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

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.

Friend or Foe? Lauren Spierer

When choosing which college to attend, young adults have so many options. For some, they simply want out of their hometowns. Others want to go to the best schools for their majors. Or if they are like me, they want to go the school that will give them the biggest break on tuition.

Lauren Spierer was a beautiful, vivacious 20 year old who was a sophomore at Indiana University in 2011. I have no idea what made her choose Indiana University when she was an upstate New York native. Lauren was studying textile merchandising, a degree she was hoping to to use in the fast paced world of fashion. Jesse Wolff, Lauren's high school sweet-heart, was also attending I.U. Bloomington.  

As a resident of Indiana, I am very familiar with Indiana University in Bloomington. A big school with big pride. The school was founded in 1820 according to an article published by U.S. News and World Report. Due to the size of the school, it is no surprise that Bloomington is known as a party town.

At 4 foot 11 inches, Lauren was a slender coed and attractive with bright blue eyes and blonde hair. Lauren's parents were proud of her decision to continue her education and supported her in her move to Bloomington. Rob and Charlene have stated in numerous interviews that when they dropped their daughter off on freshman move in day that it seemed like exactly what college should be.

They had no idea that just a year later, their lives would forever change. On June 3, 2011, Lauren Spierer disappeared and has not been seen or heard from since.

THE NIGHT OF LAUREN'S DISAPPEARANCE

(A still taken from footage of the night Lauren Spierer's disappearance. Pictured Lauren Spierer.)

Lauren left her apartment at the Smallwood Apartment building at about 12:30 am. On the evening in question, she was wearing a white blouse and black leggings. She met up with friends to "pregame" before hitting a local bar. Lauren was caught on surveillance cameras leaving her apartment with her friend David Rohn.

After leaving her apartment Lauren and David met up with friends at Jay Rosenbaum's townhouse. Jay lived at the 5 North Townhomes not far from Lauren's apartment. At Jay's, Lauren met up with Corey Rossman and Mike Beth. Mike and Corey were room mates and lived only a couple doors down from Jay.

From my research, I understand that this is the first time Lauren has met Corey and Mike. In a relatively short amount of time, Lauren becomes comfortable with Corey. She and Corey leave Jay Rosenbaum's apartment at 1:30 am in order to walk to Kilroy's sports bar.

Kilroy's is now called Kilroy's Recess. The bar is the only 18 and over night club in Bloomington. The bar is only allowed to serve alcohol to patrons 21 and over. It is important to note that Lauren was only 20 at the time of her disappearance. It was likely that she had a fake I.D. and that the bar got sloppier with checking I.D.s with the later it was.

Corey and Lauren stayed at Kilroy's for approximately 45 minutes after arriving at 1:46 am. Just long enough for Lauren to take off her shoes and lose her phone. Upon leaving the bar, Corey and Lauren walk back to her apartment at Smallwood.

They enter the apartment building at 2:30 and exit the building at 2:42 am. During their time in the building, an altercation is caught on security footage on the fifth floor. The same floor that Lauren lived on. The footage shows Corey and Zach Oaks getting into a dispute. Zach ends up punching Corey. Corey later states that this punch causes him to be unable to remember anything from that night after being at Kilroy's sports bar.

Zach claims that altercation occurred when he voiced his concern over the way Corey was treating Lauren. It is important to note that Zach is one of Jesse Wolff's, Lauren's boyfriend, friends. Jesse did not go out with Lauren that night because he stayed home to watch game two of the NBA play offs.

For some reason, unknown to us Corey and Lauren decide to go back to his place instead of staying at her apartment. Between 2:48 and 2:51am security cameras catch footage of Corey and Lauren walking down an alley to his place. During this walk, it is said that Lauren fell multiple times and eventually Corey picked her up in a fireman's carry.

Upon arriving at his townhouse that he shared with Mike Beth, Corey puked while trying to go up the stairs to his room. According to Beth, Lauren was conscious, but visibly intoxicated. He put Corey to bed and returned to Lauren.

