Nancy Lyons

On June 17, 2002, Beverly Tallent-Lyons got a call she would never forget. She was at her home in Louisville, Kentucky when she received a call that her younger sister, Nancy Lyons who was 46 at the time, missing. Her younger sister's car had been found on a rural road in Indiana. 

The car had been found at the corner of County Road 700 west and County road 500 north in Rush County. Idling in park, the car had been abandoned. One tire on the vehicle was flat and the car was unlocked. Nothing in the vehicle looked to be disturbed.

Nancy's purse, ID, and cellphone were present. Along with her personal affects, the recent purchases she had made from Wal-Mart were still in the car. Nancy was the only thing missing.

The family, community, and police began searching for Nancy immediately. Within the first two weeks, no progress was made. Cadaver dogs were brought in to the area where the vehicle had bee located, but they were unable to locate any traces of Nancy.

It would be October of 2002 before the family would hear anything about where Nancy might be. On October 2 in Bartholomew County, a farmer reported to police that he had found skeleton remains in his soybean field. The field was approximately 30 miles from where her car had been located months earlier.

These remains would later be identified as those of Nancy Lyons. Upon further examination of the remains, it was apparent that she had succumbed to blunt force trauma to the skull. It was not apparent as to whether or not sexual assault had occurred. This might have been due to the advanced stages of decomposition of the remains.

Beverly began to feel that the investigation had been hindered. She made it known that believed that mistakes early in the investigation led to the case not being solved in a more timely manner. In order to draw attention to her cause she launched a letter writing campaign. Over 500 letters were written according to my research. The letters were sent to politicians and people of power all over the United States. One of these letters even was sent to Canadian authorities. 

 Beverly won the time of the State Police in late 2006 or early 2007. State Police turned over evidence to the FBI's crime lab for investigation. They had hoped that by getting assistance with the case, the case would be solved. Upon the return of the results, Beverly was scheduled to meet with investigators and the prosecutor, nothing came from this meeting. 

No person of interest has been publicly named in the case and the case is still considered active by State Police. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Indiana State Police. They can be contacted at 1-812-689-5000 or 1-765-778-2121. 

________________Sources___________________________

"6 Years Later, Family Hopes Woman's Killer Will be Caught." RTV 6. June 12, 2008. https://www.theindychannel.com/news/6-years-later-family-hopes-woman-s-killer-will-be-caught

"Cold Cases: Lyons Homicide not only unsolved investigation." Caitlin VanOverberghe. Daily Reporter. June 27, 2017. http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/2017/06/28/cold_cases/

"Family Hopes for Break in Case." Jeff Eakins. The Banner. June 27, 2007. http://thebanneronline.com/archive_news/2007/06/27/family-hopes-for-break.htm

"Family Marks Anniversary of Unsolved Slaying." Caitlin Overberghe. Greenfield Daily Reporter. June 27, 2017. http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/2017/06/28/still_searching-2/

"Nancy Lyons." Indiana State Police Database. http://www.in.gov/isp/2620.htm

"The Nancy Lyons Project." Frank Denzler. Rushville Republican. June 13, 2012. http://www.rushvillerepublican.com/news/local_news/the-nancy-lyons-project/article_a467cef1-c4f5-54ef-a540-d4548afa4992.html

When Does Existence End?

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

Tracy Sissom

Tracy Sissom, 33 years old, was packing up her apartment to move back into her mother's place on September 20, 2004. She was borrowing her father's 1995 Black Chevy Trailblazer. She was using the vehicle to load up her stuff to move back in with her parents. Her apartment was near 30th and Post Road in Indianapolis. Her mother also lived near or in Indianapolis.

At about 7:30 pm, Tracy called her mother to let her know that she was finishing up and would be heading back. She probably felt melancholy. She was moving because she was now estranged from her husband. Some describe the relationship as toxic, others said that the couple just weren't good for one another. Rumors swirled about whether or not Tracy was recovering from drug addiction.

When Tracy did not show up that evening, her mother began to worry like every mother should. Some sources say that Tracy's parents reported her missing within hours, others say that they reported it the following morning. Regardless, officers commend the parents for making a report to IPD so quickly.

When investigating the disappearance, neighbors claimed that a suspicious vehicle had bee present in the area on the night Tracy had disappeared, according to Police Sergeant Jeff Deckard. The neighbors described a dark SUV, which might be ruled out as being the vehicle that Tracy was using to move.

