Murder of Daniel Gene Lutz

On June 22, 1976, 28-year-old Daniel Lutz would be working at his store, Lutz Sporting Goods and Grocery Store, on State Road 44, approximately 4.5 miles west of Liberty, Indiana. At 12:50 a woman would go into the store to buy cigarettes and would find Daniel lying behind the counter bleeding. She would go to the restaurant next door for help. Daniel was still alive but would die shortly after arriving at the hospital.

It was apparent that he had been shot shortly before he was found. The register was opened and all of the paper cash was taken. The person only got away with $30 to $50. 

Daniel had bought and opened the store just the week before he was killed. It's unknown why someone would target a store that had just opened. 

SOURCES:

Indiana State Police

Uncovered

Find a Grave

The Reporter-Times June 23, 1976

Palladium-Item June 24, 1976

Palladium-Item August 5, 1976

Disappearance of Clarence Parchman

On February 17,1981, 37-year-old Clarence Parchman last spoke to a family member in Indianapolis, Indiana. His car was later found abandoned off an interstate in Terre Haute. There is little information in this case. 

Clarence is a black man and was 37 years old at the time. He's 5'11" and 187 lbs. He has black hair and brown eyes.

SOURCES:

NamUs

Murder of Lionel Hampton

On February 8, 1997, 30-year-old Lionel Hampton went to the Elks Lodge in Kokomo, Indiana. When he left the club he was shot to death by two unidentified men in the parking lot. The two would flee East from the club. 

At the time Lionel had been living in the area for around 6 weeks. One article states that it's possible that the killers thought that he was a cocaine dealer that was invading their turf. 

The suspects were described as being 5'6" to 5'8" and around 140 to 150 lbs. They were wearing dark clothing.

SOURCES:

City of Kokomo

Uncovered

The Kokomo Tribune April 10, 1997

October 31, 1880 Floyd County, Indiana Baby Doe

On October 31, 1880 the body of a very young infant (less than a year-old) was found floating in the Ohio River opposite of the hickory Mill in Floyd County, Indiana. The infant's head showed evidence that they  had died a violent death . The Infant would be buried the next day in New Albany's Fairview Cemetery. 

Since the infant was described as very young and not newborn it could be assumed that it was not. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Murder of Jeanne Melville

On September 24, 1970, Phyllis Nichols arrived at the Greyhound Station in Richmond, Indiana. She was there to pick up her niece 18-year-old Jeanne Melville. Jeanne was visiting from Wisconsin. She waited and waited, but Jeanne didn't arrive so she left and came back. Jeanne never arrived.

On October 11th a nude body of a young woman was found in a cornfield near Arcanum, Ohio. She was found 60 ft from Frazers Rd by two teens wandering the area on horseback. She had been Asphyxiated. It was Jeanne, but she would be a Jane Doe until July of 2009. Her ring was found with her, but has gone missing since then. Her clothing was found beneath two bridges nearby over the line in Preble County.

It was initially believed that Jeanne never made it to Indiana, but seeing as her body was found about 40 minutes away it's now believed that she did. She may have gotten to the Station early or late and possibly missed her aunt. She likely got a ride from someone she perceived as friendly and that person killed the young woman. It could be possible that this person was a local or even someone who was on the bus with her.

SOURCES:
Ohio Attorney General
Charley Project
Uncovered
Unidentified Wiki

Daily Advocate April 1, 2018

October 9, 1901 Somerville, Indiana John Doe

On October 8, 1901, a young unknown man would be seen in Somerville, Indiana. On the 9th he would be seen walking up and down the streets stopping to rest once in a while in front of stores. He spoke very little, but people could tell he was of more than ordinary intelligence. He had gone to the train station several times to ask when the train was going to arrive. 

He would start walking down the track about 30 minutes before the train would arrive. When the train got close to him he ignored it. The engineer in the cab blew the whistle and it alerted the man. He looked up at the train and walked to the edge of the track as if he was going to walk off the track, but stopped just before doing so with one foot on the rail. Instead of walking off he turned and walked towards the train.

The Train tried to stop but was not able to. The man was struck but was still alive and unconscious. The train crew would bring him aboard and physicians aboard tried to help him. It seemed that he broke his arm, his back was injured and he had internal injuries. He died a few minutes after his arrival. 

The man seemed to have taken precautions before his death. There did not seem to have been any way of identifying him. It may have been his plan to kill himself in this town where no one knew him.

John Doe was around 21 years old. He was well dressed and may have been middle class. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Evansville Courier and Press October 10, 1901

Evansville Courier and Press October 11, 1901

Murder of Alexandra "Alex" Anaya

On August 12, 2005, 13-year-old Alexandra "Alex" Anaya would have a late-night meal at White Castle with her mother. They would go back to their home on the 4000 block of Pine Avenue in Hammond, Indiana. In the early hours of the next morning, Alex's mother, Sandra, would leave and return by 6:45 a.m. 

When her mother returned she found that the door was unlocked which was unusual. She had remembered locking it before leaving and Alex was very conscious of the door being locked before going to bed. Alex was still up when her mother left, but told her she was going to bed soon. 

