The Unsolved Murder of Tina Mae Rook: A Stab in the Dark in Randolph County
On a crisp October day in 2012, the quiet streets of Randolph County, North Carolina, bore witness to a violent crime that would leave a lasting mark on the community. Tina Mae Rook, a 35-year-old woman with a life full of promise, was brutally stabbed in the gravel parking lot of Axiom America on Thompson Street in Asheboro. The attack occurred on October 13, and despite medical efforts, Tina succumbed to her injuries, transforming a routine Saturday into a scene of tragedy. A white truck was spotted in the area, captured on surveillance video, but more than a decade later—as of March 16, 2025—no arrests have been made, and the case remains a haunting enigma on the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office Cold Cases list.
A Final Day Unfolds
Tina Mae Rook’s last known movements paint a picture of an ordinary day turned deadly. On October 13, 2012, she was last seen alive around 2:10 p.m. near the intersection of Clinton Avenue and Ridgeway Place in High Point, a neighboring city in Guilford County. Witnesses reported seeing her climb into a white single-cab truck driven by an unidentified male—a fleeting moment that would become a critical clue. Hours later, at approximately 5:00 p.m., her body was discovered in the parking lot of Axiom America, an electronics manufacturing company located at 1930 South Fayetteville Street in Asheboro, roughly 20 miles from where she was last seen.
The scene was grim: Tina had been stabbed multiple times, her blood staining the gravel beneath her. Emergency responders rushed her to a nearby hospital, but she could not be saved. The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office quickly classified her death as a homicide, launching an investigation into the brutal slaying of a woman described by those who knew her as kind-hearted and unassuming.
The Investigation: A Truck and a Trail Gone Cold
From the outset, the Sheriff’s Office zeroed in on the white truck as a key piece of evidence. Surveillance footage from Axiom America captured the vehicle entering the parking lot at around 4:54 p.m. and leaving shortly after 5:00 p.m.—a tight window that aligned with the discovery of Tina’s body. The truck was described as a white single-cab pickup, possibly a Dodge or Ford, but the grainy video offered no clear view of the driver or a license plate. Despite extensive efforts to track it down—canvassing local businesses, issuing public appeals, and scouring vehicle records—no definitive match was found.
Detectives also retraced Tina’s steps, interviewing witnesses from High Point to Asheboro. The man she was seen with earlier that day remained a shadow, his identity elusive. Was he the driver of the truck? A friend, a stranger, or her killer? The lack of a clear connection between her last sighting and the crime scene frustrated investigators. Tina’s personal life offered few leads—she had no known enemies, and her death appeared random, a senseless act of violence in a seemingly safe industrial area.
The autopsy confirmed the cause of death as multiple stab wounds, but forensic evidence was limited. The weapon was not recovered, and while trace evidence was collected, no public details have emerged about DNA or fingerprints that might point to a suspect. The case quickly hit a wall, with the white truck as the most tangible clue yet one that led nowhere.
A Community Left Searching
Tina Mae Rook’s murder sent ripples through Randolph County, a region known more for its rolling hills and tight-knit communities than for violent crime. Axiom America, a workplace for many locals, became an unlikely backdrop to a mystery that unsettled employees and residents alike. The parking lot, once a mundane space for shift changes, now carried the weight of an unsolved killing.
Little is known publicly about Tina’s life beyond the basics—she was 35, a resident of the area, and, by all accounts, a woman who didn’t court trouble. Her family, devastated by her loss, has remained largely out of the spotlight, though their grief is palpable in the Sheriff’s Office’s continued pleas for information. A $5,000 reward from Randolph County Crime Stoppers, matched by an additional $5,000 from the Governor’s Office, totaling $10,000, stands as a testament to the urgency of solving her case—a sum that has yet to entice the tip that cracks it open.
Theories and Dead Ends
With few concrete details released, speculation has filled the void. Was Tina’s murder a crime of opportunity, a robbery gone wrong, or a personal dispute that followed her from High Point to Asheboro? The white truck suggests premeditation—someone drove her to that parking lot with intent—but the motive remains murky. Detectives have likely explored whether she knew her attacker, given her willingness to enter the truck earlier that day, but no relationships have been publicly tied to the crime.
The timing—late afternoon on a Saturday—adds another layer of intrigue. Axiom America’s parking lot would have been quieter than during weekday shifts, making it an isolated spot for a killer to strike. Yet, the boldness of the act, in broad daylight near a business, hints at either desperation or confidence that no one would intervene. The lack of witnesses willing to come forward has only deepened the mystery.
A Cold Case Endures
As years turned into a decade, Tina’s case joined the ranks of Randolph County’s unsolved homicides, a somber entry on the Sheriff’s Office Cold Cases page. Periodic reviews have occurred—evidence resubmitted for modern DNA testing, leads reexamined—but no breakthroughs have emerged. The white truck, once a beacon of hope, has faded into the annals of cold case lore, a ghostly image that taunts investigators.
Captain Chris Maness, who oversees the Criminal Investigations Division, has reiterated the office’s commitment to solving cases like Tina’s, noting that advancements in forensic technology could yet yield answers. Tips are still sought via Randolph County Crime Stoppers (336-672-7463) or the Sheriff’s Office (336-318-6682), with the hope that someone, somewhere, holds the key to unlocking the truth.
A Plea for Justice
Tina Mae Rook’s story is one of abrupt loss and lingering questions. Who was the man in the white truck? Why was she targeted, and why in that parking lot? For true crime aficionados, her case is a stark reminder of how even the most tangible clues can dissolve into dead ends, leaving families in limbo and communities on edge. The gravel lot on Thompson Street remains a silent witness, its secrets buried with Tina, waiting for the day when justice pierces the silence.
As of March 16, 2025, the murder of Tina Mae Rook stands unresolved, a poignant chapter in North Carolina’s true crime saga. Her name endures not just as a victim, but as a call to action—a plea to remember, to speak, and to bring closure to a wound that has yet to heal.