A free spirit, flower child, and fearless; all words used to describe Lisa Manis, 24.
Justin Kilgore, an investigator with the Chattanooga Police Department, says, "She may have just been trying to enjoy her life, moving from city to city, just to see the world."
Trying to see the world, and trying to see her estranged father, but that journey was abruptly cut short, as Manis was beat up, strangled, and left for dead.
Charlie Kelly, a resident, says, "It looked like she was rolled down the hill with her arm covering her face, so she looked like she was just asleep."
It was a hot, June day when a man ran to Kelly's house off Mountain Creek Road, and said he found a dead body in a ditch.
After post-mortem photographs aired on News 12, she was identified as Flint, Michigan Native, Lisa Manis.
Kelly adds, "Gut wrenching, traumatic, needless crime."
All the way from Phoenix to Chattanooga, police say Manis hitched a ride with a truck driver who had family in the Scenic City.
Kilgore adds, "I don't know if he was staying with her, but he was definitely paying for the room she was staying in."
And during that time, We know Manis was looking for a job at a Rossville Pizza Hut.
The signature on her application was maybe her last, as she died just two days later.
Kilgore says, "She was last seen leaving a club on Rossville Boulevard. That's the last time anyone had seen her."
But who would want to strangle a seemingly vibrant, young woman looking to make it on her own?
Kilgore says, "It's someone who's probably, maybe physically or emotionally close to her, even though it was a short amount of time."
No suspects, but a lot of theories.
An article published 16 years after Manis' death says her murder may be linked to a serial killer who works as a long-haul trucker.
However, that theory has not been proven, at least in this case anyway.
Kilgore adds, "This is going to take someone very close to the suspect, that knows first hand knowledge from the suspect of what did occur."
If that someone comes forward, investigators say you can rest assure there was evidence left behind that could put somebody in jail for the rest of their life.
If you have any tips or remember seeing Lisa Manis, you are asked to call Chattanooga Police immediately.
