What To Know About A Pregnant Florida Mom’s Murder Before ‘Cold Justice’ Returns

When “Cold Justice” returns on Saturday, September 3 at 8/7c on Oxygen, veteran prosecutor Kelly Siegler and her fellow investigators will be digging deep into a new batch of unsolved homicides. 

Working with local law enforcement, “Cold Justice” has already helped secure 55 arrests and 21 convictions. Upcoming cases bring the team to communities around the U.S., including one in Florida, where the murder of a 25-year-old pregnant mother remains unsolved. 

Before the series returns, we get you up to speed on the Florida homicide featured in the premiere episode.

Who was the victim?

Tyvon Whitford, 25, was a corrections officer and mother of a 5-year-old son, known for her joyous demeanor.  Whitford was born in Gainesville, Florida and lived all her life in nearby Hawthorne. She graduated from Interlachen High School in 2007 and was a member of Trinity Baptist Church, according to her obituary.  

When she was killed, she was about to become a mother yet again: She was six months pregnant with her second child. 

When was she murdered?

On the evening of June 9, 2007, Whitford was shot and killed in her Hawthorne home, which was located only a mile from where her parents, Dale and Ronald Whitford, lived. She and her unborn child died at the hospital, reported news4jax.com.

Whitford’s son, the report added, was at home at the time of the homicide. Investigators said there were no signs of forced entry or robbery. 

How was the crime discovered?

Two 911 calls were made from Whitford’s home the night of the slaying, according to detectives. Family members say the first call was made by the victim, news4jax.com reported.

“One of the very first things the dispatcher was trying to get from her was where she was located,” Sgt. Matthew Keith with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, told firstcoastnews.com in 2019. “So, unfortunately, we did not get who the attacker was.” 

The second call, made minutes after the first, was from her boyfriend. 

Years have passed, with no arrests made in the case. Police asked anyone with information about the homicide to reach out to Crime Stoppers at 888-277-TIPS.

Have there been any fresh leads?

In a 2019 interview, Keith said he believed people may know more than they have shared.

"There are a lot of people in that community that are very close to each other, I believe that whoever was responsible for it has probably talked about it,” he said. “We just need to get the right person to come forward to give us information.”

To learn more about this case and others, watch “Cold Justice,” returning Saturday, September 3 on Oxygen.