On a late summer night in 1975, three girls age 11 to 14 in Indianapolis, Ind., took a ride in a station wagon that became an evening of terror. For decades, authorities have been searching for the man who attacked them that night.
This week, the Indianapolis Metro Police Department announced that it had finally confirmed the suspect’s identity. Through genetic testing, they identified him as Thomas Edward Williams, a man who died in November of 1983 while in prison in Galveston, Texas.
Per the Indianapolis Star, the suspect was dubbed the “Slasher” by his victims and by police.
“My hope is this investigation demonstrates our commitment to justice, no matter how much time has passed. After 48 years, we now can tell these survivors who was responsible for this heinous act,” said Deputy Chief of Investigations Kendale Adams.
According to the police department, 11-year-old Sheri Rottler Trick, 13-year-old Kandice Smith and 14-year-old Kathie Rottler were leaving a gas station at nearly 11 p.m. on Aug. 19, 1975, when they decided to hitchhike. A white man (Williams) in a station wagon offered to give them a ride.
The girls realized something was wrong when Williams drove past the destination where they told him they were headed. They tried to escape the car, but they couldn’t.
Williams kept driving until they arrived at a cornfield in Greenfield, Ind. There, he forced the girls out of the vehicle and bound two of them. He then sexually assaulted one of the girls. During the attack, he stabbed all three of the girls before leaving them in the cornfield and fleeing from the area.
Despite the stabbing, two of the girls were able to make it to the main roadway, where they were rescued by passerby. All three of the girls were rushed to the hospital and they all survived the attack.
“Police from several jurisdictions, including Indiana State Police, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and Cumberland Police Department, worked together to analyze the crime scene,” said the Indianapolis Metro Police Department.
Although a composite sketch was developed of a possible suspect and several leads were followed, the suspect’s identity remained a mystery. Still, the survivors of the attack kept searching.
They had a breakthrough in 2018 when they contacted now-retired IMPD Sgt. David Ellison. He worked with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office the following year to obtain evidence from the case for analysis and testing.
By 2021, Sgt. Ellison learned the Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Services Agency had successfully recovered DNA from pieces of evidence from the case, and had developed a full DNA profile of an unknown male. More testing was conducted and a DNA profile began to emerge. Last year, Sgt. Ellison submitted the evidence for genetic genealogy study by DNA Labs International, a private forensic DNA lab in Deerfield Beach, Fla.
“The ForenSeq Kintelligence System, the newest Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG) technology, was designed specifically for challenging forensic samples. This testing enabled the development of a DNA profile 48 years later that was then used by DLI’s genealogy team to generate a new investigative lead for law enforcement. DLI was also able to confirm this investigative lead using DNA kinship testing,” said Steve Dubois, a Client Experience Specialist at DNA Labs International.
Audiochuck, a local media company that produces podcasts, provided funding for the testing.
“When the Audiochuck team was made aware of this need for funding, it was a no brainer for us to step in. We are honored to be standing here today as a small part of the team that made this solve possible. The advancements that have been made in DNA testing is astounding and we’re encouraged by what this means for cold and ongoing cases,” said Audiochuck Founder & Chief Creative Officer Ashley Flowers.
A DNA profile for the suspect was developed by last April, and further research through FamilyTree.com GEDmatch.com and more was conducted.
“IMPD would like to thank Kandice Smith, Sheri Rottler Trick and Kathie Rottler for their bravery, courage, persistence, and patience in this case,” said the police department. “IMPD would also like to acknowledge those who continued to search for answers, including Audiochuck, DNA Labs International, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Lt. Steve Gibbs and Sgt.
David Ellison.”