Topline: Forty-eight years after Tammi Lea Pearo was abducted from her bicycle and killed, one of the men convicted in her death has been released from prison.
Published: September 11, 2026 11:34 am ET
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James Muhamet, left, and Tammi Pearo (via Michigan Department of Corrections / Contributed photo)
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — One of the men convicted of killing 13-year-old Tammi Lea Pearo in 1978 was released from prison Sept. 9, 48 years after her abduction, rape and strangulation.
James Nure Muhamet, 66, was discharged from custody Wednesday, Michigan Department of Corrections spokesperson Jenni Riehle confirmed to MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. The confirmation appears in an indexed excerpt of the Sept. 10 report.
Earlier Grand Rapids Press reporting identified Muhamet as one of two men convicted of first-degree murder and originally sentenced to mandatory life without parole.
Tammi was riding her bicycle home from an errand when she was abducted by Muhamet and an accomplice. She was raped and strangled. Her body was discovered eight days later in woods in rural Kent County, covered with branches and leaves, according to an indexed excerpt of the earlier Grand Rapids Press report.
A contemporaneous Associated Press account identified the other defendant as Thomas K. Nelson, a 31-year-old migrant farm worker from Florida. Kent County Circuit Judge Woodrow Yared convicted Nelson after a trial without a jury. That March 1979 report identified Tammi as an Ottawa County resident and dated her killing to Aug. 21.
CrimeCod could not independently verify the legal basis for Muhamet’s release or any supervision conditions because the full Sept. 10 report was inaccessible.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Man Convicted of Killing 13-Year-Old Tammi Pearo Released From Prison
Forty-eight years after Tammi Lea Pearo was abducted from her bicycle and killed, one of the men convicted in her death has been released from prison.
By Silvia Torres
Published: September 11, 2026 11:34 am ET
James Muhamet, left, and Tammi Pearo (via Michigan Department of Corrections / Contributed photo)
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — One of the men convicted of killing 13-year-old Tammi Lea Pearo in 1978 was released from prison Sept. 9, 48 years after her abduction, rape and strangulation.
James Nure Muhamet, 66, was discharged from custody Wednesday, Michigan Department of Corrections spokesperson Jenni Riehle confirmed to MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. The confirmation appears in an indexed excerpt of the Sept. 10 report.
Earlier Grand Rapids Press reporting identified Muhamet as one of two men convicted of first-degree murder and originally sentenced to mandatory life without parole.
Tammi was riding her bicycle home from an errand when she was abducted by Muhamet and an accomplice. She was raped and strangled. Her body was discovered eight days later in woods in rural Kent County, covered with branches and leaves, according to an indexed excerpt of the earlier Grand Rapids Press report.
A contemporaneous Associated Press account identified the other defendant as Thomas K. Nelson, a 31-year-old migrant farm worker from Florida. Kent County Circuit Judge Woodrow Yared convicted Nelson after a trial without a jury. That March 1979 report identified Tammi as an Ottawa County resident and dated her killing to Aug. 21.
CrimeCod could not independently verify the legal basis for Muhamet’s release or any supervision conditions because the full Sept. 10 report was inaccessible.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Man Convicted of Killing 13-Year-Old Tammi Pearo Released From Prison
Forty-eight years after Tammi Lea Pearo was abducted from her bicycle and killed, one of the men convicted in her death has been released from prison.
By Silvia Torres
Published: September 11, 2026 11:34 am ET
James Muhamet, left, and Tammi Pearo (via Michigan Department of Corrections / Contributed photo)
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — One of the men convicted of killing 13-year-old Tammi Lea Pearo in 1978 was released from prison Sept. 9, 48 years after her abduction, rape and strangulation.
James Nure Muhamet, 66, was discharged from custody Wednesday, Michigan Department of Corrections spokesperson Jenni Riehle confirmed to MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. The confirmation appears in an indexed excerpt of the Sept. 10 report.
Earlier Grand Rapids Press reporting identified Muhamet as one of two men convicted of first-degree murder and originally sentenced to mandatory life without parole.
Tammi was riding her bicycle home from an errand when she was abducted by Muhamet and an accomplice. She was raped and strangled. Her body was discovered eight days later in woods in rural Kent County, covered with branches and leaves, according to an indexed excerpt of the earlier Grand Rapids Press report.
A contemporaneous Associated Press account identified the other defendant as Thomas K. Nelson, a 31-year-old migrant farm worker from Florida. Kent County Circuit Judge Woodrow Yared convicted Nelson after a trial without a jury. That March 1979 report identified Tammi as an Ottawa County resident and dated her killing to Aug. 21.
CrimeCod could not independently verify the legal basis for Muhamet’s release or any supervision conditions because the full Sept. 10 report was inaccessible.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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