October 14, 2024 | By: Gio Villavicencio

This story is part of a collaborative project between Project: Cold Case and the University of North Florida’s Applied Journalism class.

Pamela Scruggs was an outgoing, funny, and caring person. She loved to be around her family and enjoyed singing and dancing with people.

“She would be the person to make you laugh, help you whenever you needed it, and she was just full of life,” said her sister Patricia. “She loved dancing, going out, and loved her family so much.”

Patricia remembers the last time she saw Pamela. She recalled that her sister was in distress about somebody chasing after her.

“My last interaction with her was when she came into my aunt’s house upset about something,” Patricia says. “She was telling us that somebody was coming after her. She was crying and we were trying to understand what she was saying but couldn’t make sense of it.”

After that, Pamela left the house. She never returned. Pamela was killed on December 5, 1987. She was 21 years old. According to North Philadelphia police, she was in a car with somebody she knew. After she got out of the car, she went on a walk and was shot three times in the back.

Her body was found under a tractor-trailer parked at N. Ninth and W. Ontario streets. Pamela’s body was fully clothed and taken to the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. Her case is still cold 37 years after the murder.

Pamela Scruggs grew up in North Philadelphia. She was from the city’s Tioga section. It has a population of around 10,000 people and is a place that has a high crime rate.

Pamela loved listening to music, especially rhythm and blues. “She loved R&B music and rap music, too,” said her sister Patricia. “Smokey Robinson was one of her favorite singers to listen to.”

She also loved to cook with her siblings. Pamela enjoyed cooking breakfast every day. Burnt sausage was her favorite food to eat most mornings.

The day of her death was the most devastating tragedy in the family. Patricia Scruggs will never forget where she was when she received the news.

“I was at home at 9 that morning,” she said. “There were two detectives who came to my place and told me she was dead, and they identified the body using her fingerprints.”

Patricia and her family were all in disbelief in the aftermath of the death. They couldn’t comprehend how quickly their smiling, joyful, and beautiful loved one was taken away from them. The person who made them laugh and gave them the best memories ever was no longer there.

Pamela’s family wants to get to the bottom of the case, but it has gone cold after nearly four decades. They want to remember her as a beautiful, happy, and funny person to be around. They are still coping after her death and are continuing to stay strong together as a family. They always remember Pamela as a light that went out too soon.

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Anyone with information concerning Pamela Scruggs murder is asked to call the Philadelphia Police Department at 215-686-TIPS (8477). To remain anonymous and possibly be eligible for a reward, call Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 1-800-4PA-TIPS.

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