So Sandra went to check on Alex and her younger sisters. Alex's bed was empty and she was nowhere to be seen. I would be unusual for Alex to just leave. Sandra thought that maybe Alex had gone to the nearby corner store. So when she went outside and found Alex's shoes on the steps outside their home she began to worry. 

The police would be called to report Alex missing. The police had told her it was likely that she had run away. Her mother thought that was out of character for her but thought that it was possible as she was a teenager and may be going through a rebellious phase. Her family would still search the streets for her. It wasn't for 3 long days until any news of Alex would be heard of.

On August 16th a family would be on their boat in the Little Calumet River. They would spot what they thought was a mannequin floating in the river. They called the police because they thought the mannequin could cause damage to other boats. 

When authorities arrived it was a gruesome discovery. It was the torso of a teenage girl. DNA would identify her as Alex. 

Only her torso was found, Her limbs, head, and a necklace she always wore were never recovered. It was found that she had been sexually assaulted, and she died soon after she was last seen as the fries she ate with her mother were in her stomach. It's possible that the necklace which was a religious gold medalion may have been kept as a trophy. 

SOURCES:

FBI

WGN TV

True Crime Society

May 1864 Vigo County Indiana Stranger

In May 1864 a person would drown in Vigo County, Indiana. On May 21st they would be buried at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Terre Haute

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

April 1860 Vigo County, Indiana Stranger

 In April 1860 an unknown person died drowning in Vigo County, Indiana. They would be buried on April 4th at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Terre Haute. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Disappearance of Sarah Jane Hamilton

On February 28, 2018,  29-year-old Sarah Hamilton moved out of her father's residence in Grove City, Ohio to Indiana. Her father's vehicle would later be discovered abandoned in Indiana with no sight of Sarah. 

Sarah is a white female and was 29-years-old at the time. She is 4'11" and 150 lbs. She has red hair and blue eyes. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

November 13, 1945 Porter County, Indiana Jane Doe

 On November 13, 1945a hunter would find the skeletal remains of a woman in the dense woods near Quakerdom School in Jackson Township about 1/2 mile south of S.E. 6.5 miles east of SR 49 and 1.5 miles west of La Porte county line. She was fully clothed laying on her back with her arms placed evenly along the sides, her legs lying straight with her feet together and her head resting on a tree root.  Near her body was a box of rotting clothing and a pocketbook.

There was no cause of death found other than she did not have any signs of violence on her bones. It was believed she may have been dead for 8 to 15 months. It's also believed with how she was positioned she did not die where she was found.

from articles at the time, it was believed that she was 30 to 45-years-old, but NamUs lists her as pre-60. She was 5'6" and around 135 to 150lbs.  She has brown hair and a gold tooth filling. She was wearing a red, blue, and grey tweed coat with a blue and red plaid lining, nylon stockings, size 8 1/2 black leather, and open-toed shoes with little wear. 

In the pasteboard box was a pair of canvas wedge-type shoes, a size 38 black dress with a zipper on the side and black, and a tan purse with a brass clasp containing a handkerchief. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Doe Network

Vidette-Messenger of Porter County November 13, 1945

The Star Press November 14, 1945

Linton Daily Citizen December 6, 1945

Murder of Marie Bridget Patrick

On November 11, 1981, 15-year-old Marie Patrick and a 16-year-old friend were in the process of running away from Cincinnati, Ohio to Texas. While hitchhiking in Cincinnati the two were picked up by a truck driver who called himself Bill at about 6:30 p.m. 

While on the I-64 at mile marker 67 in Indiana Bill began to make sexual advances and threats toward the girls. Between 10 to 10:30p.m., the girls demanded to be let out and a struggle ensued and Bill would end up stabbing Marie in the leg. Marie would shove her friend out of the moving truck, but Marie could not get out with her. Her friend would survive and someone would give her a ride to the hospital in Jeffersonville. That was when she told them what had happened. 

It wasn't until the next morning that Marie's body would be found about 5 miles down from where her friend escaped. She likely died soon after she was last seen. It's unknown if she had fallen, jumped, or shoved out of the vehicle, but had died due to head injuries from the fall. She did not have signs of sexual assault. 

Bill was driving a semi with a white cab and a silver grey trailer.

SOURCES:

Indiana State Police

Evansville Courier and Press November 12, 1981

Evansville Courier and Press November 17, 1981

Murder of Wilma Cheek

 

Around 11:15 a.m. on October 30, 1995, 48-year-old Wilma Cheek's 1989 grey Pontiac Grand Prix was observed in the rear of Willow Grove Cemetery in Fountain City, Indiana. A short time later the caretaker took a closer look at the vehicle to see Wilma slumped over in the driver's seat. She had been shot to death within the hour of being discovered. She was last seen that morning at 7:30 a.m.

