On September 5, 1988 at
three in the morning, it was about 57 degrees. The quiet early morning
hours in Washington, Indiana were interrupted by a house set a blaze.
Oak Grove Road runs through the town and into the rural area around the
town.
The house that was on
fire was rented by 22 year old Steven Hendricks. Steven had moved his
girlfriend into the home approximately two weeks prior to the morning in
question. His girlfriend was Rebecca Harvey who was 18 at the time.
Upon responding the
fire, authorities found that the house was burning at such a high
temperature that it scorched and caused the paint on the vehicles in the
driveway to crack and pop. Steven's vehicles were all accounted for in
the driveway.
The presence of the
vehicles and the lack of anyone being outside the home led authorities
to looking for individuals in the home that was on fire. Once the fire
was put out, a single set of remains were found inside the home.
The remains that were
found on the bed in the bedroom of the home belonged to Rebecca Harvey.
Upon further examination it was determined that she had been doused with
gas prior to the fire being set and her death. Ultimately, it was
determined that Rebecca was killed due to injuries from the fire.
Investigators were able
to determine that the fire that had called them to the home in the early
morning hours of September 5 of 1988 was arson. The fire was started
under the bed where Rebecca's remains were found.
Steven was not found in
the home; meanwhile, all of his personal belongings were found in the
home. His wallet, boots, and clothing was in the home at the time of the
fire. None of Steven's vehicles were missing. He never showed up to
collect his last check from the body shop where he worked or to collect
his tools.
Police believe that
Steven is a victim of foul play. My first instinct with this case is
that the Steven should be looked at as a suspect, but the more research I
did (with very few resources) I realized that officers must be keeping a
crucial piece of information close to the vest when it comes to
determining Steven's involvement or lack thereof.
The more puzzling piece
of this case is the lack of articles, television news coverage, and
family interviews. I found two interview statements total for the case.
Both were about Steven Hendricks.
One of the statements
was given by Mr. Hendrick's boss. He said that Steven was a hard worker
and never caused problems. Steven's cousin years later gave the only
other statement I could find. She begged that anyone with information
come forward so that the family could find out what had happened with
Steven.
None of Rebecca's family
gave statements that appeared in newspapers in the time or even years
later. In fact, even using the genealogy information I was able to
gather, I couldn't find any relatives. I found one woman who might have
been her mother, but she passed away in 2001.
It was like these young
people popped up for two weeks in 1988 Washington, Indiana and ceased to
exist after the last article ran on September 8, 1988. With most
stories, you can find stories from friends that the victims knew from
high school or even a sibling that misses them dearly. Instead, it is
like everyone has forgotten that these young people existed, let alone
murdered.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Indiana State Police. You can reach them at (812) 482-1441.
Rebecca has been laid to
rest in the Providence Cemetery located in Francisco, Indiana. Rebecca
was born in Princeton, Indiana on June 30, 1970. I lived in Princeton
for a short period of time in the late 1990's to early 2000's. The local
community is small.
___________________Sources______________________________________
"Fire Killed Teen: boyfriend still sought." Evansville Press. September 7, 1988. local.evpl.org/views/viewarticle.asp?ID=583210
"Queen of Clubs." Indiana State Police Card Deck. www.in.gov/idoc/files/2ndEditionCLUBS.pdf
"Steven W. Hendricks." The Charley Project. June 26, 2011. www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/hendricks_steven.html
"Steven Hendricks: Missing from Indiana since 1988." Missing Persons of America. February 1, 2014. www.missingpersonsofamerica.com/2014/02/01/steven-hendricks-missing-from-indiana-since-1988/
"Rebecca Harvey." Indiana State Police Cold Case Database. www.in.gov/isp/2610.htm
"Fire Death Being Investigated." The Indianapolis Star. September 8, 1988. Page 22. www.newspaper.com/newspage/05949833/
'3923 DMIN- Steven W. Hendricks." The Doe Network. March 17, 2017. www.doenetwork.org/cases/3923dmin.html
"Washington, Indiana." American Fact Finder. United States Census Bureau. factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productive.xhtml?src=bkmk
"Rebecca Sue "Becky" Harvey." Grave location. www.findagrave.com/memorial/173800994/rebecca-sue-harvey
"Hendricks, Steven 9-4-1988 IN." Porchlight International for the Missing and Unidentified. October 12, 2008. z10.invisionfree.com/usedtobedoe/ar/t38422.htm
"Weather History For Washington, IN." The Old Farmer's Almanac. September 5, 1988. www.almanac.com/weather/history/IN/Washington/1988-09-05
