Canadian appears in U.S. court in decades-old cold case

Robert Creter made his first court appearance since his extradition to the United States from Winnipeg. He’s the prime suspect in the murder of 23-year-old Tami Tignor – a cold case dating back to 1997.

According to reports within the Somerville County Courthouse in New Jersey, it was revealed Wednesday morning by Superior Court Judge Angela Borkowski that Creter was homeless for nine months prior to his arrest in Winnipeg, where he lived for the last two decades.

Creter was extradited to the United States on Nov. 26 where he was turned over to members of the U.S. Marshals Service.

He has been linked to the crime scene through DNA collected from a wooded area in Bridgewater, New Jersey where the remains of Tignor were found on November 4, 1997.

Cst. Dani McKinnon with the Winnipeg Police Service says they don’t know where in Winnipeg he lived and what he did during his 20-year period, but with a lack of information, they were still able to locate him.

“MIVAOU (Manitoba Integrated Violent Offender Apprehension Unit) consists of very skilled officers and detectives that have worked in general patrol and many other speciality units. They are good at finding people on warrants, that’s what they do every day,” she says. “He was certainly located quickly.”

Video from inside the courtroom shows the 60-year-old handcuffed and using a walker. There he consented to detention and waived his right to a full hearing on the matter.

Judge Borkowski revealed in court that Creter has 16 prior convictions from 1992 to 1999, including aggravated sexual assault and terroristic threats.

“While charges were pending, he did flee or left the United States for Canada and had to be extradited from Canada where he was staying in between shelters,” said Borkowski inside the courtroom Wednesday morning. “He has no phone number or mailing address.”

According to provincial court records in Manitoba, he also has several prior convictions in the province dating from July 2002 to June 2009.

Judge Borkowski ruled Creter to be a flight risk if released.

“Therefore, the court agrees that detention is appropriate,” she says.

Creter will be back in court in New Jersey on Jan. 17.