Identified! IN - Rensselaer, WhtMale UP11379, SK victim, 'Arlene' on Zippo, Mar'82 - William Joseph “Bill” Lewis
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Sorry, I’m new, but had also wondered if there had been any recent contact or a list of rule outs developed.
I had also wondered if Anthony Ross Allen had been considered already?
Missing Person Case
I had also wondered if Anthony Ross Allen had been considered already?
Missing Person Case
carbuff
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Updated Namus link: Unidentified Person Case
There's one ruleout, Gerald Bradshaw from Virginia Beach.
Date found is now listed as October 15, 1983, estimated year of death 1982.
still only Gerald Bradshaw
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Here's my take on Rensselaer Doe, based on the original sketch.
I assume the original sketch artist took artistic liberties with his hair, but I decided to keep it anyway because I thought it was fitting. Things like hair color are my personal choice.
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You’re an absolute rock star in my book!
Here's my take on Rensselaer Doe, based on the original sketch.
I assume the original sketch artist took artistic liberties with his hair, but I decided to keep it anyway because I thought it was fitting. Things like hair color are my personal choice.
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I noticed the date of discovery listed in NamUs was different from the thread title, and then I found this post. It was apparently March 1982, then November 1982, and now it’s listed as OCTOBER 15, 1983! What in the world?
ETA: And the estimated year of death is 1982.
Oh my.
I see carbuff just mentioned this a few posts above mine LOL
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The downward slant of the eyes remind me of Jorgen. Victoria’s interpretation looks quite a bit like him. The biggest difference I see is the nose; Jorgen’s appears smaller/shorter. If the original artist used an actual photo of the UID, the hair might actually be much like Jorgen’s was in his photos. He went missing from California in 1980. Sounds like he could have ended up just about anywhere.
Jorgen Anderson – The Charley Project
Jorgen Anderson – The Charley Project
Is it known if he still is reported missing in Denmark? As he's a Danish citizen, and if there is/was no international arrest order, could he somehow got back to Denmark, and "disappear" there. The Charley Project page was updated last in 2011, and if his parents feared that their son would be arrested, and put in jail in the U.S., it's possible that he could be back in Denmark, or in an other Scandinavian country.
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I couldn’t find anything about him other than on the large databases. It may be that I don’t know where to look though. It seems like it could be possible he ended up back overseas, but I’d have no idea how to find that out for sure.
There is very little information about him, other than that he's a Danish citizen. Was he in the U.S. as a student, or had the family moved to the U.S.? If he was born in Denmark, and/or the family lived there, his birth is registered in Denmark. I'm not familiar with how the Danish principle of public access to official records work, but if it's similar to the Swedish one, it would be possible to find him (as his birthday in known), and also learn about his parents. It would also be noted when he went to the U.S., and if he's still missing, presumed dead, he would most likely had been declared dead, as it's 40 years since he disappeared, and if not declared dead, that would affect things such as inheritance when/if his parents have died.
If he was reported missing to the Danish police, my guess is that information is somewhere to find, and that's most likely part of the public access.
Principle of public access to official records - Wikipedia
3070UMIN - Unidentified Male
Reconstruction of the victim; victim's lighter
Date of Discovery: October 15, 1983 (date seems correct as per other wikipedia sources)
Location of Discovery: Rensselaer, Jasper County, Indiana
Estimated Date of Death: 1982-1983
State of Remains: Skeletal
Cause of Death: Homicide
Physical Description
Estimated Age: 18-35 years old
Race: White
Sex: Male
Height: 5'6" to 5'8"
Weight: Unknown
Hair: Reddish-brown, shoulder length.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Healed fracture of the distal left femur.
Identifiers
Dentals: Available.
Fingerprints: Not available.
DNA: Available.
Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Gray hooded sweatshirt, Levi brand jeans with brown leather belt (size 28 in) portions of gray/burgundy sock, suede and vinyl athletic shoes, with crepe sole found associated with the remains (11 1/2 inches long).
