact he had no alibi for 2 hours after “walking” his mother to her car. Where are the cameras!!???? Awful – I hope he is paying for it mentally at least.
Remains Anonymous
Keep in mind that the murder occurred in 1983. Technology was considerably primitive to what it is today. Also, the particular casino in which Terri was found shot in did not have cameras in that particular parking lot in 1983. I grew up in Carson City, and while I was fairly young at the time, I know that casino didn’t have any security in that particular parking lot. Still, that parking lot sits by a main highway and surely there would have been some witnesses around the approximate time Terri would have been at that casino. One theory I have is that Terri may have been lethally drugged, moved to the casino parking lot, and then shot post mortem at a more convenient time of the early morning when patron traffic and automobile traffic would have died down significantly.
Sara
1983
Lorrytayaba@yahoo.com
WOW!!!so no one has been arrested or convicted of this murder??the son undoubtably did this!why can’t they gather more ammunition against this rotten piece of cr#p!
maria
So much investigating wzx not done. Check the wife’s car for blood smears or drops as well as his car. The casino he returned to? BS. The cameras have time stamps. Lousy investigators.
Toni Kells
I am Terri Mc Clure’s granddaughter and everyone in my family believes Tim killed her. I don’t know where Tim’s ex wife is, but she knows the truth and chooses to be silent.
Raquel Gonzalez
Do u know where either of them live nowadays?
Becky Desanto
If she knows something wouldn’t she be guilty too?
Hillary Noble
Maybe she had something to do with it herself… Who knows. If she isnt married to him anymore why is she staying silent all these years?
Sara
How can you think he did it without, so called, ammunition?
Thomas
Lol, no ammunition? No evidence? This is purely down to how poorly it was originally investigated – a very common theme with so many of these cold cases. So many red flags with this case about him and holes in his story. Why are you so convinced he’s innocent when even his family believe he did it! Very odd