On October 4, 2004, a Marion County Sheriff Deputy spotted the trailblazer. The vehicle was found on North Oakland Avenue. When asking about the vehicle, police found that the vehicle had been driving erratically until it turned on to North Oakland Avenue. Once the vehicle was parked a witness claimed that a man and a woman fled from the vehicle on foot and did not return to it. 

When the vehicle was examined, police found a partial box of ammunition in the vehicle. They were unable to pull any finger prints or DNA from the vehicle according to some reports. This raises the question as to whether or not the vehicle had been wiped clean.

On the evening of October 7, 2004, a man was driving in a rural area of Brown County near Gnaw Bone when he hit a deer. He had a report made and was stuck dealing with the aftermath and damage to his vehicle. It was too dark to locate missing pieces of debris, so the driver decided to return the following morning. 

October 8, 2004 changed the driver's life forever. While looking along the edge of the road for pieces of his vehicle, made a gruesome discovery in the wooded area. He found a body wrapped in a blanket.

Police released information about the body hoping to identify it. The body was in a state of decomposition when it was found, which made identification more difficult. The remains were so decomposed that they could not tell gender. In order to help with identification, officer released a statement saying the remains had a tattoo of a chain on the ankle and a flower on the back of the leg.

The remains were not confirmed to belong to Tracy Sissom until December 17 of 2004. The Indiana University School of Forensic Science did the analysis that confirmed the identity via dental records. The cause of death has never been released, but officers have confirmed the death to be a homicide. At the time of her death, there were no drugs present in her system, which could put drug rumors to rest.

Tracy was laid to rest in January of 2005.

As the investigation was underway, detectives were unable to link Tracy to Brown County. None of her family or friends lived there. Detectives stated that they followed numerous leads, but they have led no where.

In 2006, the family offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the murder of their loved one. Tracy's children continue to grow up without a mother and that is heartbreaking. 

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the Indiana State Police.

(812) 332-4411

______________Author's Note_______________

Thank you guys for all the feedback! If you have a case that you would like to cover, feel free to put it in the comments or reach out via email at StudyofIndianaColdCases@gmail.com

_________________Sources________________________

"Cold Case Expert Knows Persistence Can Pay Off." The Indianapolis Star. September 20, 2006. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/126801462/

"Decomposing Body Found Along Brown County Road." The Times of North West Indiana. October 10, 2004. http://www.nwitimes.com/news/state-and-regional/decomposing-body-found-along-brown-county-road/article_52e041a4-e059-5095-be94-b68eead2fa79.html

"Family Offers $10K Reward in Woman's 2004 Death." RTV 6. September 16, 2006. http://www.theindychannel.com/news/family-offers-10k-reward-in-woman-s-2004-death

"Family of Slain Woman Offers Reward To Find Killer." Jon Murray. The Indianapolis Star. September 20, 2006. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/126801351/

"Sissom Investigation Continues." The Republic. May 4, 2005. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/149160080/

Maps Produced via Google Maps.

A Sickening Suspect

A girl, 18, made some mistakes. She got wrapped up in the wrong crowd. Court documents in a former boyfriend's case implicated her in a robbery. Later, she was charged and convicted in a case related to car theft.

In order to turn her life around, she would have to make some big changes. Amanda Vanscyoc was this girl. She signed up to be a narcotics informant for the police. She got a job at Schnuck's, according to her stepfather. Her mother said that she was really trying.

On November 9, 2001, Amanda's mother, Linda Warner, said that she was leaving for work and decided to make sure that Amanda was up and moving. That day Amanda was expected to appear for her second interview at the local Walmart. This is the last time that Amanda was seen alive. 

A few hours after Linda had left for work, she decided to call home to make sure that Amanda had left for her interview. There was no answer, so she assumed her daughter had made the interview. This unanswered phone call raises some questions, which I will address later.

That evening, Amanda never came home. Linda Warner confessed her fears to her husband, John Warner, who was Amanda's stepfather. They decided to not report her disappearance to police because her not returning home would be a violation of her probation.

On November 13, 2001, earlier in the day police were called to an area located near the Ohio River. The area was known for drug activity. The officers that arrived completed their activities in the area and nothing looked suspicious. The location in question is located somewhere in the highlighted area. 

Later that same day, police receive a phone call of a body found by deer hunters in the same area. Officers returned to the location and the body of a Caucasian female was found covered with a rug. The body was confirmed to be that of Amanda Lee Vanscyoc. She was nude. Her clothing and her purse would later be found at home, where she lived with her mother and stepfather. The area in which her body was found would later be called "the rat's nest" due to Amanda's status as an informant.

