A Brush With Death: Unmasking the Elusive "Indianapolis Slasher"
In August 1975, three girls hitchhiking in Indianapolis nearly met their death when they were savagely attacked by a man who picked them up. Nearly 50 years later, his identity is finally revealed
Background
In August 1975, three girls decided to hitchhike to an arcade in Indianapolis for a night of fun. However, after being picked up by a stranger, things took a horrific turn, and all three of them nearly lost their lives.
The man who viciously attacked them came to be known as the “Indianapolis Slasher,” and his identity would remain a mystery for nearly 50 years, until advances in DNA technology finally unmasked him.
Abduction and Assaults
On the evening of August 19, 1975, three young girls were planning a fun night at a local arcade in Indianapolis. 14-year-old Kathie Rottler made arrangements to meet a family friend who was going to teach her and 13-year-old Kandice Smith how to shoot pool on the arcade’s billiard table. The friend suggested Kathy bring her little sister, 11-year-old Sheri Rottler.
The girls walked to a local store where Kathie purchased cigarettes. After leaving the store, Kathie suggested they should hitchhike the rest of the way to the arcade instead of walking.
As they were hitching along the 800 Block of East Washington Street, a man driving a station wagon pulled over. He offered them a ride, but explained they would all have to sit in the front seat because there was too much packed in the back. The three girls then slid into the front passenger seat.
The girls told the man their ages and where they were headed. When they told him where to turn toward the arcade, he kept driving.
Realizing that something was terribly wrong, Kathie tried to grab hold of the steering wheel, thinking that if she crashed the car, they would be able to escape. But the man suddenly pulled out a gun and pressed it against her temple. “Move over!” he ordered. “The next time you do that, I will blow your head off!”
Kathie told the other girls to jump out of the moving car. But when they looked at the passenger side door, they saw nothing but exposed hardware – the panel containing the knobs to open the window and door was completely gone.
The man then drove down a lane that entered a cornfield. There, he stopped and took Sheri out of the car. After bringing her around to the front of the vehicle, he violently assaults her. As she was lying on the ground, he stabbed a blade into her neck. After Sheri fell unconscious, the man returned to the car and instructed Kandice to get out.
“Do you have any money in your pocket? He asked. She said she did. He checked her pockets and, after finding none, told her, “You’re lying.” He then told her to lie down near the right front tire of the car. After Kandice did as she was told, the man plunged the blade into her neck 12 times.
After holding her breath and pretending to be dead, the man dragged her into the cornfield and left her there. He then returned to the car and pulled Kathie out and thrust the knife into her neck, stabbing her five times. He then stabbed Kandice and Sheri several more times before dragging Kathie into the cornfield and leaving her.
Finally, Kathie and Kandice heard the man get into his car, start the engine, and drive away. Miraculously still alive, Kathie and Kandice stumbled to their feet and searched for Sheri. Unable to find her, they assumed she had been abducted. Unbeknownst to them, Sheri is lying unconscious not far from where they are searching.
Rescue
The two girls made their way out to US-40 and began trying to flag down passing cars. Three men in a passing car noticed the girls, and one of them remarked, “Those girls look like they’ve got blood on them.” As Kathie and Kandice run to the car, the three men are aghast. Not only were the girls’ shirts blood-soaked, but there was clotted tissue hanging from their injured necks.
The men then drove the girls to a nearby motel, where they instructed the owner to call the police. When the police arrive, an officer shines a light into the car and asks what is going on. One of the girls lifted the cut portions of her neck, and the officer would later describe it as looking like an accordion.
Kathie and Kandice were then transported to Community Hospital while the officers returned to the cornfield to search for Sheri. As she was regaining consciousness, Sheri heard the voices of officers and saw flashing lights. She was found and taken to the hospital.
Description of the Attacker
The three girls described the attacker to police, and a composite sketch was created. He was described as a white male between the ages of 35 and 50, standing between 5 feet 8 inches and 6 feet tall.
The girls were asked to look over several lineups of potential suspects and station wagons. None are identified. A massive manhunt ensued, with an overwhelming number of leads for detectives to investigate.
However, after all leads were exhausted, the investigation into the “Indianapolis Slasher” went cold. As the years and decades passed, it seemed increasingly likely that the attempted killer of Kathie, Kandice, and Sheri would never be identified.
But Kathie Rottler was determined not to let that happen. She continued to lean on the IMPD to investigate any new leads or information and to follow up.
New Developments
Then, in 2018, the case was reopened. Kathie was then 57 years old. Sheri, 54, and Kandice, 56. Forty-three years had passed since the night they got into a strange man’s station wagon and drove straight into a nightmare. With advances in technology, DNA evidence from the crime scene might hold the answers everyone has been waiting for.
The three women provided their DNA to Detective David Ellison, who submitted it to the Marion County Forensic Services Agency. However, Genetic cross-matching, which is quite expensive, proved to be a barrier to moving the reopened investigation forward.
Then, in 2023, Ellison secured funding from Ashley Flowers, the founder of Audiochuck – a media company that produces crime-related podcasts. The police department also contributed funds so that the DNA from the crime scene could be entered into a genetic genealogy database for comparison.
“Indianapolis Slasher” Revealed
Soon, a match is discovered, leading investigators to the son and daughter of the suspect. Forty-nine years after he brutally attacked three young girls, the elusive “Indianapolis Slasher” finally has a name: Thomas Edward Williams.
Thomas Williams was born in Indianapolis on May 21. 1934, making him 41 at the time of the attack. The son of George and Edna Williams, he had two sisters and one brother. His father had been a construction worker, and his mother a restaurant cook and dishwasher.
Known as “Tommy” to friends and family, he resided not far from where he picked up the three girls in his station wagon that summer night in 1975.
Unfortunately, Thomas Williams would never be held accountable for what he did to Kathie, Kandice, and Sheri. He had died of natural causes on November 13, 1983, while serving time in a Galveston, Texas prison for robbery.
He was buried in Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery, also known as the Huntsville Prison Cemetery. His cross-shaped marker bears the number 270475.
On January 18, 2024, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officially closed the case of the Indianapolis Slasher. Deputy Chief Kendale Adams addressed the three women. “Your bravery, assistance, and courage is commendable.”
Sources:
Slasher: An inside look at how detectives solved a nearly 50-year Indianapolis cold case. 15 May 2024, [Video]. USA TODAY, https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/local/marion-county/2024/05/15/slasher-how-detectives-solved-a-nearly-50-year-indianapolis-cold-case/73531234007/
Nelson, S., McEldowney, M., & Tilley, J. P. “Detectives name man they say hunted and left 3 young Indiana hitchhikers for dead in 1975.” 19 January 2024, The Indianapolis Star. https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2024/01/18/thomas-edward-williams-suspect-1975-indiana-slasher-crimes-dna-cold-case/72267852007/
U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current - Ancestry.com. (n.d.). https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60525/records
Its incredible how modern technology catches up with these cases. Hopefully there will be more in the future.