Podcast Summary: The Deck – "Tyra Garcia (Queen of Diamonds, California)"
Episode Release Date: December 3, 2025
Host: Ashley Flowers
Produced by: audiochuck
Episode: Tyra Garcia (Queen of Diamonds, California)
Case Date: Memorial Day, 1985
Overview
This episode of The Deck focuses on the unsolved murder of Tyra Garcia, a 15-year-old girl from California who disappeared on Memorial Day 1985 and was found dead nearly two weeks later. Host Ashley Flowers and investigative guests revisit the events surrounding Tyra’s disappearance, the investigation’s missteps, and the family’s continuing heartbreak, all framed through the voices of Tyra’s surviving sisters and current investigators determined to find answers after four decades.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Background & Discovery of the Case
- Memorial Day 1985: Tyra Garcia, age 15, left her home late at night to visit a neighbor about a possible babysitting job, promising her family she’d return quickly [02:09].
- Family's Initial Anxiety: Her sister recalled the last sight of Tyra leaving through the picture window:
“Tyra went out the front door and she walked by the picture window and we waved by to her, and she waved back. She says, I'll be right back.”
— Tanya Garcia, [08:18] - Discovery of Tyra’s Body: Twelve days later, Tyra’s decomposed remains were found wrapped in a floral comforter, tied with an extension cord, in an orange orchard [05:20].
- Identification: Tyra was identified through her jewelry (confirmed by her mother) and dental work (confirmed by her dentist) [06:36].
Initial Investigation and Law Enforcement Response
- Dismissed as a Runaway: The family’s early reports were dismissed by police as another runaway incident due to Tyra’s past, resulting in crucial delays [09:07].
“They will not accept this. They will not put her as missing. They're trying to say she ran away. I told her she did not run away because her purse is here and her clothes is here. And they are not listening to me.” – Tanya Garcia, [09:07]
- Policy Delays: In the 1980s, departments often required a waiting period before investigating missing teens, with Tyra’s case not taken seriously for 12 days [10:08].
Tyra’s Life and Family Situation
- Family Trauma: Tyra’s sisters described the significant changes after their father left, which contributed to Tyra’s struggles, including some runaway incidents and substance use [11:05], [11:33].
- Community Search: Despite police inaction, Tyra’s family organized searches and distributed thousands of flyers [12:31].
Last Known Sighting & Suspect Vehicle
- Timeline of the Night: Tyra met a friend, Renee Lambert, and went to the neighborhood 7-Eleven. There, Tyra interacted with two Hispanic males in a tan/brown Monte Carlo/Buick [17:06].
"The passenger of the car comes in and starts talking her up… I've got the best coke, do you want to party?" – Detective Guy Moody, [17:30]
- Sequence of Events:
- The two men left, allegedly to get cocaine, returning 45 minutes later.
- Tyra got into their car, last seen in their company [19:08].
- A 7-Eleven clerk and another neighbor contributed to the account, leading to a composite sketch [19:51].
Suspects and Stalled Leads
- Initial Suspects: Tyra’s former boyfriends, “Jimmy” and “Mark,” were considered but ruled out via custody records and polygraph results [21:35].
- Unexplored Persons of Interest: Names “Berto,” “Jesse,” and “Daniel Cabral” from Santa Paula came up, but police never located or interviewed them [22:07].
- Key Motel Lead: Tyra was found wrapped in a comforter traced to the Wagon Wheel Motel, where two workers, pseudonymed “Jake” (Hispanic, matches car/composite) and “Brian” (white, does not match), stayed during that period [24:03].
- Missed Opportunities: Investigators at the time performed only a perfunctory polygraph with “Jake,” took Brian’s word about the missing comforter, and did not follow up substantially. The focus was more on physical evidence than pursuing promising suspects [26:58].
Advances in Forensics
- Reopened Case: Detective Guy Moody and forensic scientist Kristin Kanko recently leveraged DNA advances, testing swabs from the extension cord used to bind Tyra [29:11].
“Degraded DNA was found on the knot of the extension cord that tied the comforter. It wasn't enough to get a full profile or anything.” — Kristin Kanko, [29:11]
- DNA Advances: In 2023, a male profile was uploaded to CODIS; a second incomplete contributor was found. Past suspects “Jimmy” and “Mark” are not matches (Jimmy ruled out; Mark’s DNA not in system). Jake and Brian are still of interest and may be asked to provide DNA samples soon [30:02].
- Remaining Questions: Even a DNA match would not answer the full story—no cause of death was ever established, and circumstances could range from homicide to accidental overdose [31:58].
Family Impact & Calls for Justice
- Ongoing Trauma: The loss deeply shaped Tyra’s sisters for generations, producing lasting fear and vigilant behaviors.
“I kept finger clippings, a kid's teeth, their umbilical cords, just in case they go missing. This is not normal. I'm sorry, but this is the length that I went to to keep my kids safe in case they needed to be identified.” — Tanya Garcia, [33:25]
- Desire for Answers:
“I just want to know the details about it and why they really did it. … Even if it was an accident… what happened, what lit up to my sister’s demise. That’s all I want to know all these years.”
— Tanya Garcia, [34:51] - Critical View of Law Enforcement:
“I think they screwed up at the beginning. I think they wrote her off as just a runaway in a bad area… And she, you know, last name Garcia. And I think at first they wrote her off until they found her body.”
— Teresa Searing, [32:46]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “We had a big picture window in our living room, and Tyra went out the front door and she walked by the picture window and we waved by to her, and she waved back. She says, ‘I'll be right back.’” — Tanya Garcia [08:18]
- “This is not normal. … This is the length that I went to to keep my kids safe in case they needed to be identified.” — Tanya Garcia [33:25]
- “I just want to know the details about it and why they really did it… Even if it was an accident…” — Tanya Garcia [34:51]
- “I think they screwed up at the beginning. … I think they wrote her off until they found her body.” — Teresa Searing [32:46]
- “Degraded DNA was found on the knot of the extension cord that tied the comforter. It wasn't enough to get a full profile or anything.” — Kristin Kanko [29:11]
Important Timestamps
- [02:09] – Introduction to Tyra Garcia and her disappearance
- [05:20] – Discovery of Tyra’s body and initial scene description
- [08:18] – Tanya Garcia’s memory of the last time she saw Tyra
- [09:07] – Family’s struggle to get police help and report Tyra missing
- [11:05] – Sisters describe Tyra’s life changes after their father's absence
- [12:31] – Family-organized community search and flyer campaign
- [17:06]–[19:08] – Account of last night: interaction with two men at 7-Eleven, last time seen
- [21:35] – Dismissal of initial boyfriends as suspects
- [22:53] – Motel lead and missing comforter discovery
- [24:03] – Details on “Jake” and “Brian,” possible suspects; their connection to the motel and car
- [29:11]–[30:02] – Developments with new DNA testing and investigation progress
- [32:46] – Teresa and Tanya voice criticism of original investigation, lifelong impact
Conclusion & Call to Action
The episode closes with Ashley Flowers emphasizing the need for public assistance to bring justice and closure to Tyra Garcia’s family after 40 years without answers. Listeners are requested to contact Ventura County’s cold case unit (805-383-873 or coldcaseventura.org), Crime Stoppers, or relevant authorities with any information [35:26].
Tone:
Sympathetic, urgent, and meticulous, with a focus on humanizing Tyra, critiquing investigative missteps, and amplifying calls for renewed attention and action.
Overall Message:
Tyra’s family and current investigators still hold out hope that—through advances in forensics and persistent advocacy—someone will finally come forward to share the truth and bring Tyra Garcia justice.