Deciding that he didn't know Lauren well enough to continue to babysit her when she wanted to leave, Mike Beth decided to take her back to Jay Rosenbaum's townhouse since Jay was their mutual friend and had known Lauren from high school.

At 4:30 Jay Rosenbaum states that he watched Lauren walk down the block still barefoot without her phone, her keys, or her I.D.. This was the last time she was ever seen.

(On the map provided above, the Blue Dot is 5 North Townhomes. The red dot is Smallwood Plaza. The purple dot is Kilroy's. The green dot is where Lauren was last seen.) 

THE INVESTIGATION

 Lauren was reported missing upon her boyfriend realizing that her phone had been left at the bar on June 3, 2011. On June 4, Lauren's parents Rob and Charlene arrive in Bloomington in hopes of finding Lauren.

Lauren had a heart condition called long QT Syndrome, without medication it could be fatal. So during the first days of the search for Lauren, her parents were desperate to find her so that she would have her medication that had been left at her apartment.

In the week immediately following Spierer's disappearance rewards are offered for her return. Jim Irsay, the owner of the colts, offered $10,000 for her safe return. Her parent's put up a reward of $100,000 for information leading to the return of their daughter. Since the beginning of the investigation, Bloomington Police have received over 3,500 tips regarding Lauren's disappearance. 

Soon after Lauren's disappearance, all of the men that had close interactions with Lauren obtained attorneys. Lauren's boyfriend, Jesse Wolff, helped search for Lauren for two days, then obtained legal counsel. It is important to keep in mind that getting an attorney is not supposed to be seen as a sign of guilt in the United State's justice system.

Many individuals that were with Lauren the night of her disappearance were uncooperative with the Bloomington Police. None of the men have submitted to polygraph tests by the department and refuse to give statements. All statements have been given via attorneys.

As the investigation into Lauren's disappearance went deeper. Police and Lauren's parents learned about her wild side. When searching Lauren's apartment police found cocaine. Lauren had also been picked up on a public intoxication charge in the past. During this time, Jesse Wolff's mother also claimed that Lauren had been thrown out of summer camp for drug possession. I was unable to find any proof of this allegation.

Bloomington have only released one other clip from the security camera footage from the night Lauren disappeared. Police released this photo of a truck that was seen driving around the block where Lauren was last seen by security cameras. This truck produced numerous leads, but was later written off by police. The owner of the truck came forward and was able to sufficiently explain why he was in the area. 

FORMAL STATEMENTS FROM PERSONS OF INTEREST

Jay Rosenbaum is the self proclaimed last person to see Lauren Spierer. His defense attorney is James Voyles. He has taken a privately administered polygraph that he passed, which has been provided to the Bloomington Police Department. He refuses to speak directly to Lauren's Parents.

Jesse Wolff, Lauren's long term boyfriend, is also considered a person of interest. I was unable to locate an official statement from him. His parents have given numerous statements. They claim that their son has completed a polygraph, but would not comply with Bloomington Police to take one. 

They claim that Bloomington department was not competent. His parents claim that Lauren's parents continue to spread lies about their son and the only reason she is dead is her own drug abuse.

Corey Rossman, the man that Lauren spent the most time with that evening, obtained an attorney shortly after her disappearance. The attorney, Carl Salzmann, issued a statement saying that Corey had no memory of the evening after leaving Kilroy's. In an interview two years after Lauren's disappearance, he claimed that Lauren's parents were harassing him and the other victims of the evening. He claims that he and Lauren's other friends were victims due to the trial in the media that they have faced. He states that he has cooperated to his best ability.

Mike Beth has only been discussed minimally in news following the immediate time surrounding Lauren's disappearance. He obtained an lawyer shortly after the search began.

THEORIES

Over the years many theories have come up and many have been written off.

One popular theory is that Lauren overdosed. Many witnesses have stated that Lauren had been doing illegal drugs that night. Pairing this with her heart condition it would be easy for her to have overdosed. An inmate gave a tip that his cell mate had gone to school with the men who were the last to see Lauren. The tipster claimed that they got scared when she overdosed and decided to dump her body in the Ohio River.

