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The Real Murders on Elm Street, Season 2, Episode 2, titled Trailing a Killer, explores the brutal murder of 20-year-old Tara Gillon on December 31, 1996. Tara Gillon was a bright sophomore at Indiana University, where she was studying English. She was visiting her father for the holiday season.
However, the quiet New Year’s Eve visit turned into a tragedy for the Gillon family when Tara was found murdered in the living room of her father's Middleboro home. The Real Murders on Elm Street, which aired its episode on Tara Gillon on October 8, 2025, explores in detail Tara's murder and how her killer was caught.
The Real Murders on Elm Street, season 2 episode 2: What happened to Tara Gillon?
On the evening of December 31, 1996, Tara Gillon stayed back at her father's house in Middleboro, while her father, Charles, and her stepmother, Carol, went out for dinner. Tara's younger step-sister, Brianna, also left for a party, leaving Tara alone at the family’s two-story house at 278 Old Center Street.
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When Charles and Carol returned around 11 PM, they found Tara partially clothed and lying lifeless on the living room floor, with more than 20 stab wounds and clear signs of strangulation. As they entered the house, they heard someone leave from the back door. According to South Coast Today, the distraught couple called the police to report the incident.
Although the house appeared ransacked, nothing was missing. It was clear that the motive was not robbery. Investigators quickly combed the scene and discovered a vital clue. They found a set of sneaker tracks leading away from the home. The Real Murders on Elm Street, season 2 episode 2, explores in detail how this piece of evidence finally led to the killer being caught.
The Real Murders on Elm Street: The evidence that led to the discovery of the killer
As per South Coast Today, the footprints trailed down to Ash Street, roughly a mile away. As detectives canvassed the area, they learned from partygoers that an 18-year-old named Ryan Burgess had left a nearby house party abruptly that evening.
When police arrived at 19 Elm Street, where Burgess had been living with family friends Len and Katherine Shelley, they immediately noticed incriminating evidence. There were bloodstains on his pants, scratches on his arms, and his sneakers matched the footprints found outside the Gillon home. He also bore a small cut on his lip, suggesting a violent struggle.
Burgess, who had a juvenile record for breaking and entering, claimed he had simply left the party after an argument, but his story quickly fell apart under scrutiny.
The Real Murders on Elm Street: Ryan Burgess admitted to the murder
During questioning, Burgess finally admitted to breaking into the Gillon residence after seeing Brianna leave. He told Tara that he was a friend of her sister before attacking her. Prosecutors later revealed he had strangled and stabbed her repeatedly before sexually assaulting her. He then ransacked the upstairs rooms and fled when he heard the sound of a car returning.
DNA recovered from Tara’s body and the crime scene matched Burgess, marking him as the perpetrator. The footprints found outside the Gillon home also matched his Puma sneakers, and Tara’s blood was found on his jeans. He also led officers to the location where he claimed to have discarded the murder weapon, which was believed to be a thin steak knife.
Ryan Burgess was arrested within hours of the discovery of Tara’s body. Though Burgess’s defense attorney argued that his mental health and intoxicated condition should be considered, Judge David Stevens ordered him to be held without bail.
In January 1998, following a swift trial, Burgess was convicted of first-degree murder and armed home invasion. The jury deliberated for only three hours before sentencing him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
His subsequent appeals were rejected by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, which upheld the conviction. Ryan Burgess, who is now in his late forties, continues to serve his life sentence.
Nearly three decades later, the murder of Tara Gillon, which remains one of the most haunting cases in Middleborough’s history, is being covered on The Real Murders on Elm Street season 2 episode 2.