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Zippo lighter with the name "Arlene" engraved on it.
Circumstances of Discovery
The victim 's scattered remains were discovered in Jasper County, Indiana on October 15, 1983.
Serial killer Larry Eyeler admitted to murdering the victim, possibly picking him up in the Vincinnes, Indiana area. He was possibly last seen alive in Vincinnes by US 41.
Two other victims of Eyeler remain unidentified, 999UMIN and 1384UMIN.
Link to Doe Network profile - 3070UMIN
===
Details about Larry Eyler and his multiple victims, including this John Doe - Larry Eyler - Wikipedia
One month later, on October 4, two mushroom hunters discovered a human torso concealed inside a plastic bag in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. The victim was identified as 18-year-old Eric Hansen, who had last been seen alive on September 27 in St. Francis. Hansen's head, arms, and legs had been severed from his torso with a hacksaw, and the torso itself had been completely drained of blood. The skull and hands were never found.[64][65] Eleven days later, the skeletonized body of an unidentified young man was discovered buried in a field close to Rensselaer, Indiana. This decedent was determined to be a Caucasian with shoulder-length, reddish-brown hair[66] and aged between 18 and 26, although his identity was never discovered
===
WS thread about the killer and his victims - IN - IN/IL, LARRY EYLER, "The Highway Murderer" (KY/OH/WI?) Gay Serial Killer
Reconstruction of the victim; victim's lighter
Date of Discovery: October 15, 1983 (date seems correct as per other wikipedia sources)
Location of Discovery: Rensselaer, Jasper County, Indiana
Estimated Date of Death: 1982-1983
State of Remains: Skeletal
Cause of Death: Homicide
Physical Description
Estimated Age: 18-35 years old
Race: White
Sex: Male
Height: 5'6" to 5'8"
Weight: Unknown
Hair: Reddish-brown, shoulder length.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Healed fracture of the distal left femur.
Identifiers
Dentals: Available.
Fingerprints: Not available.
DNA: Available.
Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Gray hooded sweatshirt, Levi brand jeans with brown leather belt (size 28 in) portions of gray/burgundy sock, suede and vinyl athletic shoes, with crepe sole found associated with the remains (11 1/2 inches long).
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Zippo lighter with the name "Arlene" engraved on it.
Circumstances of Discovery
The victim 's scattered remains were discovered in Jasper County, Indiana on October 15, 1983.
Serial killer Larry Eyeler admitted to murdering the victim, possibly picking him up in the Vincinnes, Indiana area. He was possibly last seen alive in Vincinnes by US 41.
Two other victims of Eyeler remain unidentified, 999UMIN and 1384UMIN.
Link to Doe Network profile - 3070UMIN
===
Details about Larry Eyler and his multiple victims, including this John Doe - Larry Eyler - Wikipedia
One month later, on October 4, two mushroom hunters discovered a human torso concealed inside a plastic bag in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. The victim was identified as 18-year-old Eric Hansen, who had last been seen alive on September 27 in St. Francis. Hansen's head, arms, and legs had been severed from his torso with a hacksaw, and the torso itself had been completely drained of blood. The skull and hands were never found.[64][65] Eleven days later, the skeletonized body of an unidentified young man was discovered buried in a field close to Rensselaer, Indiana. This decedent was determined to be a Caucasian with shoulder-length, reddish-brown hair[66] and aged between 18 and 26, although his identity was never discovered
===
WS thread about the killer and his victims - IN - IN/IL, LARRY EYLER, "The Highway Murderer" (KY/OH/WI?) Gay Serial Killer
Jasper County John Doe – Rensselaer IN 1983 – Unidentified Victim of Serial Killer Larry Eyler
Redgrave Research Forensic Services has taken on the case of Jasper County John Doe (NamUs #UP11379), an unidentified victim of serial killer Larry Eyler. Working with Andy and Diana Boersma of the Jasper County Coroner’s Office, we are preparing to perform forensic genetic genealogy in an attempt to discover his identity. Forensic genetic genealogy intern Bryan Worters will be co-leading the case alongside Anthony Redgrave. Because of the possibility that the victim was LGBTQ+, the case is being considered within the scope of the Trans Doe Task Force/LAMMP (LGBTQ+ Accountability for Missing and Murdered Persons), and an all LGBTQ+ and informed ally genealogy team is being assigned to the case.
