Woman whose body was found burned had recently completed treatment for drug addiction

Tammy Cochran was a skilled cosmetologist and at one time had a salon in her Shawnee home.

"Hair, nails, all of that," said her father Mike Cochran. "She was very good."

That, however, was before her life was upended by drug addiction. Now Mike Cochran suspects his daughter's struggle with drugs contributed to her death at age 37. He thinks Cochran left her Olathe home the last few days of February, possibly with another person, for drugs.

On March 5 Cochran's burned body was found in rural Olathe. On Thursday, her family increased the reward for information about the slaying from $1,000 to $6,000.

"Hopefully this will create some justice and just finalize it," said Mike Cochran.

Cochran's body was discovered about 10:30 a.m. on March 5 in the area of the Cedar Creek boat ramp at 8255 S. Gardner Road, near the Kansas River.

Cochran's family said she had been strangled, dumped and set ablaze.

Police have declined to discuss the details of the murder.

Cochran, who has a 17-year-old son, was last seen Feb. 29 on surveillance video at a local convenience store wearing a dark blue or black jacket with a fuzzy collar. She also had on a light green shirt, black shoes and blue jeans with a design on the back pockets.

Investigators are not saying what store gave them the video but said detectives are reviewing several days of video.

"We're trying to keep people's minds open to all the places she might have been and not just have them focus in on one," said Olathe police spokesman Robert Ahsens.

He said the woman reportedly had been seen in Kansas City and Kansas City, Kan., and other area cities.

Cochran's criminal record included a 2004 municipal drug conviction in Shawnee and a misdemeanor trespass conviction in a 2004 domestic violence matter in Johnson County District Court

But Mike Cochran said his daughter's life appeared to be on the upturn in the days before she disappeared.

"It was looking so good," he said. "Everything was going well, going positively."

Earlier this year she completed drug treatment at Atchison Valley Hope and had been clean a few weeks. Cochran had recently gotten hired at a hair salon and worked one day before disappearing.

Mike Cochran said he last saw his daughter Wednesday, Feb. 27, when he brought her home from work. The next day, she had the day off. Cochran was then seen that Friday on the convenience store videotape.

"We'll always love her," Mike Cochran said. "I wouldn't trade her for the world."