IN NEWTON COUNTY JOHN DOE: BM, 15-18, found near Sumava Resorts, IN - 18 October 1983 - Larry Eyler victim *KEITH BIBBS*

THE DOE NETWORK
999UMIN - Unidentified Male

Artistic renderings of the victim by NCMEC, Barbara Martin-Bailey and Betsy Cooper; victim's belt buckle.

Date of Discovery: October 18, 1983
Location of Discovery: Lake Village, Newton County, Indiana
Estimated Date of Death: 1982-1983
State of Remains: Skeletal
Cause of Death: Homicide by stabbing

Physical Description
Estimated Age: 15-18 years old
Race: Black
Sex: Male
Height: 5'8" to 6'2"
Weight: 140 to 160 lbs. with a light to averge build.
Hair: Black, close-cropped.
Eye Color: Unknown.
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown.

Identifiers
Dentals: Available. Several dental fillings.
Fingerprints: Not available.
DNA: Available.

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Levi jeans, red and white belt with the word "DEVIL" on it, gold belt buckle with the word "JEANS" on it, and Hush Puppy style boots with a side buckle (size 10).
Jewelry: Unknown.
Additional Personal Items: Unknown.

Circumstances of Discovery
Mushroom hunters found the victim in a shallow grave on an abandoned farm near Sumava Resorts, off US-41, a half mile north of SR-10. The victim was found along with three other victims. Two of the additional three victims were identified via dental records. The third victim, 1384UMIN, remains unidentified. They were all victims of serial killer, Larry Eyler.

Additionally, 3070UMIN, found three days prior, is suspected to be an Eyler victim.

The victim had possibly been picked up while hitchking in July 1983 near the intersection of US 41 and US 63 near Terre Haute in Virgo County. Eyler recalled drugging and sexually assaulting the victim before stabbing him to death.

The victim is known by the nickname "Adam" to investigators. Some believe he was native to Chicago, Illinois or St. Louis, Michigan.

Eyler, a Crawfordsville native, additionally confessed to murdering nearly two dozen young men in the Midwest in the early 1980s. He was dubbed the "Highway Killer" because of where most of his victims' bodies were found - left in locations between Eyler's two residences in Terre Haute and Chicago. His path often followed U.S. 41 in Indiana and Interstate 57 in Illinois.

Five victims have been found in Newton and Jasper counties, and all linked to Eyler. Eyler would take victims from southern Indiana and bury them in northern Indiana - and vice versa - to avoid detection.

Eyler was convicted of murder and other charges in Illinois and Indiana. He died while in custody in Illinois of AIDS-related complications in 1994.

Invetigators are seeking forensic genetic genealogy in effort to identify the victim.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: Newton County Coroner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Special Deputy Scott McCord
Agency Phone Number: 219-285-2515 or 219-964-9872
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 56-09-Adam83

Agency Name: Indiana State Police: District 13
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 219-696-6242
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: Unknown

NCIC Case Number: U310022972
NamUs Case Number: 6011
NCMEC Case Number: 1184271

Information Source(s)
NamUs
NCMEC
Wikipedia

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

DNA Doe Project has this case as well - Adam Doe Newton Co 1983 - DNA Doe Project Cases

His status has recently been progressed to:
Status: Research in Progress

 

[Windstorm]

Adam Doe Newton Co 1983 has been added to Gedmatch by the DNA Doe Project. As of February 22, 2021, he has over 4,000 DNA matches with the closest match being 59 cMs - which isn't a substantial amount. He is on the spreadsheet on Google Drive:

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Adam Doe Newton Co 1983 - DNA Doe Project

The body of a young man found in 1983 in Newton Co Indiana has been accepted to the DNA Doe Project cases. Follow us to see updates as we begin this case.

dnadoeproject.org

The DNA Doe Project, in collaboration with the Newton County Coroner’s Office, have announced the successful identification of a long-unidentified victim of notorious serial killer Larry Eyler as Keith Lavell Bibbs. Bibbs had been known only as Adam Doe for nearly 40 years. This significant breakthrough comes after years of exhaustive efforts, and it brings closure to a case that has puzzled investigators and haunted families for decades. Bibbs is the last of four Eyler victims found on an abandoned farm in rural Lake Village, Indiana, to be identified. The DNA Doe Project also identified John Brandenburg, Jr, formerly known as Brad Doe.