Christine Sikes:Gary, Indiana 1973

     

   Although she  was born in Los Angeles, Christine Sikes grew up in Northern Indiana and finished high school there. She was attending IU Northwest in 1973. She was staying with her grandmother in Gary over summer break. She was working a summer job at an accounting firm.  

   On August 23rd, 1973 she went out with friends. Later that evening she was abducted from her grandmother’s driveway at 2201 W 48th Ave. Her car was parked in its usual spot and her keys were found in the driveway. 

   Ed Hanish was squirrel hunting a few weeks later on Tuesday September 11th, 1973. He found Christine. She had been stabbed and left in a shallow grave in Union Township in Porter County. 

   I think they should look at Raul Rudy Sotelo as a suspect in this murder.  Why?  Because he viciously murdered Carrie Louise Duncan in September of 1973 not far from where Christine was abducted. 

      On September 27th of 1973, Carrie Louise Duncan was murdered only a few miles from the site of Christine Sike’s murder.  Carrie was 12.  She was found in a pile of discarded flowers, brush and clippings at an out of the way part of Ridgelawn Cemetery. Carrie had been beaten and had massive head injuries. Her death certificate does not say whether the injury is to the left or right side of her head or both. He also ran over her body several times to make sure that he had actually killed her. 

   Raul Rudy Sotelo arrested on September 30th 1973 and was eventually convicted of her murder in 1974.  Enough people had seen him with her right before she disappeared and was later found dead. He also confessed to the murder at the time. 

   His confession is odd though and incredibly slanderous of the 12 year old victim. He paints Carrie as sexually aggressive. He said she propositioned him for sex and demanded money.  He said she threatened to tell his wife and the police and he panicked and killed her by running over her. I think he killed her but I don’t think it happened that way.  I think he attempted to rape her in the car.  I think she managed to get out and try to run away even though she was nearly naked. I think he then hit her multiple times with the car to prevent her from running away.  She wouldn’t have demanded money for sex. She was only 12 years old.  

   In October 1974, Sotelo was sentenced to life in prison.

   He later appealed the conviction in 1976. He did not succeed in this appeal. 

   In December of 1981, Sotelo escaped from the Indiana State Prison at Michigan City. How could he escape? Despite having a violent background and a life sentence for murder, Soltelo was designated as a “trusty”.  Meaning he could leave prison everyday for work.  Convicted of a brutal murder and he was allowed to leave prison to work. One day he just skipped out. I did not find an article saying when he had been recaptured. 

   Apparently he was recaptured because in 1988 he again appealed his conviction. This time the basis of his appeal is that he was young and naive when he was first convicted in 1973 as an 18 year old and that he had ineffective counsel. He loses this appeal as well. 

   In 2022, he was still incarcerated in State Prison at Peru, Indiana when he slashed a correctional officer across the face with a homemade knife. The correctional officer lived, thankfully. Sotelo was given another 38 years for this attack. 

   I also suspect him of the 1972 murder of Annie Jean Powell.  Her murder happened a block from his home on Dallas St.  I suspect him in the 1973 murder of Brenda Banaski.  These were both violent murders.  

   He is, without a doubt, a very violent man and is capable of this kind of callous murder. 

 

Rest in Peace Christine Sikes.