Indianapolis, IN

Cold Case: Indiana ‘Slasher’ has a name 48 years after three girls left for dead in cornfield

Published

2 years ago

January 18, 2024

Cold Case: Indiana ‘Slasher’ has a name 48 years after three girls left for dead in cornfield

Thomas Edward Williams has been named the suspect behind the 1975 cold case that involved three girls and a man who detectives at the time said was ‘hunting.’

Williams — dubbed the ‘Slasher’ by police and the victims — died at age 49 in November 1983 inside a prison in Galveston, Texas. At the time of the abduction, Williams lived near the site of the kidnapping. DNA from pieces of evidence further confirmed through testing against Williams’ daughter led to his identification as the suspect, police said Thursday.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police announced the major break in the nearly 50-year-old case Thursday.

Background of the ‘Slasher’ case

In 1975, three girls trying to reach an amusement center hitchhiked along the 800 block of East Washington Street when a man picked them up. They soon realized something was wrong when the front passenger door was missing an inside door handle.

The man, suspected to be in his 40s, drove the girls past the teen hangout and continued east into Hancock County, eventually heading off a county road and into a cornfield.

There, he raped the youngest girl, 11 years old at the time, stabbed her three times in the throat and another 15 times in her chest. He then slashed the throats of the 13-year-old and 14-year-old and left them all for dead.

“I heard him wrestling around, the car door shut and the car start,” the oldest victim told IndyStar during an interview in February 2018. “I was trying to see which way he was going to go because I wanted to get the heck out of there and (13-year-old) grabbed my leg and it scared me so I fell down, I didn’t know which way he went.”

The two couldn’t find the youngest victim, who was the oldest victim’s sister. The man had dragged her further back into the field. The oldest two girls said they thought he took her.

“He picked me up and tossed me into the cornfield,” the youngest victim told IndyStar. She then passed out.

The two oldest victims crawled out of the field and onto US-40 in an attempt to wave down help. Three men pulled over to pick them up, took them to a motel and phoned authorities.

One officer, who arrived first on the motel scene, compared the cuts to the girls’ necks as appearing similar to that of an accordion.

Law enforcement then returned to the field to find the youngest victim.

A manhunt ensues, but the case goes cold after charges dropped

A manhunt for the assailant ensued for years. Newspaper clippings shared leads and provided suspect sketches from what the girls relayed to artists. A police detective in one news article stated the picture matched the description of a suspect known for abducting and raping girls from east-side schools. The Marion County Sheriff at the time detailed 12 detectives to the case.

In December 1975, roughly four months after the attacks, Marion County prosecutors told The Daily Reporter that they had identified a Homer man as a suspect but no charges had been brought.

The search continued but the case eventually turned cold.

Marisa Kwiatkowski and Mykal McEldowney contributed to this report.

Contact Sarah Nelson at 317-503-7514 or sarah.nelson@indystar.com

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Indianapolis, IN

NASCAR odds for the Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis in July 2025

Published

15 hours ago

July 24, 2025

Press Room

NASCAR odds for the Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis in July 2025

The NASCAR Xfinity Series is ready to compete in the Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the 24th race weekend of the 2025 season. It is NASCAR’s first race on an oval that is 1.5 miles or bigger since EchoPark Speedway in late June.

Riley Herbst entered victory lane in last year’s race at Indianapolis, with Cole Custer and Aric Almirola rounding out the top three spots. Herbst’s win marked his first of two victories during the 2024 season. However, who are the favorites to win this weekend?

Below, you can check out the NASCAR odds via BetMGM for the 2025 Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis as of Wednesday, July 23!

NASCAR odds for the Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis (July 2025)

Kyle Larson: +110
Justin Allgaier: +500
Connor Zilisch: +500
Aric Almirola: +700
Sheldon Creed: +1300
Austin Hill: +1300
Sam Mayer: +1400
Jesse Love: +1500
Brandon Jones: +1800
Carson Kvapil: +2000
Taylor Gray: +2000
Nick Sanchez: +2000
Sammy Smith: +2200
Ryan Sieg: +3000
Christian Eckes: +4000
William Sawalich: +6000
Harrison Burton: +10000
Daniel Dye: +10000
Dean Thompson: +10000
Parker Retzlaff: +10000
Jeb Burton: +12500
Josh Williams: +20000
Anthony Alfredo: +20000
Matt DiBenedetto: +20000
Jeremy Clements: +35000
Kyle Sieg: +35000
Brennan Poole: +35000
Ryan Ellis: +35000
Leland Honeyman: +35000
Josh Bilicki: +100000
Blaine Perkins: +100000
Mason Massey: +100000
Garrett Smithley: +100000
Logan Bearden: +100000
David Starr: +100000
Joey Gase: +100000
Katherine Legge: +200000
Dawson Cram: +200000

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Indianapolis, IN

Community leaders unite to combat youth violence in Indianapolis

Published

6 days ago

July 18, 2025

Press Room

Community leaders unite to combat youth violence in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS — In the wake of a recent mass shooting on July 5, community leaders across Indianapolis are coming together to address youth violence and foster lasting relationships within neighborhoods.