Another theory is that Lauren had been purchasing her illegal drugs from a motorcycle one percent gang called the Sons of Silence. It was believed that she could have been killed for a debt that she owed. I find this theory to be unlikely.

The random abduction theory is not seen as likely, but is still probable. Hannah Wilson's, a girl around Lauren's age who was found dead around the same time as Lauren's disappearance, mother believes there is a possibility that her daughter's killer, Daniel Messel, could be responsible for Lauren's disappearance. This theory has been largely written off due to the critical errors that were made by Daniel Messel in Hannah's murder.

LIFE WITHOUT LAUREN

In 2013, Rob and Charlene Spierer filed a lawsuit against the three men who were the last to see Lauren alive. Their attorney for the case stated that they didn't want to file the case, but were nearing a litigation deadline. The claim was that the men in question were aware that Lauren was intoxicated to a point in which she was unable to care for herself and they didn't practice due diligence in making sure she returned home. The case was moved to federal court since the defendants no longer resided in Indiana. Later, the case was thrown out by the judge.

Her parents don't believe that Lauren was the victim of a random abduction. Instead, they feel as if the last people who saw Lauren are refusing to give the police critical information that would lead to knowing what really happened to Lauren.

The same year that Rob and Charlene filed their lawsuit was the year that Lauren would have graduated from I.U.. Her parents did not attend commencement. Lauren was not left out of the ceremony. During speeches, speakers tried to renew the search for Lauren by reminding those in attendance of the search.

Rob and Charlene no longer believe that Lauren is alive. They have come to terms with the fact that they are searching for remains. Their only hope is that they will be able to give her a proper burial.

Every year on the anniversary of her disappearance Lauren's story gets another push in national news. It has been almost six and a half years since Lauren's disappearance.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Bloomington Police Department:

o 812-339-4477

__________________________Sources______________________________

Articles:

"Friend: Missing Indiana Student's Parents Harassing Him." Shawn Cohen. USA Today. May 23, 2013. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/23/missing-indiana-student-parents-harassment/2356267/

"Kilroy's Social Media Post Draws Ire." WFBH. http://wfhb.org/news/kilroys-social-media-posts-draw-ire/

"Last Person to Admit Having Seen Lauren Lauren Spierer Passed Polygraph, Attorney Says." Fox News. June 28, 2011. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/06/28/last-person-to-admit-having-seen-lauren-spierer-passed-polygraph-test-attorney.html

"Lauren Spierer's Parents Sue 3 Men Who Were Last to See Missing 20-Year-Old." The Associated Press. June 28, 2013. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/lauren-spierer-parents-sue-3-men-missing-20-year-old-article-1.1384992

"Lauren Spierer: Timeline of her Last Known Hours." Staff Reports. Indy Star. January 29, 2016. http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2016/01/29/lauren-spierer-timeline/79520224/

"Missing Student's Beau's Parents Fume at Cops, Media." Shawn Cohen. USA Today. June 2, 2013. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/02/missing-student-boyfriend-family-fume/2382909/

"Mothers of Hannah Wilson, Lauren Spierer Believe Convicted Killer Could Be Tied to More Cases." Downing, Kendall. Fox 59 News. October 28, 2016. http://fox59.com/2016/10/28/mothers-of-hannah-wilson-lauren-spierer-believe-convicted-killer-could-be-tied-to-more-cases/

"Parents Share What Life Without Lauren Spierer Is Like in National Magazine." Fox 59 News. January 10, 2013. http://fox59.com/2013/01/10/parents-share-what-life-without-lauren-spierer-is-like-in-national-magazine/

"Six Years Later: Family of Missing I.U. Student Lauren Spierer Still Searching for Answers." Cox, Katie. RTV 6 ABC. June 2, 2017. http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/six-years-later-family-of-missing-iu-student-lauren-spierer-still-searching-for-answers