Case Synopsis:
On the morning of October 15th, 1983, an individual who was setting and checking fox traps on private property near the town of Rensselaer in Jasper County, Indiana came across what he believed to be human remains. He immediately contacted the Jasper County Sheriff’s police, with responding officer Paul Ricker being the first on the scene.
Ricker and his colleagues observed partial skeletal remains strewn about the property, with many of the pieces fragmented. After the bone fragments were gathered, they were sent to Jasper County’s (then) coroner, Dr. Stephen Spicer. In collaboration with Dr. John Pless of the Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis, the two would deduce much from the sum of thirty bone fragments recovered.
The victim was estimated to be a white male, approximately 18 to 26 years of age, had shoulder-length reddish-brown hair, stood at an estimated 5’6” to 5’8”, and was believed to have previously fractured his left femur. Stainless steel tooth caps were noted at teeth #19 and #30, along with amalgam restorations at #2, #3, and #12. Anthropologist consultation suggests that one of the restored teeth was applied backward. Several articles of clothing were also discovered at the scene, including a gray hooded sweatshirt, a pair of Levi brand jeans and a brown belt in a size 28”, gray/burgundy socks, and suede athletic shoes in a size 11 ½. Additionally, a zippo lighter with the name ‘ARLENE’ engraved onto it was found near the remains. Officials determined that the young man was the victim of a homicide and was deceased for approximately one to two years. Despite the numerous identifying characteristics, no missing person reports in the area fit the man’s description, nor did anyone claim to know the identity of John Doe.
Not long after this discovery, authorities linked the remains to a rash of murders in Indiana and Illinois, with many of the victims speculated to be hitchhikers, sex workers, and/or were members of the LGBTQ+ community. The murder series ended with the arrest of Larry Eyler, who was convicted for two counts of homicide and given a death sentence. But before Eyler’s execution date was slated to happen, he died from AIDS-related complications on March 6th, 1994. Two days after his death, his attorney, Kathleen Zellner, held a press conference which disclosed that Eyler had confessed to a further 19 murder victims, including the unidentified young man found in Jasper County over a decade earlier. Eyler described the man to an FBI sketch artist, who rendered a forensic image of how he may have appeared in life.
Eyler recalled that on or around the weekend of November 20th, 1982; he met a hitchhiker, possibly a college student from a nearby university, of about 20 to 22 years old along Highway 41 close to what was believed to be Vincennes, Indiana. The two went through a fast-food establishment’s drive-thru, where Eyler ordered a coke that he mixed rum into. Once they left the drive-thru, Eyler began to drive north on the interstate with the hitchhiker, whom he offered beer and Placidyl. The young man accepted the offer, drinking several beers and taking two pills. By the time the pair had reached Jasper County, the hitchhiker was semiconscious, which Eyler used to his advantage. He propositioned the man to perform oral sex on him, which the hitchhiker blearily agreed to. The two parked the vehicle in an empty field and walked into a weeded area, where Eyler blindfolded, handcuffed, and bound the man’s feet. Once the young man was immobilized, Eyler pulled the hitchhiker’s pants below his hips, and repeatedly stabbed the man “in the front” with an eight-inch hunting knife. Once the person succumbed to his injuries, Eyler removed his binding tools and left the scene.
Even after the unknown man’s discovery, the people of Jasper County honored the individual whom they never knew in life. Several years after John Doe’s initial discovery, Paul Ricker and his fellow first responders raised money to afford a gravestone for a plot of land in Sayler Makeever Cemetery in Rensselaer, Indiana.
