Nearly 28 years after the body of a 23-year-old woman was found strangled on a dirt road in Bridgewater Township, the man responsible for her death has pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter.

Robert Creter, 61, was charged in connection with the death of Tamara "Tammy" Tignor of Newark. During his plea, Creter admitted to manually strangling Tignor with his bare hands, causing her death, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office.

According to the prosecutor, Bridgewater police responded to a cul-de-sac off Gilbride Road near Washington Valley Park on Nov. 4, 1997 in response to a 911 call. The caller reported finding the body of a woman on a nearby access road. The investigation continued over the years, but the case remained cold until Jan. 2023. That's when detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit met with the New Jersey State Police Cold Case Unit about the possibility of testing DNA evidence that had been collected at the crime scene.

"It was determined that the evidence collected in the investigation could be resubmitted for DNA testing, which may not have been possible in years past," the office said in a statement.

The charges were filed on May 18, 2023 after the evidence pointed investigators to Creter, who had moved to Winnipeg, Canada. On June 27, 2024, Creter was taken into custody by Canadian authorities on a warrant charging him with murder. He was later extradited to the United States.

In exchange for his guilty plea, Creter agreed to a 10-year sentence in New Jersey State prison. He must serve 85% of that sentence before he will be eligible for parole, the prosecutor said. Creter's sentencing is scheduled for July 11 at 10 a.m. in Somerset County.