Barbara Tucker

Barbara Mae Tucker (February 25, 1960 – January 15, 1980)

A native of Portland, Tucker was a business student at the college at the time of her murder. She disappeared on the evening of January 15, 1980, after failing to arrive at a night class. Around 6:45pm that night, multiple motorists witnessed Tucker running into traffic on Southeast Kane Drive from a wooded slope on the college campus, followed by an unknown man who forced her back into the wooded area. Only one motorist stopped their vehicle, with the others later reporting that they assumed Tucker and the man were attempting to jaywalk or playing a prank. Her body was discovered in a grove on the college campus the following morning. She had been strangled, sexually assaulted, and bludgeoned to death.

In 2021, a suspect, Robert Arthur Plympton (born 1963), was arrested and charged with Tucker's murder. Plympton became a formal suspect earlier that year after a genealogist with Parabon NanoLabs, a company specializing in DNA phenotyping, identified him as a match to DNA samples taken from Tucker's body. Plympton had previously served a two-year prison sentence for the 1985 attempted kidnapping of a young woman in the Gresham area. Following a bench trial, Plympton was convicted of Tucker's murder on October 3, 2024 and received a sentence of life imprisonment.

Background Barbara Mae Tucker was born February 25, 1960 She graduated from Cleveland High School in 1978 before enrolling at Mt. Hood Community College in nearby Gresham. was a basketball player and enrolled at the college as a business major. Tucker was employed at a department store in Portland.

Disappearance On the evening of January 15, 1980, Tucker failed to arrive at a 7:00pm scheduled class. several motorists driving by the Mt. Hood Community College campus witnessed Tucker running onto Northeast Kane Drive from a wooded slope on the campus's west end. and at least one had to brake to avoid hitting her. Per witness statements, several of the motorists assumed Tucker and the man were attempting to jaywalk or play a prank.

Lisa Michaels, the only driver who stopped after Tucker leapt in front her car, stated that when she exited her vehicle, she observed the man sling his arm over Tucker before leading her back into the wooded area.

Per one witness statement, the unknown man was described being a "stocky" and approximately in his twenties, wearing a navy blue parka, grey pants, and a beige stocking cap. sustaining blunt force trauma to the head which caused her death. She had also been sexually assaulted, News outlets released several sketches of potential suspects, including one of an unknown man who had been seen standing at a bus stop near the campus.

2021 arrest of Robert Plympton On June 8, 2021, authorities arrested 58-year-old Troutdale resident Robert Plympton, charging him with Tucker's rape and murder.

Plympton had an extensive criminal record, including multiple charges for driving under the influence and assault, as well as receiving restraining orders.