SOURCES:
Indiana State Police
Find a Grave

Palladium-Item December 19, 1995

CBS4 October 25, 2015

Fox 59 October 25, 2015

WANTED: Gustavo Cruz

Gustavo Cruz is wanted for allegedly molesting an 11-year-old and recording it on their cellphone in Indianapolis, Indiana between Jan 1, 2016, to March 29, 2017. On March 31, 2017, a federal warrant was issued for him in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indianapolis, Indiana.

Gustavo is from Veracruz, Mexico, and may have returned to Mexico to escape the law. He may be using the alias's Gustavo Adolfo Cruz-Hernandez, Gustavo Cruz-Aguilar.

He is a white(Hispanic) male born on October 27, 1975, in Veracruz, Mexico. He is 5'10" and 210 lbs. He has black hair and brown eyes. He has a mole on his right cheek. At the time he was a migrant worker. 

SOURCES:

FBI

Murder of Lawrance "Larry" Howard Groves

 

On Jan. 28, 2003 family members of 40-year-old Larry Groves reported him missing. Family and friends had not heard from him. It's possible the last time he was heard from was on Jan. 12th around 11 p.m. He was talking to a friend on the phone in his home in Lakeville, Indiana. During the phone call, someone started banging on the door demanding to be let in. He knew the person and told his friend that he'd call them back in 20 minutes after the visitor leaves. The friend never got a phone call back.

Family members came to the house several times, but could not find any clues to what had happened to Larry.

Neighbors had not even seen Larry in the months after his disappearance. One neighbor was annoyed with the trees leaving peaches and pine needles on his side of the privacy fence. In June he would trim the trees and this was when he saw the side of the house covered in black. He knew something was inside causing this.

The neighbor would call the former owner and the father of Larry's longtime companion, who'd died in 2001, to check in on the house. On June 18th he would go in and note the awful smell. He would check the trap door that lead to the crawl space. It was covered with a rug. This was where they found Larry's body.

SOURCES:

Indiana State Police

Find a Grave

Reddit

Imgur (several newspaper clippings)

Murder of Margaret and Bruce Moser

 

On Jan. 4 1978 20-year-old Bruce Moser left work to pick up his wife, 22-year-old Margaret, at their home located at State Road 3, 1/8 mile north of Wells and Blackford County Line in Indiana. No one would hear from the couple for a couple of days.

When they were found both Margaret and Bruce had been murdered, but their 2-year-old daughter was unharmed. Bruce's hands were tied behind his back with boot laces in the living room near the front door. He had been shot in the head. It's believed that the killer was interrupted by Bruce when he came home.  Margaret was tied to the bed with only a torn shirt on. She had been raped and shot in the head. The gun used was Bruce's .22 caliber single-shot rifle. The home was also robbed. It's unknown if the killer or killers initially intended to kill the couple.

SOURCES:

Indiana State Police (Margaret)

Indiana State Police (Bruce)

Find a Grave (Bruce)

Find a Grave (Margaret)

Medium

South Bend Tribune Jan 7, 1978

The Daily Journal Jan. 7, 1978

The Star Press Jan. 10, 1978

Disappearance of Martha Lena Nehring Pilnok

On Jan. 15, 1944, 39 to 41-year-old Martha Pilnok was last seen in Valparaiso, Indiana. There is little information in this case.

Martha is a white female and was 39 to 40-years-old at the time. She was 5'2" and 130 to 150 lbs. She has light brown hair and brown eyes. Martha may go by the last names Nearing, Nehring, Pelnok, or Pilnok. Nehring was her maiden name.

 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Web Sleuths

Missing Person Commentary

April 8, 1866 Evansville, Indiana Jane Doe

 On April 8, 1866, boys playing on Chesnut Street in Evansville, Indiana found toes sticking out of the dirt. Recent rain had washed away and revealed the body of a woman in a shallow grave. Her head was not found with the body. It was believed that she had been dead for at least 2 months. It was strange that she was undiscovered even buried where found because Chestnut St. was a busy street.

Her race was unknown. She was 5'6". She was wearing a nightgown.

In 1873 a Frederick J Smith who used the alias Meyer was indicted for the murder. He had lived in Evansville at the time, but moved by the time he was indicted. 

I'm not sure if she was identified articles would just refer to the woman as the headless woman. I'm not sure if he was convicted or not it just states he was indicted. It doesn't even state why he was suspected.

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wiki

Evansville Daily Journal April 9, 1866

Seymore Times March 20, 1873

Fort Wayne Daily Gazette March 13, 1873

Murder of Joseph Carl Vincent

 On July 16, 1982, 49-year-old Joseph Vincent was found dead 3 miles from 1st Ave and Kratzville Rd in Evansville, Indiana. He was found to be shot multiple times. His truck was found 3 miles from where he was found.

SOURCES:

Indiana State Police

Disappearance of Opal Beatrice Fulks

 

In 1931/1932 22-year-old Opal Fulks was last seen in Monticello, Indiana. She was last documented at her daughter's birth on March 4, 1931. In 1939 according to newspapers, Opal's husband was divorcing her because they separated in 1932 and she abandoned her children. 

Opal is a white female and was 22-years-old at the time. She 5'0" to 5'10" and 100 to 180 lbs. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Missing Person Commentary