From Bryan Worters:
Though there has been a sizable amount of coverage on Eyler’s cases, most notably Gera-Lind Kolarik and Wayne Klatt’s book Freed to Kill, the case never quite reached the same levels of attention as the likes of other serial murderers, such as Ted Bundy or Richard Ramirez. It seemed as if Larry Eyler’s name had faded from the public consciousness of the Midwest, the victims pushed further towards the periphery. That same lack of public intrigue sparked my interest in the case, knowing that there were several men who had met such an excruciatingly brutal fate and remained unidentified left me verklempt, including the young man found in Jasper County, whom I call “Ellis”.
Ellis’ case has changed hands over the years, but now resides in the company of the current coroners of Jasper County, Andy and Diana Boersma. The Boersmas have been looking to uncover the identity of the young man since they inherited the case over a decade ago. The husband-wife duo has gone to great lengths in order to identify the young man, from pushing for DNA extraction to be entered into the CODIS system, to maintaining contact with Kathleen Zellner for additional information. The utmost priority for the Boersmas is to have the man be returned to his family. The Redgrave Research team and I intend to aid them in bringing Ellis home to his loved ones.
To assist in the search for Ellis’ identity, Anthony Redgrave has rendered a new forensic image of Ellis based on photos of the skull, the description that Eyler had provided, and in consultation with anthropologist Dr. Samantha Blatt of Idaho State University.
Redgrave Research would like to thank DNA Solutions for the DNA extraction, HudsonAlpha Discovery for the whole-genome sequencing, and Kevin Lord of Saber Investigations for bioinformatics. We would also like to thank those who have been involved with Ellis’ case since his discovery, the Boersmas, Kathleen Zellner, and those who have continued to spend their time, effort, and dedication to honoring a young man who they never personally knew.
If you have any information relating to the identity of Ellis/Jasper County John Doe (1983), please contact Andy Boersma at 219-956-2220 or 219-863-3560.
(L: Original FBI sketch; R: New forensic image by Anthony Redgrave)
Jasper County John Doe - Rensselaer IN 1983 - Unidentified Victim of Serial Killer Larry Eyler - Redgrave Research Forensic Services LLC
Redgrave Research Forensic Services has taken on the case of Jasper County John Doe (NamUs #UP11379), an unidentified victim of serial killer Larry Eyler. Working with Andy and Diana Boersma of the Jasper County Coroner’s Office, we are preparing to perform forensic genetic genealogy in an attempt to discover his identity. Forensic genetic genealogy intern Bryan Worters will be co-leading the case alongside Anthony Redgrave. Because of the possibility that the victim was LGBTQ+, the case is being considered within the scope of the Trans Doe Task Force/LAMMP (LGBTQ+ Accountability for Missing and Murdered Persons), and an all LGBTQ+ and informed ally genealogy team is being assigned to the case.
Case Synopsis:
On the morning of October 15th, 1983, an individual who was setting and checking fox traps on private property near the town of Rensselaer in Jasper County, Indiana came across what he believed to be human remains. He immediately contacted the Jasper County Sheriff’s police, with responding officer Paul Ricker being the first on the scene.
Ricker and his colleagues observed partial skeletal remains strewn about the property, with many of the pieces fragmented. After the bone fragments were gathered, they were sent to Jasper County’s (then) coroner, Dr. Stephen Spicer. In collaboration with Dr. John Pless of the Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis, the two would deduce much from the sum of thirty bone fragments recovered.
The victim was estimated to be a white male, approximately 18 to 26 years of age, had shoulder-length reddish-brown hair, stood at an estimated 5’6” to 5’8”, and was believed to have previously fractured his left femur. Stainless steel tooth caps were noted at teeth #19 and #30, along with amalgam restorations at #2, #3, and #12. Anthropologist consultation suggests that one of the restored teeth was applied backward. Several articles of clothing were also discovered at the scene, including a gray hooded sweatshirt, a pair of Levi brand jeans and a brown belt in a size 28”, gray/burgundy socks, and suede athletic shoes in a size 11 ½. Additionally, a zippo lighter with the name ‘ARLENE’ engraved onto it was found near the remains. Officials determined that the young man was the victim of a homicide and was deceased for approximately one to two years. Despite the numerous identifying characteristics, no missing person reports in the area fit the man’s description, nor did anyone claim to know the identity of John Doe.
