Investigators Renew Appeal In 1982 Killing Of Tammy Little In Portsmouth

CONCORD, NH — Investigators are making a renewed public appeal in the 1982 homicide of Tammy Little, a 20-year-old Portsmouth Beauty School student whose killing remains unsolved.

As part of that effort, the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit released a previously unreleased photograph of Little on the 44th anniversary of the crime. Investigators hope the image will spark memories for people who lived, worked, or attended school in the Seacoast area at the time of her death.

Little was last seen alive in the early morning hours of Oct. 16, 1982. Three days later, Oct. 19, 1982, she was found murdered inside her apartment at 315 Maplewood Avenue in Portsmouth. An autopsy by the New Hampshire Chief Medical Examiner determined she died from massive head injuries.

Investigators continue to review case files, evaluate physical evidence for modern forensic testing, and pursue available leads.

Little's family also shared a statement about her memory and the lasting impact of her death. “…Tammy was the most joyful person. She was everyone’s friend. If you were hurting or needed someone to talk to, she would be there and know what to say. She was the one you called to lift you up, and she was the one to share your happiness with. Her light was so bright. Today, her light lives on with me; she is my guardian angel and lives within my heart. There is not a day that I do not think about her and the more days we could have had together.”

Senior Assistant Attorney General R. Christopher Knowles, chief of the Cold Case Unit, said the new photo is being released in hopes of generating new information.

“Tammy was a young woman with a bright future ahead of her, and her life was taken in a brutal and senseless act of violence,” he said. “Our unit, alongside the Portsmouth Police Department, remains steadfast in our commitment to finding answers for Tammy and her loved ones. We are releasing these new photographs today with the hope that someone who knew her, perhaps a former classmate at the Portsmouth Beauty School or a resident of the Maplewood Avenue neighborhood, will remember a detail they have not previously shared. No matter how much time has passed, we believe there are people who hold information critical to solving this case.”

Investigators believe the public may hold the missing piece of information needed to bring Tammy’s killer to justice.

Authorities are specifically interested in hearing from:

• Classmates and peers: Anyone who attended the Portsmouth Beauty School with Tammy in 1982.
• Former neighbors and residents: Individuals who lived in or around 315 Maplewood Avenue, or who frequented the area in October 1982.
• Timeline witnesses: Anyone who may have seen or spoken to Tammy between the early morning hours of October 16, 1982, and the discovery of her body on October 19, 1982.

Provide A Tip

No detail is too small to be relevant. Anyone with information regarding the murder of Tammy Little is urged to contact authorities:

• Cold Case Unit Tip Line: 603-271-2663
• Email: coldcaseunit@dos.nh.gov
• Submit a tip at www.doj.nh.gov/criminal/cold-case
• Victim Page: www.doj.nh.gov/bureaus/cold-case-unit/victim-list/tammy-little