Victor Parsons found himself driving along U.S. 40 in Hancock County, Indiana, one late August evening in 1975. His companions, his brother and a friend, were on their way to Cumberland, just east of Indianapolis, for a casual beer. As they traveled, the headlights of his 1968 Cutlass Supreme revealed two figures on the roadside, illuminated in the dim light.
Thinking they were hitchhikers, Parsons initially decided against stopping when he noticed what he thought were tie-dye shirts. However, as they passed, one of the men in the car remarked that the figures looked as though they were covered in blood. This comment prompted Parsons to pull over. Approaching the vehicle were Kathie Rottler and Kandice Smith, both covered in blood with what appeared to be clumps of flesh hanging from their necks.
Shocked by the sight, Parsons resumed driving, looking for a place with a phone. During the journey, Kathie explained that they had been hitchhiking and were attacked by a man who had also abducted her 11-year-old sister, Sheri. Kandice, barely conscious, experienced surreal hallucinations, like smoke coming out of Kathie's open neck.
Parsons eventually stopped at a motel, and help was called. The police were shocked by the girls' injuries. Sheri was found in a nearby cornfield, severely injured but alive. She was rushed to the hospital for surgery to treat her 17 stab wounds.
A massive manhunt ensued for the attacker, with numerous leads and sightings reported. In November 1975, a man in custody for theft in Shelbyville caught the attention of police due to his resemblance to the attacker and the similarity of his car to the one described by the girls. However, due to jurisdictional issues and lack of concrete evidence, no charges were filed against him.
Despite efforts to bring the attacker to justice, the case went cold. It was not until much later that the true perpetrator, who lived just miles from the victims, was finally identified.