Investigation revealed at the body had been moved to the location where it had been found and that she had been dead for at least three days before she was found.

Upon examination, investigators found DNA on her remains. The DNA was semen, which would later be confirmed to be that of John Warner, Amanda's stepfather. In order for the DNA to be found in the way that it had been meant that it had come into contact with Amanda's body shortly before her death and had not been wiped off.

Amanda's stepfather initially denied having any knowledge of how the DNA ended up on Amanda's remains. His wife, Amanda's own mother, continued to stand by him. Later, he admitted to having a sexual relationship with the stepdaughter.

When asked about it, Linda Warner said "I have no question that that is a possibility, but why does that make him a killer?" This is odd to me considering that both of Amanda's parents claim that they were told by police that the stepfather failed a polygraph that was taken in regards to Amanda's murder. Linda Warner's support of her husband under such circumstances seems questionable to me.

Brad Vanscyoc, Amanda's father, believes that the stepfather was guilty of the murder. He and Linda Warner fight like cats and dogs about the murder of their daughter and death threats have been made multiple times during these arguments.

While investigating, police quickly began to look at the stepfather as a suspect. H e would later die in a car accident, but the mother would take his side over and over again. On the day of the murder, he allegedly had been home all day with no witnesses. If he had been home, why hadn't he answered the phone when Linda Warner had called after being at work for a few hours?

Investigators don't believe that Amanda's status as an informant had anything to do with her death for two reasons. Firstly, she openly told people she was an informant and as a result nobody would talk to her. Secondly, Amanda never gave the police any information. She really didn't have any information that anyone else didn't already have.

In 2002, Warrick County Sheriff Bruce Hargrave requested the federal satellite footage of the region from November 9, 2001. He was hoping that the imagery would be able to see whether or not the suspect's vehicle had left his home on the day in question. The home in question is approximately 75 miles from a military base, so it is more likely that something might have been caught. A satellite expert said that it was far fetched. Hargrave said that he didn't believe he would actually get the images that he requested, but he didn't want to leave any possibility unchecked.

No new information has been made available in this case. Anyone with any information that can account for the days between Amanda's remains being found and her disappearance, is asked to use the following information to contact police.

Indiana State Police
District Investigative Commander
19411 Highway 41 North
Evansville, IN 47725
1-812-867-2079 or 1-800-852-3970

________________________Source_______________________

"Murdered Teen had Agreed to Work as a Police Informant." Associated Press. November 16, 2001. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/148659887/

"The Future of Satellites and Forensics." Amanda Onion. ABC News. February 26, 2002. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=98076&page=1

"Unsolved Murder: Amanda Vanscyoc." 14 News WFIE. http://www.14news.com/story/8256644/unsolved-murder-amanda-vanscyoc

"Warrick Officials Say Slain Teen Had Signed On as a Drug Informant." Evansville Courier. November 16, 2001. http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n1923/a07.html?7861

"5 Evansville Area Cold Cases You Could Help to Solve." Ryan O'Bryan. 106.1 KISS FM. 2017. http://1061evansville.com/5-evansville-area-cold-cases-you-could-help-solve/

Maps created using Google Maps.

Johanna Weaver

Being a single mom is hard, even harder when you are stuck in a cycle of generational poverty and nothing is looking up. Many people stuck in the cycle turn to drugs for a pick-me-up when they face endless days with no hope in sight of things getting better. They say dying young is the fastest way to become a saint, which is true unless you're lower middle class or poverty level. 

This is the story of Johanna Weaver. Johanna was a single mom who fell into drugs like a lot of 20 somethings do when they are looking for an escape. She might have made poor decisions, but she always tried to shield her children from her troubled life. 

Johanna's mother would take the kids on weekends when Johanna would drop them off before she would engage in unsavory activities. Johanna was addicted to cocaine, which was quickly growing in usage in Indiana in 1995. The young mother would spend her weekends chasing highs and hanging out with less than decent people, so she would always leave the kids with her mother so that they were not exposed. 

Johnnie Huddleston, Johanna's mother, tried multiple times to put her daughter in rehab. Sadly, since these programs were not court ordered Johanna was allowed to leave at any time. Many times Johanna would start a program, but then leave before finishing. Her mother was left with no choice, but to watch her daughter continue to make poor decisions and try to protect her grandchildren from them. 

