Laurie Jo Lopez and Gerald E. Bunche III: 1975, Gary

 

  On the evening of April 6th, 1975, two teenagers went on a date. The eighteen year olds were Laurie and Gerald. They borrowed Laurie’s Mom’s car.  It should have been a fun night out. But, the two teens never made it home. 

  Laurie Jo Lopez graduated from Kankakee Valley High. She lived southeast of Gary, Indiana at 10 Windsor Drive, outside of Demotte, Indiana. 

  Gerald Ellsworth Bunche III was born on January 3rd 1957. He went to Lew Wallace High in Gary and lived at 1145 Whitcomb Street. He was the son of Erdell and Gerald Bunche Jr.  He was an active highschool kid. He played basketball and was pretty good. 

  Laurie Lopez was the daughter of Frank Lopez. Her mother’s name is not known to me. (Her mother is not listed on her death certificate and I was unable to find any information about Laurie’s Mom or possible siblings.) Laurie’s stepfather was Sgt. James E. Rodriguez. 

  I usually am able to find out things like where the teens might have worked or gone to church. Sometimes I can find out about their plans for the future. But, so little was published about these two young people at the time. 

  What happened here? Was this a racially motivated killing?  If not, was there a person jealous enough to commit murder?  Was this a robbery or abduction attempt that turned deadly. 

  Were Gerald and Laurie’s family members and community okay with them dating?  Interracial relationships could be a difficult thing for people to accept in 1975. That's definitely an understatement. The general public in the U.S. in 1975 was definitely not comfortable with interracial dating. 

  (I know that in the 1980’s there were girls in my high school who said that their male family members had threatened their lives if they dared to date outside their race.)

  The car that they drove on their date was found on Gary’s East side near the intersection of 5th Avenue and Alabama Street. It was towed. Once the car was back at the Gary Police Station; Gerald’s body was found in the trunk. He had been shot in the head. 

  Lauri’s body was found on Gary’s southwest side in the weeds off the side of the road at 4200 W. 25th Avenue in Calumet Township. She had been shot twice in the head. Two .25 caliber shell casings were found near her feet. (A different newspaper article reports that two live rounds were found.)  Lauri’s body was found in a spot that is a few blocks south of where Gerald lived at 1145 Whitcomb. Were they on their way to drop Gerald off at home at the end of the date? Had Laurie just picked him up? 

   Where had the couple gone on their date?  Did they go see a movie? Did they go to a mall? Did they go get dinner somewhere? Who had they seen while they were out? Was someone jealous? Was someone upset at seeing an interracial couple out on a date? Were they followed? 

   My first thought was the stepfather. Did he kill them? Was he angry that they were out together and in his wife’s car?  

   I tend to think not. If a police Sargeant had done this…would he leave shell casings behind?  Would a person with knowledge of police investigations leave Gerald’s body in the back of the car to be towed into the police station? That doesn’t seem likely. But, this is the mid 1970’s and anything is possible. 

  This case has many irregularities in my opinion. No obituaries appeared in the paper for either victim.  No notices appeared in the paper for funeral arrangements. There were no followup stories about the murders in 1975 or in the following years. Neither of the victims’ mothers’ names appear on their death certificate.  Why was that? Were people afraid to talk about this murder? 

   Both Gerald and Laurie’s death certificates don’t mention their mother’s names. Why is that?  It seems hasty, sloppy and incomplete. This is the first time I have seen an incomplete death certificate; let alone two. Gerald’s death certificate was signed on April 10th and Laurie’s on April 11th. That seems like plenty of time to gather the rest of the information needed.  Again, I haven’t come across any other death certificates where the victim’s mother’s name, whether living, dead or divorced, is not listed.  That might not mean anything but it’s odd. 

  Perhaps something like this is standard for the safety of the family if there is a police officer among the immediate family. 

  Fifty years have passed.  Laurie and Gerald were just kids when they were viciously gunned down. They deserve Justice. They deserve to have their murders solved. 

   Laurie’s body was found at 4200 West 25th Avenue according to her death certificate. A newspaper article reports that she was found off a path near 4307 W. 25th Avenue near the Small Farms area. Those two places aren’t far apart. But, was she walking or running away down a path when she was shot or was she near the car? She was found in the weeds off the side of the street. It’s overgrown and wooded now. But there are older houses right across the street. Did anyone in those homes in 1975 see or hear anything? Were they questioned about what they might have seen or heard?  

  Who found Laurie’s body? 

  I tend to think both murders happened there on 25th Avenue. It seems like the car was pulled over already or was forced to pull over.  (It’s a rather busy street so I imagine that the couple was not parked there already.) 

  

  What was the state of the car?  Was Gerald forced at gunpoint into the trunk and then shot? That would indicate one person with a gun could have accomplished this murder.  Was Gerald shot first and then placed in the trunk? That might indicate that two persons could be involved.  It might take two people to lift him into the trunk. 

   Did Laurie run for her life into the weeds and trees before being gunned down?  

   What was the reason to take the car across town with Gerald’s body in it?  Was it because the killing of Laurie happened a few blocks south of Gerald’s neighborhood?  Was someone trying to put distance between Gerald and/or the car and Gerald’s neighborhood?  Was the killer from around there? 

   Who found Laurie’s body? It was reported that the search for the couple did not begin until Sunday. The teens did not come home on Friday night.  Was this because of a “24 hour policy”?  Sometimes police departments had a rule that a missing person’s investigation could not be opened until the person had been missing for at least 24 hours. 

   

  What happened here? So little was written about these murders at the time. It’s difficult to know what actually happened. Maybe someone knows something. With enough tips perhaps this could be pieced together. 

  If any evidence, fingerprints, and other things were saved perhaps this case could be solved. 

  If you have information about the murders of Laurie Jo Lopez and Gerald E. Bunche III please consider submitting a tip. 2025 marks the 50th Anniversary of this tragedy. Their families deserve answers. 

  Maybe you heard or saw something that night that did not seem important then but seems significant now. Maybe you’ve overheard someone in the years between then and now. 

If you have any information about the murders of Gerald and Laurie Jo please call the Gary Police Department at (219) 881-1300.

(I am sorry but this app doesn’t let me respond to comments here. I am happy to send people the articles and sources that I access in my research.

 If you need to message the author, message me on Bluesky @storytimeratlarge.bsky.social )