Cold Cases of Indiana: A Study of Unsolved Cases in the Heartland

Jerry Michael Bayles

A newspaper route was a common job for young children with a bike in the seventies. It was nothing to deliver some papers around the neighborhood. Maybe the practice died because of children being abducted or with the number of physical paper sales falling.

A red-headed, ten year-old boy was asked to fill in for his teenage brother on his newspaper route on October 3, 1970. Jerry agreed to take the duty from sick brother for the day. The route was on the west side of Indianapolis not far from the family's home.

It was about 5 in the morning. Jerry, who went by Mike, set off to deliver the morning paper to the adults that would soon be leaving to go to work.

He delivered the first paper and crossed to 12 South Harris Street. A scream broke the calm morning air, according to witnesses.

Soon, people began to call Mike's mother to see why their morning papers had not been delivered. A family member went to see what was keeping Mike. That was when Mike's damaged bicycle was discovered with the remaining newspapers in a driveway near the second paper stop. The police were called.

A gruesome discovery would be made by a farmer merely four hours after the young boy had disappeared. Mike's body was nude except for the socks on his feet. The cause of death was determined to be multiple stab wounds.

At the time, investigators conducted interviews and made notes. A suspect was quickly named. A known, convicted pedophile Robert Eugene Schmidt had a warrant issued for his arrest. He was not arrest until November 24, 1970 in Arizona.

This was suspicious considering that he was supposed to be a patient at the Central State Mental Hospital. On October 3, when Mike was abducted and killed, Robert was a groundskeeper. The area, in which he worked, was close to where Mike was taken from. Robert escaped the hospital on October 10, 1970. He had been serving time for molesting young Indianapolis boys.

This "victory" was short lived. Prosecutors failed to get an indictment of Robert. There was insufficient evidence. Even now, after Robert's death, police are not sure that there was ever evidence to prove that he was responsible for the crime.

What would bring this case to the spotlight in 2015 after sitting with no hope since 1970? Will Ott. Mr. Ott was going through some old yearbooks, when a signature ignited a fire in him. The signature read Jerry Bayles. Just like that Mr. Ott became an armchair detective. He wants answer for the Bayles family and Mike.

Mr. Ott started a website, which you can find in the source section, and it soon got a lot of attention. The local news did a story on him and his website.

Soon a woman came forward in 2015. She claimed that her father was responsible for the murder. At the time, she was seven years old. Her father had always had a temper. Allegedly, he even used the event to threaten her and other family members. He was in the area at the time of the murder and the family moved shortly after it occurred.

Police have stated that the woman's father is listed as a witness and had been interviewed, but was never a suspect. Her father has since passed.

With no real answers in this case, speculation can go a number of directions. No matter how much time has passed, every victim deserves justice. That justice may not always be in the form of a prison sentence. Sometimes, it is as simple as the truth coming out.

______________Sources__________________

"Cold Cases: Lyons homicide not only unsolved investigation." VanOvenberhe, Caitlin. Greenfield Daily Reporter. June 27, 2017.

"Cold Case Re-opened: Woman Tells Police Her Father Killed Paperboy." 13 WTHR. Runevitch, Jennie. July 22, 2015.

"Crime Against Us All." The Indianapolis Star. October 6, 1970.

"New Tip Re-opens 45 Year Old Cold Case of Murdered Paperboy."Runevitch, Jennie. WTHR 13. July 20, 2015.

"Newspaper Carrier Stabbed to Death." The Indianapolis Star. October 4, 1970.

"Suspect Held in Murder of Newsboy." Rushville Republican. November 24, 1970.

Will Ott's website (Seriously Great Site). https://jerrymichaelbayles.weebly.com/

_________Author's Note______________

Sorry for my hiatus. School is out for summer vacation, which means I have less free time. I am the full-time caretaker of my special needs son and typical use my breaks between classes to write. Without those breaks, it has been hard to find time. I also got engaged, which is exciting, but means wedding planning is in the works.

As always, thank you so much for your support! If you have a case suggestion, please reach out! You can find me on twitter at ColdIndiana.