When Sunday night rolled around, Johanna would sober up and pickup her two small children. During the week she was a typical single mom, hustling to provide for her children. She was a semi-functioning addict who used prostitution to pay for her addiction according to many accounts. 

In June of 1995, a Sunday night rolled around and Johanna did not return to her mother's home to retrieve her children as she normally did. That was when her mother began to suspect that something was terribly wrong. Her mother managed to find help to watch the children while she went to work the next morning. 

Johnnie Huddleston, Johanna's mother, over the next week would receive a series of voicemails from her daughter that made her fear for the young mother's life. Nothing was explicitly said in the messages, but Johnnie said she could just tell from the tone. When she contacted the police over her daughter's absence, she was told that the voicemails constituted contact. Johanna could not be reported missing at that time. 

After all these years, Johnnie can't remember the exact day on which the voicemails stopped and the phone companies didn't keep those records for very long at the time. When they stopped Johnnie began to fear for the worst. 

On July 13, 1995 a mowing crew found the body of a thin, black woman under branches and debris in the median of the I-65 and I-70 slit in Indianapolis. The body had been burned and was unidentifiable.

After a week, on July 21, 1995, the body from the median was finally identified as Johanna Weaver. The picture above indicates where the body was found. 

In 2007, twelve years after Johanna's murder, a detective from the Indiana State Police was assigned to the cold case. Sergeant Jeff Coffey was the officer that took over the case. He was able to narrow down the timeline of Weaver's disappearance. He discovered that the last time Johanna was seen alive was on July 8 in 1995. Her "friends" had seen her with a man that they didn't know. This sighting occurred near 17th and Park Street.

(The highlighted box is the area in which Johanna was last seen. The highlighted road is an area in which she worked as a prostitute and where she obtained drugs.)

Sergeant still had a period of four days where he was unable to account for her. He tried reaching out to her "friends," but many have remained tight-lipped. This has proved problematic since DNA was recovered from the body that is believed to belong to Johanna's murderer.

Anyone who saw Weaver in those for days has been asked repeatedly to contact police. Call the Indiana State Police at (317) 899-8577 or 1-(800) 582-8440 if you have any information regarding the murder or disappearance of Johanna Weaver. 

_____________________Sources___________________________

"Indiana Unsolved: Four Days a Mystery in Death of Troubled Mom Johanna Weaver." Diana Penner. Indy Star. January 17, 2014.  http://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2014/01/17/indiana-unsolved-four-days-a-mystery-in-death-of-troubled-mom-johanna-weaver/4582213/

"Indy Unsolved: Mother's Body Found Burnt Beneath 1-70 Overpass in 1996." Russ McQuad. Fox 59. October 24, 2016. http://fox59.com/2016/10/24/indy-unsolved-mothers-body-found-burnt-beneath-i-70-overpass-in-1996/

Maps via google maps.

IPS Cold Case Database.

Body in the Barrel

Tuesday, June 6, 1978 was a normal day in rural Clayton, Indiana. Clayton has less than one thousand residents, even today. It was an average June day with the temperatures hovering in the upper 70s. 

Mary Ann Higginbotham was a 22 year old woman lived with her boyfriend of two years, Timothy Lee Willoughby. Tim was 25 in 1978. Mary Ann worked at Laughner's diner in Plainfied. Tim moved between odd jobs at numerous body shops in the area, but didn't have a known job at the time.

 June sixth was the last time Mary Ann was seen alive. No one bothered to report her missing. I find this concerning since she was not seen again until June 5 in 1979.

Nearly a year after Mary Ann was last seen, sixteen miles from where she lived in Clayton, a teen was enjoying a warm June day by White Lick Creek off of Sycamore Lane in Mooresville, Indiana.

The was walking along the creek bank and saw a 55-gallon barrel. This was pretty out of place, but not an immediate cause to call authority. He probably would have just thought that someone had dumped it there. When he approached the barrel, he discovered that it was welded shut. So, he had a hammer and decided to bust the side to see what was inside. Like most teens, he was curious.

After busting through the barrel, he put his eye to it to see what was inside. He was unpleasantly surprised with the contents of the barrel. A skull was the first thing the boy was. He promptly called authorities.

When authorities arrived and secured the barrel, they soon were able to examine the contents. Inside of three layers of carpet, one layer of plastic, and a sleeping bag, a the skeletal remains of a body were found. If the body had been wrapped in so much material, I am unsure how the teen was able to see the skull, but this is what numerous claims have stated.

