TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Technology will now a be a critical component in solving the nearly 30-year-old mystery of the I-70 serial killer, police said after receiving new tips on the case recently.
Police officers working on the case from various Midwest agencies and tasked with finding the I-70/I-35 killer held a two-day meeting in St. Charles, Mo. this week. During a press conference Tuesday morning, officials announced new findings on the case and that agencies had been receiving new tips in the past month.
About two weeks ago a composite sketch, shown below, was released showing what the suspect would look like in present day. Since then, officials have received new leads and officers from five cities throughout the Midwest met in St. Charles, Mo. to evaluate and compare cases.
In 1992, six people across five cities in Indiana, Missouri and Kansas were killed by whom authorities think was the same person. On April 27 of that year, Michael “Mick” McCown was shot and killed at a family owned ceramics shop in Terre Haute.
Certain evidence samples from all of the collective cases will now be sent to labs and await DNA testing.
Since the new composite was released, the Terre Haute Police Department has received six new leads and the St. Charles Police Department has yielded around 50 new tips.
According to police, a ballistics report connects one suspect to the six murders across five cities. Sgt. Troy Davis and Det. Brad Rumsey with THPD, along with the I-70/I-35 killer task force, will now utilize current technology with older evidence.
“Every case has some piece of evidence that could possibly yield a DNA sample that could be valuable for us to use,” Rumsey said. “I think there’s a strong chance we can identify the person.”
One piece of evidence related to the killing of McCown in Terre Haute will be tested. A newly developed web portal will allow each agency to see submitted evidence, and Rumsey said leads will be measured on a scale measuring priority levels.
“There were other things that matched in each case with our case,” Davis said. “It was a very informative meeting, glad it happened. I truly believe the I-70 killings will be solved.”
A previous version of this story stated that officials throughout the Midwest met in Indianapolis. They actually met in St. Charles, Missouri.