Not long after this discovery, authorities linked the remains to a rash of murders in Indiana and Illinois, with many of the victims speculated to be hitchhikers, sex workers, and/or were members of the LGBTQ+ community. The murder series ended with the arrest of Larry Eyler, who was convicted for two counts of homicide and given a death sentence. But before Eyler’s execution date was slated to happen, he died from AIDS-related complications on March 6th, 1994. Two days after his death, his attorney, Kathleen Zellner, held a press conference which disclosed that Eyler had confessed to a further 19 murder victims, including the unidentified young man found in Jasper County over a decade earlier. Eyler described the man to an FBI sketch artist, who rendered a forensic image of how he may have appeared in life.
Eyler recalled that on or around the weekend of November 20th, 1982; he met a hitchhiker, possibly a college student from a nearby university, of about 20 to 22 years old along Highway 41 close to what was believed to be Vincennes, Indiana. The two went through a fast-food establishment’s drive-thru, where Eyler ordered a coke that he mixed rum into. Once they left the drive-thru, Eyler began to drive north on the interstate with the hitchhiker, whom he offered beer and Placidyl. The young man accepted the offer, drinking several beers and taking two pills. By the time the pair had reached Jasper County, the hitchhiker was semiconscious, which Eyler used to his advantage. He propositioned the man to perform oral sex on him, which the hitchhiker blearily agreed to. The two parked the vehicle in an empty field and walked into a weeded area, where Eyler blindfolded, handcuffed, and bound the man’s feet. Once the young man was immobilized, Eyler pulled the hitchhiker’s pants below his hips, and repeatedly stabbed the man “in the front” with an eight-inch hunting knife. Once the person succumbed to his injuries, Eyler removed his binding tools and left the scene.
Even after the unknown man’s discovery, the people of Jasper County honored the individual whom they never knew in life. Several years after John Doe’s initial discovery, Paul Ricker and his fellow first responders raised money to afford a gravestone for a plot of land in Sayler Makeever Cemetery in Rensselaer, Indiana.
From Bryan Worters:
Though there has been a sizable amount of coverage on Eyler’s cases, most notably Gera-Lind Kolarik and Wayne Klatt’s book Freed to Kill, the case never quite reached the same levels of attention as the likes of other serial murderers, such as Ted Bundy or Richard Ramirez. It seemed as if Larry Eyler’s name had faded from the public consciousness of the Midwest, the victims pushed further towards the periphery. That same lack of public intrigue sparked my interest in the case, knowing that there were several men who had met such an excruciatingly brutal fate and remained unidentified left me verklempt, including the young man found in Jasper County, whom I call “Ellis”.
Ellis’ case has changed hands over the years, but now resides in the company of the current coroners of Jasper County, Andy and Diana Boersma. The Boersmas have been looking to uncover the identity of the young man since they inherited the case over a decade ago. The husband-wife duo has gone to great lengths in order to identify the young man, from pushing for DNA extraction to be entered into the CODIS system, to maintaining contact with Kathleen Zellner for additional information. The utmost priority for the Boersmas is to have the man be returned to his family. The Redgrave Research team and I intend to aid them in bringing Ellis home to his loved ones.
To assist in the search for Ellis’ identity, Anthony Redgrave has rendered a new forensic image of Ellis based on photos of the skull, the description that Eyler had provided, and in consultation with anthropologist Dr. Samantha Blatt of Idaho State University.
Redgrave Research would like to thank DNA Solutions for the DNA extraction, HudsonAlpha Discovery for the whole-genome sequencing, and Kevin Lord of Saber Investigations for bioinformatics. We would also like to thank those who have been involved with Ellis’ case since his discovery, the Boersmas, Kathleen Zellner, and those who have continued to spend their time, effort, and dedication to honoring a young man who they never personally knew.
