WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- A state-led task force will soon begin investigating new leads in the unsolved murder of a 14-year-old girl in 1980.
Ronda Blaylock's body was discovered in Surry County on August 29, 1980, three days after she was reported missing.
In a news conference Monday, several agencies announced the Ronda Blaylock Homicide Task Force. Surry County Sheriff Graham Atkinson said a phone call from Ronda's mother, inquiring about the case, and some other developments prompted the task force.
"We are here to bring this case to a conclusion," Atkinson said. "And, if the suspect sees this and is within the sound of our voice, make no mistake -- we are coming for you."
Blaylock, a freshman at Atkins High School at the time, was last seen in Rural Hall on August 26, 1980.
According to investigators, she and a friend were walking home from school when they accepted a ride from a man in a blue Chevrolet pickup truck. The friend was dropped off safely, but Blaylock never made it home.
Her partially clothed body was found three days later in a heavily wooded area near Secrist Loop Road in Pilot Mountain.
Investigators would not reveal whether Blaylock had been sexually assaulted.
Investigators say Blaylock's killer goes by the names "Jimmy" or "Butch." He was in his late teens or early 20s at the time of the murder.
He drove a 1970s or 1980s model blue Chevy pickup truck. The right passenger side mirror was missing and its front and rear tires were mismatched. It also had a white camper on the back.
Anyone with information is asked to call 336-401-8971 or send an email to rondablaylock1980@gmail.com.
The Ronda Blaylock Homicide Task Force includes: Forsyth County Sheriff's Office, the Stokes County Sheriff's Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Surry County Sheriff's Office, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
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