"Timeline: The Search for Lauren Spierer." The Indy Star. January 29, 2016. http://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2016/01/29/timeline-search-lauren-spierer/79524004/

"5 Years After She Vanished, New Hope in Lauren Spierer Case." Epstein, Brian. Ross, Brian. ABC News. June 24, 2016. abcnews.go.com/US/lauren-spierer-case-years-vanished-hope/story?id=40084230

"6 Years After Lauren Spierer's Disappearance, Family and Bloomington Residents Still Seek Justice." Bondus, Brian. Fox 59 News. June 4, 2017. http://fox59.com/2017/06/03/six-years-after-lauren-spierers-disappearance-family-and-bloomington-residents-still-seek-justice/

Podcasts: 

True Crime Garage. Lauren Spierer Part 1 and 2. truecrimegarage.podbean.com/mobile/e/lauren-spierer-part-1-91/

Tiegrabber. Looking for Lauren: The Haunting Disappearance of College Student Lauren Spierer. tiegrabber.com/index.php/2016/07/04/looking-for-lauren-the-haunting-disappearance-of-college-student-lauren-spierer/

Thinking Sideways Podcast. The Disappearance of Lauren Spierer. thinkingsidewayspodcast.com/the-disappearance-of-lauren-spierer/

Websites:

Family run website: findlauren.com

Eighteen and Gone

As a senior in high school, you have your entire adult life to look forward to. Throw in being beautiful and a talented athlete, then you have a recipe for success by many people's standards. Denise Pflum was 18, athletic and a senior at Connersville High School in Indiana.

Like most high school kids, it was not unusual for her to attend a party. The night prior to her disappearance, Denise had attended a party. When she got up the morning of March 28, 1986, she realized that she had misplaced her purse. She believed that she had left the purse at the house where the party had occurred the night before.

Denise got dressed that morning. She wore a medium red Montley Crue t-shirt. Her pants were size 11 stripped blue jeans, which she paired with white shoes. Instead of glasses, she wore contacts. She also wore her class ring, which was gold with a red stone in the setting.

Denise's family home was located in Everton. Before she left the house that morning, Denise told her parents that she would be going to get her purse from the house the party had been at. This was the last confirmed sighting of Denise.

The next time Denise's car was seen was by a farmer in Glenwood. He saw the car, but did not immediately report it because he thought the vehicle belonged to mushroom hunters. When the vehicle, a cream-colored, 2 door 1981 Buick Regal was still there parked near the edge of the road, the farmer contacted authorities. 

When the vehicle was processed, officers found no evidence of foul play. The car was locked and there was no sign of Denise. An air and K-9 ground search revealed no trace of her either. The vehicle was registered to her parents.

A girl came forward shortly after Denise's disappearance and stated that she had seen her in the Fashion Bug Store at the Connersville Plaza. Denise's mother believes that this witness was mistaken because the description of the clothing that was given did not match what Denise had put on that morning.

DNA and dental records have been submitted to numerous databases. DNA came from a baby tooth that Denise's mother had held on to. The DNA was not submitted until 2007, but upon the submission it produced no leads.

Numerous theorizes are circulating around the internet. Anything from alien abduction to falling victim to a traveling serial killer. Police refuse to release any information including suspects, details on evidence, or leads that are being followed. The case is considered to be very active.

Tips should be called in to the Indiana State Police Detective Scott Jarvis at (765)778-2121.

_______________________Sources___________________________________________________

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2014/03/01/indiana-missing-rumors-abound-but-no-leads-in-connersville-teens-disappearance/5831791/

http://www.rushvillerepublican.com/news/local_news/years-later-pflum-case-still-unsolved/article_d625c060-fa5a-57df-8d27-4814441f5ad9.html

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/10555

http://www.newsexaminer.com/news/local/decades-old-disappearance-back-in-public-eye/article_1c6f822e-0c4c-5278-9be5-a5ad7120829a.html

www.charleyproject.org/cases/p/pflum_denise.html

The Dunes State Park Three

This is a missing persons case.

