Unknown Lady: The Box in Otterbein

   Who is this woman and who put her in a box?

   If you drive northwest out of Lafayette, Indiana on highway 52 you will drive through the small town of Otterbein. 

  On October 8th, 1976 it was harvest time again. One unlucky farmer was bringing in his corn when he saw a box nine rows deep in the field. He loaded it into his truck and took it home.  

  He was as curious as any of us would be and so he began to open it up. Something was wrapped in heavy plastic. He noticed a smell.  He called the police. 

   Inside several layers of plastic, bound up with tape and rope was a woman.  She was an older lady. She looked like someone’s Mother or Grandmother. She had been tied tightly in a fetal position and shot in the head. 

   Police mentioned that some of the plastic surrounding her was protective carpet runners.  Remember those from the 70’s?  They were a fixture in many homes where the homeowner wanted to preserve their carpet. They would put down these heavy, thick yet flexible, clear plastic runners. 

   The impression that I am getting from the wrapping, and boxing and discarding of the body is that some man killed his wife or mother.  The head was wrapped in paper towels. Over the paper towels they wrapped a small white towel. Then the killer placed two small trash bags. He really did not want to see her face while he wrapped her in plastic and put her in this box. They were close. 

   The box was a large corrugated moving box called a wardrobe box. The words “hall closet” were found on it.  The box maker’s certificate says the box was made by Gene Goodwillie in Melrose Park, Illinois. Yes, boxes have a box maker’s certificate. It identifies what company made it and where. I used to work at a box making factory in the office. Pro tip: never say cardboard when you are talking about a corrugated box. Cardboard is thin and one layer like a cereal box. Corrugated is a more heavy duty like a moving box and corrugated has layers. It’s got that wavy layer in the middle that makes it stronger.

  Investigators thought the lady had been dead 7-10 days before the box was found. Her body had not suffered much decomposition. Let’s call her Ma. 

   Ma had greying red brown hair. She was short at only 5’2”. Her age was estimated at 60-65. They thought her eyes might be brown.

   Ma was wearing a size 22 ½  light green “knit” outfit. The way it is described it sounds like a polyester set of pants with a coordinated top.  The top had a yoke of light green and the sleeves and bodice were a patterned fabric. I can picture it now.  A classic lunch lady or aging grocery store checkout lady outfit. She wore a girdle and a cut off slip for undergarments. It was everyday wear.  

   Ma had undergone a mastectomy on her right side. That’s probably why she did not wear a bra but only a cut off slip. She had modified something herself to work for her situation. She had another surgical scar from her sternum down her abdomen and another small scar thought to be from a surgical drain. All were healed. She had quite a bit of dental work but needed more. Her nails were short.  She had calloused hands. She did not have a lot of wrinkles but did have bags under her eyes. She wore no jewelry or makeup. Ma did not have an easy life.  She was probably still working somewhere and definitely working hard at home. 

   Where was Ma from? Otterbein is not far from the Illinois state line. Investigators at the time felt she was from the Chicago or Gary area.  In many articles about this and other crimes people liked to blame all their crime on the “big city”. But Ma could be from Lafayette, Indiana or a small town in Indiana just as easily. She could be from a small town in Illinois. How far would the average person drive to dump a body? An hour?  Two hours? 

   Whoever killed her and dumped her was strong or they had an accomplice. There was no indication that the box was dragged nine rows into the field. It was carried. One news article theorized that it was placed there by helicopter but that seems incredibly unlikely. 

   Who was Ma? They were able to get fingerprints from her but she was not in any system. 

   This was not a murder for financial gain from insurance. They would need the body to get a payout. But, they could have benefited in other ways. 

   Who was Ma?  In 1976 she was buried in a grave in the Fowler Cemetery in Benton County known as “Unknown Female”. I do not think there is a marker for her.  It does not come up on Find A Grave. 

   Who was she? Who took her life? Is there someone out there who knew a small older lady who disappeared in October of 1976?

    At least one person knows what happened. 

    Rest in peace dear lady. 

Otterbein Town Police 765-583-2200

Town Marshall 765-583-2200