Raymond Charles Lamb:Indiana Serial Killer

    

   One thing about writing something and publishing it on the internet is that people reach out with feedback. Sometimes, if you write about true crime, that feedback can come from a victim’s family or even from the granddaughter of a serial killer. 

   When that granddaughter appreciates what was written and is also doing research you can find a very welcome, if unexpected, collaboration. 

   When you hear from the family member of a victim it is always a very humbling feeling. I feel dreadful about what happened. I feel bad about writing about it. (Even though I feel very strongly that these cases need to be talked about.) 

   That scenario is exactly what happened to me recently. I began to look more into the past of that serial killer. He has been serving a life sentence in Indiana since 1973.

   Raymond Charles Lamb was born in August of 1946 according to the Indiana Department of Corrections. 

   I found a Raymond Charles Lamb who was three in the 1950 U.S. Census in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. His parents were Vivian and John Hugh Lamb. Raymond was the middle son in the family then. He had an older brother named John Hugh Lamb Jr. and a younger brother named David Michael Lamb. 

  In the early 1970’s in Indiana he was using the alias Edward H. Emmertt. Even his common law wife did not know his real name. Why was that?

  On February 11th, 1973 Connie Weaver was having car trouble. She was stuck on the side of the road north of Indianapolis.  Today, that area is very busy with lots of places to quickly get help. But, in 1973, it was still very rural. 

   A man pulled over to help. He said he was an off duty police officer. He didn’t look like a policeman. His hair was too long and messy. His clothes were not nice enough looking. But, it was cold and he showed her a badge. He told Connie that he would take her to a phone. She got into his light colored car with it’s long “whip” style antenna. 

    It wasn’t long until Connie Weaver was fighting for her life. As the man pulled over and began to attempt to sexually assault her; Connie managed to fight back enough to escape the car. The man shot her in the back as she fled. Then he drove away, probably thinking that he had killed her. 

   But, Connie Weaver was still alive. She flagged down a car for help. These people were rushing toward a hospital with Connie when they were pulled over for speeding. This police officer quickly provided a police escort as soon as the situation was explained to him. 

   Connie Weaver’s hospital room was guarded around the clock as she recovered from emergency surgery in the following days. Investigators knew that she had escaped from a vicious killer. They believed him to be the same man who had killed two Indianapolis area women in the last months of 1972. 

   Carol Ann Rhoades was at a Christmas party at the restaurant that her family co-owned. The Tote-a-Poke Restaurant was south of Indianapolis in Whiteland, Indiana. Carol and her best friend made plans to go bowling after the party. So, the two stepped out into the night to get Carol’s purse out of the car.  A man was waiting in the parking lot and pointed a gun at the two young women. He forced Carol into the car. Her stunned friend ran into the restaurant and told Carol’s family what had happened. People quickly tried to get to their cars and catch up to the man in the white car but they were unable to find him. 

   Carol was found by a passing motorist in the daylight. She had been violently sexually assaulted and shot. She was only 18. 

   Kathryn “Kitty” Kaufman was working in Sander’s Dry Cleaners on the evening of February 13th, 1973. The Greenwood, Indiana teen had finished all of her high school classes and was looking forward to her future plans. She was aware of the murder of Carol Rhoades and the attack on Connie Weaver. She was a little worried but there were many businesses around her and it seemed like a safe area. 

   Raymond Charles Lamb left his family as they were eating pizza at a local restaurant in Greenwood that evening. He drove to Sander’s cleaners. He threatened Kathryn Kaufman with a gun. He intended to sexually assault her. She ran. 

   Kathryn made it out the door of the cleaners. She was likely trying to make it to another open business nearby. Lamb shot her several times as she fled. She died of those gunshot wounds there in the parking lot. Witnesses saw a white or beige colored car with a whip style antenna leaving the scene. 

    Raymond Charles Lamb, who went by the alias Edward H. Emmert, had his car crushed for scrap metal at a local junk yard. Articles about Connie Weaver’s shooting had been published. Lamb was nervous enough to pack up his common law wife and her children and flee the state. 

   He made it all the way to Maryland. But, tips had come in to police after the newspaper articles about Carol and Kathryn’s murders and the attempted murder of Connie Weaver. Lamb was picked up by the FBI in Maryland on March 10th, 1973 and brought back to Indiana. 

   He was held in the Johnson County Jail charged with Kathryn Kaufman’s murder. Bond was set at 10,000 dollars. From March until November 13th, 1973 he waited in jail. But, on November 13th; he escaped along with a few other inmates. There had been several escapes at the Johnson County Jail over the past months and prisoners were learning from each other about what worked, it seems. 

   Lamb made it all the way to Santa Monica, California but was apprehended on November 29th, 1973. 

    

   How did he get all the way to Santa Monica? Probably hitchhiking. Thumbing a ride was still very common in the early 1970’s. Can you imagine realizing that you had given him a ride? Can you imagine him NOT committing any crimes along the way in those sixteen days? I wonder if there were any stolen cars, assaults or murders that he was responsible for in those sixteen days of traveling to California? 

   Raymond Charles Lamb was convicted of the murder of Kathryn Kaufman. He is serving a life sentence in Indiana. He is up for parole in 2026. Carol Ann Rhoades’ sister and Lamb’s granddaughter and I are writing letters to present to the parole board opposing Lamb’s release. Even though he is in his late seventies now; I don’t think he should be free. Indiana is a safer place with him behind bars. 

   Serial killers don’t stop. They don’t retire. This is all they think about. Don’t risk someone’s life because you think he’s old and harmless. 

   Carol and Kathryn don’t get to come back and live their lives. He was sentenced to life in prison.  Let him stay there.