Press Releases

Sidarovich murder
August 8, 2009

A billboard along Burnt Store Road is a reminder of a 2001 homicide of a Charlotte County teen that still remains unsolved today – a case that family members are still hopeful for an arrest in.

Not a day passes that Sharon McPhillips doesn’t think about her daughter – a beautiful 19 year old girl murdered in the prime of her youth – a crime for which the killer is still at large.

“When I wake up in the morning, I wake up with heartache. There’s not one single day I wake up without it – not one single day," said mother Sharon McPhillips.

Tara Sidarovich was last seen in October 2001, waiting at her home off US 17 in Punta Gorda for a septic tank company to arrive. Later that day, she disappeared – seemingly gone without a trace.

It wasn’t until nine months later that Tara’s remains were found here in this wooded area off Burnt Store Road in Punta Gorda. What remains a mystery is how Tara got here, and who ended her life far too soon.

“How could you throw a person in here as a piece of garbage?” McPhillips said.

Investigators are reaching out to the community, hoping someone will come forward anonymously and provide some insight as to what happened to Tara and why.

 “Even if it’s the tiniest bit of information – that they may not think is important – it may be that link to help," said Det. John Poudrette.

Tara was just a few months from starting college – where she was going to study to be a Crime Scene Investigator. Now, detectives and family members are working together to help solve this ambitious young woman’s own murder and bring her killer to justice.

“I want to know how do they wake up in the morning – how do they go on with their life knowing they did this to a person?” McPhillips said.

In the meantime, Tara’s mom awaits the day the person responsible for Tara’s murder is finally behind bars.

“Don’t think for a minute that you got away with it. One day there’s gonna be a knock on that door and they’re gonna be in cuffs. I truly, truly believe that," McPhillips said.

Anyone with information on the murder of Tara Sidarovich is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477) or the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. All callers will remain anonymous and will be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000. The Crime Stoppers hotline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.