Victor Parsons found himself driving west on U.S. 40 in Hancock County, Indiana, late one night in August 1975. His headlights revealed two girls standing on the roadside, illuminated by the dim glow. Assuming they were hitchhiking, he initially decided not to stop, but the sight of what he thought were tie-dye shirts on the teenagers made him reconsider. His companions in the car noticed something unusual: the girls appeared to be covered in blood.
Concerned, Parsons pulled over his 1968 Cutlass Supreme, and the girls, Kathie Rottler and Kandice Smith, approached the car. Their appearance was shocking – they were drenched in blood, with what seemed like blood or flesh hanging from their necks.
The girls got into the back seat, and Parsons continued driving west, searching for a place with a phone booth. During the drive, Kathie explained what had happened: they had hitchhiked with a man who had turned out to be dangerous. He had threatened them with a gun and then stabbed them. Most importantly, Kathie told them that her 11-year-old sister, Sheri, was missing.
Kandice was having difficulty breathing, weakened by blood loss and unsure of what was real. She thought she saw Kathie smoking a cigarette, smoke seemingly emanating from her friend's open neck. Convinced she was going to die, Kandice announced it to the rest of the car. The man next to her reassured her, saying, "You're not going to die. Jesus Christ is with you."
Soon, a flashlight shone in Kandice's face. Parsons had stopped at a nearby Motel 8, and help had arrived.
An officer told her she could get out of the car now. That officer, 25-year-old Gary Maxey, was stunned by the girls' condition. He described their neck wounds as looking like an accordion, far from the razor-thin line typically seen with a throat cut.
Kathie was focused on finding her missing sister. Was Sheri with the man when he left? Was she still in the cornfield? Frantic, she tried to tell police everything at once, begging them to find Sheri.
Cumberland Town Marshal Jerry Priest gave the girls first aid, while Maxey and another officer drove to the cornfield where the girls had been attacked. Parsons and his friend followed to help with the search. They found Sheri four corn rows from the lane, a blood-stained cloth wrapped around her throat.
Police learned that the man had stabbed Sheri multiple times after she briefly regained consciousness during the attack. She required immediate medical attention.
Sheri, Kathie, and Kandice were admitted to Community Hospital East in Indianapolis for treatment. Sheri underwent surgery for her injuries, including 17 stab wounds on her upper chest alone.
As the girls recovered, police launched a multi-agency manhunt for the attacker and his vehicle, pursuing hundreds of leads in Indiana and surrounding states. However, despite efforts, no one was positively identified or arrested.
The case remained unsolved for years, taking a toll on the girls' lives. They struggled with physical and emotional scars, facing challenges in school and relationships. The lack of closure haunted them, with every anniversary of the attack serving as a painful reminder.
In 1990, after 15 years, the case was reopened, but efforts to solve it were unsuccessful. Detective Steven Gibbs, who took on the case, acknowledged the mistakes made during the initial investigation, which hindered their chances of solving the crime. Despite his efforts, Gibbs couldn't bring the girls the justice they sought.
The case remains unsolved, leaving the women to cope with the aftermath of that fateful night, forever changed by the horror they endured.