Ann Miller: 21 years old, owner of a 1955 Buick.

Patricia Blough: 19 years old

Renee Bruhl: 19 years old, married.

The three women, Renee Bruhl, Patricia (Patty) Blough, and Ann Miller, lived the Chicago area before their disappearance. The women had bonded over their shared love of horses, according to one source. Blough and Miller had met at Tri Color Stables, in Palatine, Illinois,  where their horses were boarded. Both had complained about their "horse people" at the stable in the past. Bruhl was a classmate of Blough's and the girls just fell in together. The friendship blossomed naturally with the girls being so close in age.

Like most women their age, the trio decided to take a mini-trip for some fun in the sun. Their destination was the beach at Indiana Dunes State Park. The Park consist of over 2,000 acres of land that remains primitive. Three miles of beautiful beach lines the south shore of lake Michigan within the park. The beauty has been drawing people in since 1925 when the property became a state park.

On July 2, 1966, the women left for the beach. Blough was picked up from her house by Miller in her 1955 Buick. From there, the women stopped at a local drugstore for sun tan lotion. Once they had purchased the lotion, the women left for the State Park.

It is believed that on this particular day more than 9,000 people dotted the shore line. People came from all over in hopes of soaking up the sun on the holiday weekend. Witnesses at the beach that day confirmed seeing the women on the beach. According to the witnesses, Patty Blough was wearing a yellow bikini with ruffles. Ann Miller was wearing a two piece bathing suit with a red belt. Meanwhile, Renee Bruhl wore a brown swimsuit with green flowers and gold details.

One couple on the beach that day had taken a notice to the girls. This was because the girls placed their belongings close to the couple. At approximately noon that day, the couple watched the girls leave their stuff and wonder into the water. The couple thought that this was odd considering how busy the beach was that day.

Before long, the couple noticed that a boat with a young, tan, dark-haired man approached the girls. He appeared to be in his early twenties. The man helped the girls into the boat that then went out on the lake. While the couple lounged on the beach and enjoyed their day, they waited for the girls to return for their belongings.

As it started getting dark the couple began to worry about the young women's safety. The couple found a park ranger and expressed their concerns and informed him that they didn't just want to leave the belongings on beach to be stolen. The ranger picked up the girls' belongings and packed them away for safe keeping until the girls would return. It didn't seem to be uncommon for people to leave belongings on the beach especially during a holiday party weekend.

The belongings left behind varied between the three women. Renee left her beach towel, shorts, shirt, sun tan lotion, and purse, which contained cigarettes and $55 in checks. She also left a note in her purse that was addressed to her husband claiming that she wanted a divorce because she was upset that he valued time building cars with his buddies over time with her. Her parents later said that the note to Buhl's husband had probably been written in a moment of anger and then left in her purse to be forgotten. Miller left behind denim shorts, a polo shirt, a thermos, shoes, a comb, and a white bathing cap. Finally, Blough left her yellow robe, sunglasses, a transistor radio, a towel, and her wallet containing $5.

Only 18 hours after the women's belongings had been collected by the ranger did the park Superintendent, Bill Svetic, received a call regarding the missing women. Patty Blough's father called because he was very concerned that his daughter hadn't returned as planned. Due to the women's ages, Mr. Svetic wrote  off the father's concern. He said that it was likely the women had probably just found some other young people to party with and would return after a couple days.

The Superintendent checked the belongings that the park ranger had brought in and confirmed that they belonged to the missing women. While this was concerning, it didn't warrant a full blown search in his eyes. An investigation didn't begin immediately.

It is unclear at which point authorities decided to treat this case with importance. Search teams were sent out July 4, 1966. The same day that the first reporter arrived. Scuba teams, people on foot, and people on horses all searched for signs of the girls. The searches looked along the 45 miles of coast with help from the coast guard. Miller's Buick was found in the parking lot. The search was extend on July 5th and more resources were used in hopes of locating the women. No indication of the women's location was ever found.

