Sponsored by:Redgrave Research
William Joseph “Bill” Lewis
1963 – 1982 Old Settlers Cemetery
Photo added by BryanWorters
- Birth
-
Peru, Miami County, Indiana, USA
- Death
- 20 Nov 1982 (aged 19)
Rensselaer, Jasper County, Indiana, USA
- Burial
-
Newton Township, Jasper County, Indiana, USA Add to Map
- Memorial ID
- 31380870 View Source
This is the marker for an unidentified body found next to Interstate 65, in Jasper County, Indiana, near the city of Rensselaer. This is believed to be a victim, probably a hitch hiker, of the serial killer Larry Eyler. The body was found later in 1982, but the death date is unsure.
In 1986, the Policeman that was first on the scene, and his colleagues, raised the money for this marker stone. The plot, in this cemetery, was donated by the cemetery trustees.
UPDATE: DEC. 2021:JASPER COUNTY — A man previously unidentified for years who was killed by serial killer Larry Eyler has been identified by a team from Massachusetts and the Jasper County coroner's office.
The skeletal remains of William Joseph "Bill" Lewis, 19, of Peru, were found on Oct. 15, 1983, on a private plot of land outside of Rensselaer, according to a press release. A man checking and setting fox traps found them.
In January 2021, a student intern, Bryan Worters, at Redgrave Research Forensic Services approached the Jasper County Coroner's Office and asked to help.
Using DNA data uploaded to GEDmatch, a team of forensic genetic genealogists and student interns were able to identify Lewis.∼Bill's parents married in 1961.
Bennie Edward Lewis, Sr.
Joe Vivian (Smith)
His brother Glenn 'Roy' Lewis was born in 1964 at Arkansas. Glen had married Kimberly Shuck in Peru, IN 1990. It is unclear of Bill's birth place.
William Joseph Lewis, nicknamed "Bill", was born on October 13th, 1963. Described as a quiet person by his siblings, Bill was a football player for his high school team until he broke his left leg, leading him to withdraw from school. He was last seen by relatives in Houston, Texas in February of 1982, where he attended a friend's funeral and left afterward to return to Indiana. Following this, his family did not hear from Bill again, and have spent the ensuing decades searching for him.
About a decade later in 1994, convicted and imprisoned serial killer Larry William Eyler confessed to his attorney, Kathleen Zellner, that he had killed the John Doe along with 20 other young men and boys. Eyler stated that he had picked up the young man around the weekend of November 20th, 1982 along US Route 41 in the Vincennes area, and driven him several hours north to Jasper County, where he would later be discovered. DNA tests confirmed Bill's indentity. As reported by Redgrave Research Forensic Services' genealogy team
Bill will be laid to rest next to his father after 39 years. Out of respect for the family, I will not post any publicity. Thank you
In 1986, the Policeman that was first on the scene, and his colleagues, raised the money for this marker stone. The plot, in this cemetery, was donated by the cemetery trustees.
UPDATE: DEC. 2021:JASPER COUNTY — A man previously unidentified for years who was killed by serial killer Larry Eyler has been identified by a team from Massachusetts and the Jasper County coroner's office.
The skeletal remains of William Joseph "Bill" Lewis, 19, of Peru, were found on Oct. 15, 1983, on a private plot of land outside of Rensselaer, according to a press release. A man checking and setting fox traps found them.
In January 2021, a student intern, Bryan Worters, at Redgrave Research Forensic Services approached the Jasper County Coroner's Office and asked to help.
Using DNA data uploaded to GEDmatch, a team of forensic genetic genealogists and student interns were able to identify Lewis.∼Bill's parents married in 1961.
Bennie Edward Lewis, Sr.
Joe Vivian (Smith)
His brother Glenn 'Roy' Lewis was born in 1964 at Arkansas. Glen had married Kimberly Shuck in Peru, IN 1990. It is unclear of Bill's birth place.
William Joseph Lewis, nicknamed "Bill", was born on October 13th, 1963. Described as a quiet person by his siblings, Bill was a football player for his high school team until he broke his left leg, leading him to withdraw from school. He was last seen by relatives in Houston, Texas in February of 1982, where he attended a friend's funeral and left afterward to return to Indiana. Following this, his family did not hear from Bill again, and have spent the ensuing decades searching for him.
About a decade later in 1994, convicted and imprisoned serial killer Larry William Eyler confessed to his attorney, Kathleen Zellner, that he had killed the John Doe along with 20 other young men and boys. Eyler stated that he had picked up the young man around the weekend of November 20th, 1982 along US Route 41 in the Vincennes area, and driven him several hours north to Jasper County, where he would later be discovered. DNA tests confirmed Bill's indentity. As reported by Redgrave Research Forensic Services' genealogy team
Bill will be laid to rest next to his father after 39 years. Out of respect for the family, I will not post any publicity. Thank you
This is the marker for an unidentified body found next to Interstate 65, in Jasper County, Indiana, near the city of Rensselaer. This is believed to be a victim, probably a hitch hiker, of the serial killer Larry Eyler. The body was found later in 1982, but the death date is unsure.