“Building relationships means letting people know their lives are important,” said Rev. Eric Kersey, St. Andrew United Methodist Church.

The initiative includes local neighborhood associations and churches and seeks to provide hope and support to the city’s youth as they walk the streets of Downtown Indianapolis this weekend.

WRTV

“It’s important to show community, to show those relationships that we’re building and they come together in different ways in your neighborhood — downtown, east side, west side, north side. I go everywhere because we are one,” Debbie Patterson with Positive Impact Neighborhood.

Indianapolis Metro Police Department (IMPD) and city leaders acknowledge that they cannot tackle this issue alone. This weekend, they will join the Indianapolis TenPoint Coalition and dozens of other community leaders for a street walk through downtown Indianapolis, aiming to raise awareness and curb youth violence.

“Indianapolis’ own justice system is not doing the job. I think the police department is, but the rest of the equation is not being carried out,” said Gov. Braun.

This week, Governor Mike Braun (R) criticized the local justice system, stating that both prosecutor Ryan Mears and Mayor Joe Hogsett, (D) are failing to protect residents.

“Braun has never once told us what his plan or solution would be to teen gun violence,” Prosecutor Ryan Mears said.

In addition to the street walk, advocates will hold a community conversation on Saturday at the Great Commission Church of God from 3-5 p.m. Leaders say it will be focused on solutions and engagement, emphasizing that addressing violence is not a one-person problem, but a collective community challenge.

“I don’t want parents not to show up and then, when they have to show up, it’s unfortunately visiting their children behind bars,” Antonia Bailey, Survivor Advocate and Support Specialist for IMPD said.

All with the goal of sparking change long after this weekend.

“We just need to bring that hope back into their hearts, that sparkle back into their eyes to live and know they have something to live for,” Ashlynne Walker said.

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Indianapolis, IN

2025 Indianapolis Colts Training Camp: Schedule, dates plus offseason moves review

Published

7 days ago

July 18, 2025

Press Room

The NFL has officially announced the training camp dates for all 32 NFL teams. Check out everything you need to know about the Indianapolis Colts training camp below:

Indianapolis Colts Training Camp

Site: Grand Park
Location: Westfield, Indiana
Reporting date: July 21 (rookies), July 22 (veterans)

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Training Camp Open Practices

Wednesday, July 23 (Camp Kickoff): 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. CT
Thursday, July 24: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. CT
Friday, July 25 (Family Day): 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. CT
Saturday, July 26 (Back Together Saturday): 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. CT
Monday, July 28: 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. CT
Tuesday, July 29: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. CT
Thursday, July 31 (Thirsty Thursday): 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. CT
Saturday, August 2 (Salute to Service): 10:00 a.m. – 11:35 a.m. CT
Sunday, August 3: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. CT
Saturday, August 9: 4:00 p.m. – 5:10 p.m. CT
Sunday, August 10 (Give Back Sunday): 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. CT
Monday, August 11 (Kicking The Stigma): 4:00 p.m. – 5:40 p.m. CT
Thursday, August 14 (Joint Practice – Green Bay Packers): 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. CT

Indianapolis Colts 2025 Preseason Schedule

Check out the team’s preseason schedule below:

August 7: Colts at Ravens – 7:00 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
August 16: Colts vs. Packers – 1:00 p.m. ET
August 23: Colts at Bengals – 1:00 p.m. ET

Indianapolis Colts 2025 NFL Draft Picks

Check out the complete list of 2025 NFL draft picks for the Indianapolis Colts:

Round 1: Tyler Warren (TE, Penn State)
Round 2: JT Tuimoloau (DE, Ohio State)
Round 3: Justin Walley (CB, Minnesota)
Round 4: Jalen Travis (T, Iowa State)
Round 5: DJ Giddens (RB, Kansas State)
Round 6: Riley Leonard (QB, Notre Dame)
Round 6: Tim Smith (DL, Alabama)
Round 7: Hunter Wohler (S, Wisconsin)

Indianapolis Colts Offseason Moves Review

Following a busy NFL offseason filled with trades, free-agent moves and the draft, Ben Arthur distilled each team’s offseason into a word. Check out what Arthur had to say about the Bengals: