After decades of remaining unidentified, one of the victims of a gruesome double homicide from the 1980s has been named. According to a report by the Nashville Metro Police, Sheila Cummings, originally from Elgin, Illinois, was identified through DNA analysis as one of the two women found buried in a Charlotte Avenue home's basement.
The case, which had gone cold, saw a breakthrough when a woman contacted the Cold Case Unit after a chance encounter with information online led her to believe her mother, who had been missing since 1984, might be one of the victims. The DNA collected from Cummings' daughters matched, confirming her identity as one of the women James Shaffer confessed to having murdered. Shaffer, made the confession years after the bodies were discovered in shallow graves.
Efforts continue in order to identify the second victim, known by the nickname "Lil Bit." Authorities have released a forensic rendering of "Lil Bit," who at the time of her death was estimated to be between 20 to 40 years old, standing at 5'7". She was found with a distinctive open-faced gold overlay on her right lateral incisor and a copper Grim Reaper ring on her finger.
Police are urging anyone with information about the victim known as "Lil Bit" to come forward. Tips can be directed to Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463, the MNPD Cold Case Unit at 615-862-7329, or the Davidson County Medical Examiner’s Office at 615-743-1800. With Cummings now identified, investigators hope to bring closure to both cases and identify the second victim.
