Family seeks answers in 45-year-old cold case of Nashville woman's murder

The family of Gail Elizabeth Norris is speaking out after 45 years, seeking answers regarding her tragic death in 1979. Gail was found stabbed to death in Nashville, and her murder remains one of many unsolved cases in the city, leaving her loved ones with lingering uncertainty and grief. Her sister Pamela expressed the importance of solving the case, saying it would provide much-needed closure.

On a seemingly peaceful spring day in 2025, the site of Gail's brutal murder near St. Cecilia Convent still bears heavy memories for her sisters. Gail, who was 21 at the time, was known to be quiet and loving, which makes her violent death even more incomprehensible to her family. Pamela recalled the shock of having someone responsible for Gail's death still walking freely among them.

Gail's body was discovered off the road on August 6, 1979, by a utility worker. Her last known whereabouts were at a friend’s apartment shortly before her life was violently cut short. The crime scene also revealed a pamphlet from Temtex Products, though little else about the case has surfaced in the ensuing decades.

The unresolved nature of Gail's murder has taken a toll on her family, who are desperate for closure, not only for themselves but also for Gail's niece, who never had the chance to meet her mother. Efforts to bring attention to cold cases through the Metro Nashville Police Department’s newly launched cold case website have yet to yield significant new leads.

Gail's family continues to implore the public for any information that could help solve the case. They are haunted by the question of what could have motivated the crime against a person they remember as kind and gentle. Anyone with details is encouraged to reach out to the Cold Case Homicide Unit to aid in bringing justice to Gail’s memory.