Cold Case Files: Unsolved murder of Nina Ingram: Fayetteville woman’s 2006 slaying still haunts community
- Dennis McCaslin
- Mar 2
- 3 min read
By Dennis McCaslin | Today in Fort Smith
FAYETTEVILLE, AR – Nearly two decades have passed since 21-year-old Nina Ingram was found murdered in her Fayetteville apartment, yet the case remains unsolved, leaving lingering questions for her loved ones and the community. Despite an arrest years later, no one has ever been held accountable for her brutal killing.
Nina Ingram was a bright and ambitious young woman, attending Northwest Arkansas Community College while working to build a future for herself. She lived in an apartment at 701 W. Sycamore Street in Fayetteville, a complex known for its proximity to the University of Arkansas campus.
On the morning of April 22, 2006, a friend who had grown concerned about Nina’s whereabouts went to check on her. Upon entering her apartment, the friend made a horrifying discovery—Nina was dead in her bedroom. Police later confirmed she had been strangled to death.
Investigators immediately ruled her death a homicide and began piecing together a timeline of her final hours. There were no obvious signs of forced entry, which led authorities to believe that Nina may have known her attacker. However, despite initial leads and interviews, the case quickly turned cold.
For six years, Nina’s murder remained a mystery with no arrests and few public developments. Then, in 2012, Fayetteville police arrested Rico T. Cohn in connection with her murder.
Cohn originally pleaded not guilty and was scheduled to undergo a mental evaluation at the state hospital in Little Rock a fw months later.
The arrest offered hope that justice would finally be served. However, that hope was short-lived.
The Washington County Prosecutor’s Office dropped the charges against Cohn, citing a lack of sufficient evidence to move forward with the case. Authorities have never publicly disclosed what led them to arrest Cohn or what ultimately caused the case to fall apart.
The decision to drop the charges was a devastating blow to Nina’s family, who had spent years waiting for answers. While the case remains technically open, it has been described as "closed for all intents and purposes," leaving many to wonder if Nina’s killer will ever be identified.
Several troubling questions remain in the case. Why was Nina targeted? Did her killer act alone? Was there DNA or other forensic evidence collected at the scene that could one day lead to a conviction?
One of the most perplexing elements of the case is the lack of public details regarding the investigation. While authorities have never revealed exactly what evidence led them to Cohn, they have also not ruled out other possibilities. Without new leads, the case has remained stagnant for years.
Nina’s family has never stopped searching for answers. They have pleaded with the public to come forward with any information that could help investigators finally bring closure to the case.
Cases like Nina’s often go unsolved not because of a lack of effort from law enforcement but because critical witnesses or pieces of information never surface. Police continue to urge anyone with knowledge of what happened to Nina to step forward.
Anyone who may have information about Nina Ingram’s murder should contact the Fayetteville Police Department at (479) 587-3555. Even the smallest detail could make a difference in solving the case.
For now, Nina’s loved ones continue to wait, hoping that someone will finally come forward with the truth. Until then, her murder remains one of Fayetteville’s most haunting unsolved crimes—a case that serves as a tragic reminder of the need for justice.
