Police name second victim in 1987 Nashville basement murders

Metro Nashville Police Department officials confirmed the identity of the second woman found dead in a Charlotte Avenue basement in 1987. The victim is Toni L. Gordon. She was 31 years old at the time of her death.

Police used forensic genetic genealogy to make the identification. This technique allows investigators to match DNA profiles against public genealogical databases. The method solved the case nearly four decades after the bodies were discovered.

In 1987, neighbors reported a foul smell from a rental home on Charlotte Avenue. Workers digging up the dirt floor of the basement found two shallow graves. Inside were the bodies of Gordon and 23-year-old Sheila Cummings. Cummings was identified in 2025. Police said James Shaffer, the tenant at the time, confessed to killing both women. He referred to Gordon by the nickname "Lil Bit."

Investigators believe the murders occurred in 1985. Shaffer pleaded guilty to the crimes and received two life sentences. He died in prison in 2004.

Gordon's family had been told she moved out of state and lost touch with relatives. They believed she was alive. Police notified the family of the identification this week. The department said the notification was made directly to next of kin.

The case remains open for review as police finalize records. No new arrests have been announced. The Charlotte Avenue property has been sold and remodeled since the incident.