In 1986, the Policeman that was first on the scene, and his colleagues, raised the money for this marker stone. The plot, in this cemetery, was donated by the cemetery trustees.
UPDATE: DEC. 2021:JASPER COUNTY — A man previously unidentified for years who was killed by serial killer Larry Eyler has been identified by a team from Massachusetts and the Jasper County coroner's office.
The skeletal remains of William Joseph "Bill" Lewis, 19, of Peru, were found on Oct. 15, 1983, on a private plot of land outside of Rensselaer, according to a press release. A man checking and setting fox traps found them.
In January 2021, a student intern, Bryan Worters, at Redgrave Research Forensic Services approached the Jasper County Coroner's Office and asked to help.
Using DNA data uploaded to GEDmatch, a team of forensic genetic genealogists and student interns were able to identify Lewis.∼Bill's parents married in 1961.
Bennie Edward Lewis, Sr.
Joe Vivian (Smith)
His brother Glenn 'Roy' Lewis was born in 1964 at Arkansas. Glen had married Kimberly Shuck in Peru, IN 1990. It is unclear of Bill's birth place.
William Joseph Lewis, nicknamed "Bill", was born on October 13th, 1963. Described as a quiet person by his siblings, Bill was a football player for his high school team until he broke his left leg, leading him to withdraw from school. He was last seen by relatives in Houston, Texas in February of 1982, where he attended a friend's funeral and left afterward to return to Indiana. Following this, his family did not hear from Bill again, and have spent the ensuing decades searching for him.
About a decade later in 1994, convicted and imprisoned serial killer Larry William Eyler confessed to his attorney, Kathleen Zellner, that he had killed the John Doe along with 20 other young men and boys. Eyler stated that he had picked up the young man around the weekend of November 20th, 1982 along US Route 41 in the Vincennes area, and driven him several hours north to Jasper County, where he would later be discovered. DNA tests confirmed Bill's indentity. As reported by Redgrave Research Forensic Services' genealogy team
Bill will be laid to rest next to his father after 39 years. Out of respect for the family, I will not post any publicity. Thank you
In 1986, the Policeman that was first on the scene, and his colleagues, raised the money for this marker stone. The plot, in this cemetery, was donated by the cemetery trustees.
UPDATE: DEC. 2021:JASPER COUNTY — A man previously unidentified for years who was killed by serial killer Larry Eyler has been identified by a team from Massachusetts and the Jasper County coroner's office.
The skeletal remains of William Joseph "Bill" Lewis, 19, of Peru, were found on Oct. 15, 1983, on a private plot of land outside of Rensselaer, according to a press release. A man checking and setting fox traps found them.
In January 2021, a student intern, Bryan Worters, at Redgrave Research Forensic Services approached the Jasper County Coroner's Office and asked to help.
Using DNA data uploaded to GEDmatch, a team of forensic genetic genealogists and student interns were able to identify Lewis.∼Bill's parents married in 1961.
Bennie Edward Lewis, Sr.
Joe Vivian (Smith)
His brother Glenn 'Roy' Lewis was born in 1964 at Arkansas. Glen had married Kimberly Shuck in Peru, IN 1990. It is unclear of Bill's birth place.
William Joseph Lewis, nicknamed "Bill", was born on October 13th, 1963. Described as a quiet person by his siblings, Bill was a football player for his high school team until he broke his left leg, leading him to withdraw from school. He was last seen by relatives in Houston, Texas in February of 1982, where he attended a friend's funeral and left afterward to return to Indiana. Following this, his family did not hear from Bill again, and have spent the ensuing decades searching for him.
About a decade later in 1994, convicted and imprisoned serial killer Larry William Eyler confessed to his attorney, Kathleen Zellner, that he had killed the John Doe along with 20 other young men and boys. Eyler stated that he had picked up the young man around the weekend of November 20th, 1982 along US Route 41 in the Vincennes area, and driven him several hours north to Jasper County, where he would later be discovered. DNA tests confirmed Bill's indentity. As reported by Redgrave Research Forensic Services' genealogy team
Bill will be laid to rest next to his father after 39 years. Out of respect for the family, I will not post any publicity. Thank you
Bio by: Colin J Parker
Inscription
John Doe
25 to 26 years old
Approximate date
of death March 1982
Interment Apr. 22, 1986.
Family Members
Sponsored by Redgrave Research
- Created by: SixDogTeam
- Added: Nov 14, 2008
- Find a Grave Memorial ID:
-
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31380870/william_joseph-lewis: accessed ), memorial page for William Joseph “Bill” Lewis (13 Oct 1963–20 Nov 1982), Find a Grave Memorial ID 31380870, citing Old Settlers Cemetery, Newton Township, Jasper County, Indiana, USA; Maintained by SixDogTeam (contributor 46950943).