If you have any information relating to the identity of Ellis/Jasper County John Doe (1983), please contact Andy Boersma at 219-956-2220 or 219-863-3560.
(L: Original FBI sketch; R: New forensic image by Anthony Redgrave)
Jasper County John Doe - Rensselaer IN 1983 - Unidentified Victim of Serial Killer Larry Eyler - Redgrave Research Forensic Services LLC
Last edited:
Announcement about new sketch being made and this case being taken on by Redgrave Research Forensic Services on their FB page - Log In or Sign Up to View
Also to add here, Eyler's other victim, Brad Doe, found in Oct 1983 was identified only this April 2021 by DNA Doe Project as 19 year old Johnny Ingram Brandenburg Jr. from Chicago.
Identified! - IN - Lake Village, 'Brad' 1384UMIN, Eyler victim, Oct'83 - John Ingram Brandenburg, Jr.
Identified! - IN - Lake Village, 'Brad' 1384UMIN, Eyler victim, Oct'83 - John Ingram Brandenburg, Jr.
carbuff
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He looks a lot like the new recon, too. But he was six feet tall while the decedent was a smallish guy at around 5'8".
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Yeah .. that's quite a difference. :/
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The next step for Doe is the processing and sequencing of DNA, with the help of several biotechnology and bioinformatics companies. The victim’s DNA sequence will then be analyzed by Redgrave Research forensic genetic genealogists to find genetic relatives and narrow an identity. This is the same technique Blatt, Redgrave Research, and former Idaho State Faculty Amy Michaels used to positively identify Joseph Henry Loveless in Dubois, Idaho in 2019, more than 100 years after his murder.
“This case is an example of many other cases awaiting resolution. All victims deserve to get their identity back and all families deserve a measure of closure and peace, even after 37 years,” Blatt said. “This is a service to the community; to care for people even after death and keep those responsible for violent crimes accountable. The forensic sciences have this as their sole objective.”
Because of the likely circumstances of his death based on Eyler’s confession, the case has also received attention from the Trans Doe Task Force/LAMMP (LGBTQ+ Accountability for Missing and Murdered Persons). Blatt is a consultant with the task force, which uses strategies and protocols that take into account cultural considerations regarding gender and gender identity. The task force is also building a specialized database for missing and unidentified transgender and gender variant victims. The next step for the task force is to design training for law enforcement and others to recognize and practice gender-informed strategies in solving forensic cases.
Jasper County John Doe - Rensselaer IN 1983 - Unidentified Victim of Serial Killer Larry Eyler - Redgrave Research Forensic Services LLC.
For more information on the Trans Doe Task Force, visit About the Trans Doe Task Force - Trans Doe Task Force.
ISU researcher helps bring law enforcement closer to solving decades-old mystery
“This case is an example of many other cases awaiting resolution. All victims deserve to get their identity back and all families deserve a measure of closure and peace, even after 37 years,” Blatt said. “This is a service to the community; to care for people even after death and keep those responsible for violent crimes accountable. The forensic sciences have this as their sole objective.”
Because of the likely circumstances of his death based on Eyler’s confession, the case has also received attention from the Trans Doe Task Force/LAMMP (LGBTQ+ Accountability for Missing and Murdered Persons). Blatt is a consultant with the task force, which uses strategies and protocols that take into account cultural considerations regarding gender and gender identity. The task force is also building a specialized database for missing and unidentified transgender and gender variant victims. The next step for the task force is to design training for law enforcement and others to recognize and practice gender-informed strategies in solving forensic cases.
Jasper County John Doe - Rensselaer IN 1983 - Unidentified Victim of Serial Killer Larry Eyler - Redgrave Research Forensic Services LLC.
For more information on the Trans Doe Task Force, visit About the Trans Doe Task Force - Trans Doe Task Force.
ISU researcher helps bring law enforcement closer to solving decades-old mystery
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