Eventually, authorities asked the public for any information regarding the women. If an individual was at the park that day, it was requested at they take the time to call in. This led to a man turning over some home video footage that he shot of his kids on the beach. In the background, the women in question were seen boarding the boat that the couple described.

The video showed two boats of suspicious nature that authorities took an interest in. The first was believed to be between 16 and 18 feet long. The second was a cabin cruiser that was 26 to 28 feet long with three men and three women on board. The searched was narrowed to these two vessels that were never located. Wreckage washed up on shore after the women's disappearances, but it didn't match the boats that the authorities were looking for.

Dick Wylie, was a reporter at the time, became an expert on the case. He became close to the Blough family. He made a promise to Patty's father to not let the case go until it was solved. The case has been heavy on his heart since July 4, 1966, which was his first day working it. Wylie has given numerous interviews over the years and at point had written a book about the disappearances in hopes of getting it published. He claims to have exhausted all leads, but one.

One of the first leads that he looked into was that the women were taken into a slave ring or kidnapped. This theory didn't stick over the years only one theory has stuck.

Abortion. That the time, in Indiana and Illinois, abortion was illegal. It is theorized that Miller and Blough might have been pregnant. Both women were believed to have been dating married men at the time of their disappearances. It would've been impossible for the women to carry to term and receive support from the fathers.

It was believed that the women were going to obtain an abortion from some backdoor abortion doctors, Frank and Helen Largo. Many women from Chicago would visit the Largo's house in Gary, Indiana in order to receive illegal abortions.  Wylie theorized that the women had hopped into the boat with the young man, who was probably the nephew of the Largos, to go to a house boat somewhere on the lake to obtain abortions. Theory goes that one of the procedures went wrong and one of the women passed due to complications. The other two women would have to be killed because they were witnesses.

The there is proof that the Largo's nephew was at the park on July 2, 1966, but so were 9,000 other people. Ralph Largo Jr., matches the description of the individual that was driving the boat that the women had left on. The theory seems a little far fetched, but it really is all that the reporter and police have to go on. Some of Miller's other friends claimed that shortly before he disappearance she had talked about entering a home for unwed mothers.

The stable where Blough and Miller boarded their horses is also an area of suspicion. Tri Color Stables had some shady interactions of the years. George the owner and his brother Silas often had explosive arguments. A year prior to the women's disappearance, another woman died at the stable when she went out to move George's car. A car bomb exploded the vehicle. It was believed that it was possible that the women had witnessed something incriminating and had to be done away with.

Silas, the stable owner's brother, once claimed that he had buried three bodies on his old property. A sheriff took the statement at face value. He had planned to search the property, but an accident occurred. The sheriff was killed in a farm equipment accident. Whoever took over the position, dropped the lead.

Hope briefly glimmered in 1975, when three bodies were found in the dunes of the park. The remains were found to be Native American remains. Over the years there have been many claimed sightings of the women, but nothing confirmed or concrete.

Anyone with information regarding this missing persons case is asked to call the Indiana State Police. They can be reached at (219)696-6242.

--------------------Sources--------------------------------------------------

Ann Miller. The Charley Project. Missing Person Profile. http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/miller_ann.html

"BRUHL, BLOUGH, MILLER: Dunes Disappearance Remains Unsolved 43 Years Later." Northwest Indiana Times. Susan Erler. http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/bruhl-blough-miller-dunes-disappearance-remains-unsolved-years-later/article_3df371d6-0ba6-5611-bfa6-9af13f00f34c.html

"Cold Case Remains Mystery." Anderson Herald Bulletin. https://newspaperarchive.com/anderson-herald-bulletin-aug-18-2002-p-4/

Patricia Blough. The Charley Project. Missing Person Profile. http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/b/blough_patricia.html

Renee Bruhl. The Charley Project. Missing Person Profile. http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/b/bruhl_renee.html

"Three Young Women Took a Boat Ride on Lake Michigan in 1966 and Were Never Seen Again." The Daily News. David J. Krajicek. December 9, 2012. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/justice-story/3-girls-beach-found-article-1.1216303

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