The body was later confirmed to that of Mary Ann Higginbotham. There was no sign of her boyfriend Tim Willoughby, who hadn't been seen since the same day Mary Ann was last seen. Tim instantly became a suspect. Police thought that it was likely that Tim and Mary Ann had a disagreement which led to him murdering her, then he fled after disposing of the body.

This theory would persists for almost four years. Timothy's criminal history did not help this theory. A local deputy was quoted as saying "Tim was always wanted on a warrant somewhere." He was actually supposed to be serving time for an auto theft, he was given the option of serving a solid 40 days or serving 10 weekends. Serving on the weekends like this was an early version of work-release.

Tim stopped going after a handful of weekends. His last check in for his weekend lock-up was May 8, 1978. This was one month before he and Mary Ann would disappear. A rearrest warrant for Tim would not be issued until September 6 of 1978. Tim was also wanted for various traffic violations and other auto related charges that he had failed to appear for in Hendricks county.

For four years, Police focused on Tim as the only suspect in the case regardless of the fact that he had not been seen in four years. It took an informant coming forward to change the direction of the case in 1982.

The informant, who's name I was unable to find, was a woman who was close to the new suspects. She implicated two individuals in the case, Ronald C. Tomasik and James L. Kellam. She told quite an elaborate story. She stated the men were motivated to commit the murder to make sure that Tim didn't rat the men out to police in relation to a car theft ring. It was hypothesized that Tim was trying to extort money from the men.

She told officers that on that fateful day in 1978, Ronald and James allegedly showed up at Mary Ann and Tim's home on rural route three. Mary Ann would have recognized the men as friends or at least acquaintances of Tim's and invited them inside the home.

The informant alleged that the men created small talk to set her at ease and then when she wasn't expecting it launched their attack against Mary Ann. They hit her and then shot her execution style while she begged for her life. They didn't immediately dispose of her body.

Instead, the informant continued, the men then waited on Tim to return home. They waited outside in the truck and convinced Tim to join them before he was able to enter the house and see Mary Ann's dead body. Tim got in the truck with the two. She said the men then told her that they shot Tim less than a mile from his home. They stuffed his body in a barrel and welded it shut.

As proof to back up her statement, the informant provided Mary Ann Higginbotham's rings. She claimed that she had been forced to wash blood from the men's clothing. Police took both men in to custody relying on this woman's statement. Later, DNA was unable to link either of the men to any of the ten items provided to the state lab for testing in relation to case. 

The prosecutor at the time was forced to release the men in relation to a violation of their constitutional rights. The argument was that the men were denied the right to a speedy trial. The charges were also dropped due to insufficient evidence. Detective Randy Pratt said that he was disappointed with the decision of the prosecutor, but he respected it. He was so emotionally invested in the case that he said, "that family's pain was my pain."

Norma Higginbotham believes that the investigators in the case botched the investigation. She believes both of the men that informant turned in should be in jail.

The prosecutor in 2016 released the following statement:

 

"This case was investigated at the time of the occurrence and reopened at least three times in the past 20 years, and many leads were followed up. The family has been kept apprised of the investigations. Although it is frustrating there is not sufficient evidence to proceed with a prosecution."

(On the map above I have highlighted the three towns in question in this case. In some reports the home was actually located in Cartersburg. So I would infer that the house would've been between Cartersburg and Clayton.)

Tim's body still has not been found. No one has been found guilty in the murder of Mary Ann Higginbotham. Anyone with information is asked to call authorities.

Contact Information:

Indiana State Police
District Investigative Commander
8620 E. 21st Street
Indianapolis, IN 46219
1-317-899-8577 or 1-800-582-8440

________________Sources______________________________

"Cold Case Leaves Lingering Question: Who Killed Mary Ann Higginbotham and Tim Willoughby?" Bennett Haeberle. WISHTV. December 15, 2016. http://wishtv.com/2016/12/15/cold-case-still-leaves-lingering-question-who-killed-mary-ann-higginbotham-and-tim-willoughby/

"HNGN TRUE CRIME FEATURE: New Hope For Indiana's Most Infamous Cold Case? Crime Contributor Jon Leiberman Reports on Efforts To Solve a 1979 Double Murder." HNGN. 2017. http://www.hngn.com/articles/51762/20141204/hngn-true-crime-feature-new-hope-for-indianas-most-infamous-cold-case-crime-contributor-jon-leiberman-reports-on-efforts-to-solve-a-1979-double-murder.htm

