Artistic renderings of the victim by NCMEC, Barbara Martin-Bailey and Betsy Cooper; victim's belt buckle.
Identified...Identified...Identified
Artistic renderings of the victim by NCMEC, Barbara Martin-Bailey and Betsy Cooper; victim's belt buckle.
Date of Discovery: October 18, 1983
Location of Discovery: Lake Village, Newton County, Indiana
Estimated Date of Death: 1982-1983
State of Remains: Skeletal
Cause of Death: Homicide by stabbing
Estimated Age: 15-18 years old
Race: Black
Sex: Male
Height: 5'8" to 6'2"
Weight: 140 to 160 lbs. with a light to averge build.
Hair: Black, close-cropped.
Eye Color: Unknown.
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown.
Dentals: Available. Several dental fillings.
Fingerprints: Not available.
DNA: Available.
Clothing: Levi jeans, red and white belt with the word "DEVIL" on it, gold belt buckle with the word "JEANS" on it, and Hush Puppy style boots with a side buckle (size 10).
Jewelry: Unknown.
Additional Personal Items: Unknown.
Mushroom hunters found the victim in a shallow grave on an abandoned farm near Sumava Resorts, off US-41, a half mile north of SR-10. The victim was found along with three other victims. Two of the additional three victims were identified via dental records. The third victim, 1384UMIN, remains unidentified. They were all victims of serial killer, Larry Eyler.
Additionally, 3070UMIN, found three days prior, is suspected to be an Eyler victim.
The victim had possibly been picked up while hitchking in July 1983 near the intersection of US 41 and US 63 near Terre Haute in Virgo County. Eyler recalled drugging and sexually assaulting the victim before stabbing him to death.
The victim is known by the nickname "Adam" to investigators. Some believe he was native to Chicago, Illinois or St. Louis, Michigan.
Eyler, a Crawfordsville native, additionally confessed to murdering nearly two dozen young men in the Midwest in the early 1980s. He was dubbed the "Highway Killer" because of where most of his victims' bodies were found - left in locations between Eyler's two residences in Terre Haute and Chicago. His path often followed U.S. 41 in Indiana and Interstate 57 in Illinois.
Five victims have been found in Newton and Jasper counties, and all linked to Eyler. Eyler would take victims from southern Indiana and bury them in northern Indiana - and vice versa - to avoid detection.
Eyler was convicted of murder and other charges in Illinois and Indiana. He died while in custody in Illinois of AIDS-related complications in 1994.
Invetigators are seeking forensic genetic genealogy in effort to identify the victim.
Agency Name: Newton County Coroner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Special Deputy Scott McCord
Agency Phone Number: 219-285-2515 or 219-964-9872
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 56-09-Adam83
Agency Name: Indiana State Police: District 13
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 219-696-6242
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: Unknown
NCIC Case Number: U310022972
NamUs Case Number: 6011
NCMEC Case Number: 1184271
Added: 3/18/10; Last Updated: 11/23/19
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information may be estimated.
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