Indiana State Police. IPS: Mary Ann Higginbotham. http://www.in.gov/isp/2869.htm

"Man Seized in Steel Drum Murders." UPI. August 6, 1983. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/08/06/Man-seized-in-steel-drum-murders/1795428990400/

Maps. Maps.google.com

Missing Persons Database. Timothy Lee Willoughby. http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/w/willoughby_timothy.html

"Victim's Boyfriend Still Missing." Patrick T. Morrison. Rob Schneider. Indianapolis Star. July 1, 1979. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/107200094/

Weather History. June 6, 1978. https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KIND/1978/6/6/DailyHistory.html?req_city=&req_state=&req_statename=&reqdb.zip=&reqdb.magic=&reqdb.wmo=

________________Author's Note__________________

As always, if there is a case you would like covered feel free to let me know and I will do my best to cover it. Contact can be made via email at StudyofIndianaColdCases@gmail.com

Jane Doe 1982

On December 26, 1982, deer hunters in Wayne County were hiking through the woods. It was 32 degrees, perfect weather for deer hunting. While moving through the woods, they made a gruesome discovery. They had stumbled upon skeletal remains, which they immediately reported to authorities. An exact location where the body was found is unknown. The body was found approximately two miles north of I-70 and fifteen miles west of the Ohio/Indiana border. One source stated the body was found near Jacksonburg Road which runs through the highlighted area on the map provided above. 

Upon Further examination it was determined that the body was female. She was between the ages of 18 to 22. She was Caucasian and approximately five feet tall and five inches tall approximately.  Due to the state of decomposition of the body at the time it was discovered, it is believed that she had been dead for 12 to 18 months before discovery.

Officers were unable to identify her. She is still a Jane Doe. What officers do know is that she isn't any of the following women: Cynthia Anderson who disappeared in 1961, Denise Beaudin in 1958, Susan Capple in 1962, or Judy Martins in 1955. These women were ruled out by DNA testing and dental records. Her dental records indicate that she has a crown on the upper left molar and that the upper incisor protrudes 10 millimeters.

Due to the state in which Jane Doe was found, police were unable to take fingerprints or estimate her weight. Foul play is suspected.

Why do we call unidentified individuals Jane Doe, what is the origin? John Doe first showed up in English Common law. This would pop in cases of ejection, what we call eviction today. In order to evict a squatter from your land, another tenant who planned to occupy the land in question had to bring the suit against the squatter. So, landlords would come up with false tenants, they often named them John Doe or Richard Roe. There is no way to know where exactly they pulled the name from. It is thought that the name came from a common species of deer.

The Jane Doe found on December 26, was found with clothing and some belongings. There was a dark blue insulated jacket, a long sleeved shirt size 12, grey maternity pants size 8, wooden clog type shoes also size 8, and gold ring with an oval opal stone and two small diamonds on her right hand. For me, the maternity pants raise an important question, was Jane Doe expecting at the time of her murder? Was she killed because of her pregnancy?

Another interesting note is that the ring had an opal stone. Opal is the birthstone for the month of October. The ring still being on the remains upon discovery indicates that the murderer was not motivated by robbery.

The bust that appears at the beginning of this chapter is reconstruction of what Jane Doe might have looked like at the time of her disappearance. Police hoped that by creating this reconstruction, it would led to identifying Jane Doe.

Anyone with any information that could led to the identification of Jane Doe of 1982 is asked to call the Indiana State Police.

Indiana State Police
District Investigative Commander
9022 South SR 67
Pendleton, IN 46064
1-765-778-2121 or 1-800-527-4752

________________________SOURCES_______________________________

Indiana State Police Website. Jane Doe 1982. Case Number 41-1029.

Missing Persons Forum. http://www.crimewatchers.net/forum/index.php?threads/wayne-county-jane-doe-1982-wf-18-22-found-in-remote-woods-26-december-1982.6560/

Private Missing Person Database. Case File 491UFIN. http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/491ufin.html

Weather History for Indiana on December 26, 1982. https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KIND/1982/12/26/DailyHistory.html?req_city=&req_state=&req_statename=&reqdb.zip=&reqdb.magic=&reqdb.wmo=&MR=1

"Why Are Unidentified People Called John or Jane Doe?". Matt Soniak. Mental Floss. February 15, 2012. http://mentalfloss.com/article/29996/why-are-unidentified-people-called-john-or-jane-doe