IN IN - Richard Sweeney 8, Jeffrey Burkett 15, & Donald Abell 19, Henryville, 1977

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I wonder why the retired LE would advise not contacting the families? Any guesses?
 
He said it would be better to let them be as they have suffered enough???
 
Mahoney07
I do not know how to pm you. I was attempting to point out some questions I have from the posts I have read. One post stated that Flat Rock is in Clark State Forest and would come under their jurisdiction. I think Flat Rock is near but not on the forest property. another post referred to an assembly at the high school in late August 1977 where the students were asked for any information regarding the murders. My thought was that it is possible that school was not in session then and that the second murder had actually not happened yet. Another post referred to a church across from the pool hall; There was not church across from the pool hall. Several posts implicated the doctors son who had left town. He did not leave town. Henryville is a small town and did not, and as far as I know still does not have any local law enforcement.
 
If you click on my nae it will give u the option to pm me...
 
I have two unsolved murders in my town one has really haunts me cause she was only a couple years younger than me at the time.It was in 1993 her name was Rayna Rison police thought her brother-in-law did it but dna proved him not guilty and to this day nothing.The other one i just happened to come across on the internet by accident i was 13yrs.at the time and i don't remember hearing anything about it and i lived just a few short miles away from were they found her body,she was Linda Weldy 10yrs.went missing after getting off the bus in front of her house found her body on along railroad tracks.I would love for these cases to get solved for the family.
 
cowgirl35 said:
I have two unsolved murders in my town one has really haunts me cause she was only a couple years younger than me at the time.It was in 1993 her name was Rayna Rison police thought her brother-in-law did it but dna proved him not guilty and to this day nothing.The other one i just happened to come across on the internet by accident i was 13yrs.at the time and i don't remember hearing anything about it and i lived just a few short miles away from were they found her body,she was Linda Weldy 10yrs.went missing after getting off the bus in front of her house found her body on along railroad tracks.I would love for these cases to get solved for the family.
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You could research the cases and start your own thread here in the cold cases. You never know how may people may be wondering what happened also.
 
I researched Linda Wedly case and there is not much about her case.I think tomorrow i'm gonna go to the library see what i can find in the archives cause there's nothing in the archives on the internet.Thanks
 
I spent some time today at the Jeffersonville Library looking up old stories on the murders from the Courier-Journal and Evening News. I was able to find about 20.

My preliminary thoughts are that the two 1977 murders seem like that they have to related to one another. The two boys went to high school together, and they were both tied up and beaten. There bodies were both dumped pretty much out in the open even though they were very rural areas.
The articles did not give up many details on leads that the police had. A couple of interesting items I ran across was that there was a search of every students locker at Henryville high, and the prosecutor was willing to give immunity for people that were maybe involved.

It was also clear that there was an out right panic in the Henryville area after the second murder in 1977. There was a meeting at Henryville high with 750 parents and the State Police. There was a quote that really got to me by the father of Richard Sweeney. He said "I've pretty much kept my mouth shut since the death of my son, but I will never keep my mouth shut until these three cases are solved." My heart goes out to these families that have not had justice or any closure the last 30+ years.

Another thing that keeps crossing my mind is it would have to be someone with some real physical strengh to be able to over take two young boys by themselves. I think more than one person being involved is a real possibility.
 
I said late august could have been the first of sept. I was there and remember what was said. And you are correct, donnie able was still alive at the time. But it would only be a few weeks before he would be missing. there were others who left town ,members of law inforcement , airplane pilots, there houses went cheap if you know what I mean. I also belive that what ever my friend jeff burkett stumbled onto that cost him his life is still going on to this day!!!!!!!!. He was tortured for information or for something he did not have. The answer lies with the body of my friend and it is called DNA!!!!!!!!
 
Truthjunkie,
Could you email me @ mahoneys07@insightbb.com...I need to speak with you about finding family members of Jeffery and Donnie and I have some info I would like to share with you.
 
bumping up and adding info....Over the last coupld weeks I have been talking with a couple of the victims families....I will no londer look into the death of Jeffery A Burkett as his family has asked me not to pursue it ...In fear something could happen to them or myself and my family...I regret giving up on Jefferys case and hope someday he will get his justice.
I am continuing to look at the other tow murders if any one has anything the can or will add.
Thanks
 
mahonys07.

This is my first post on Web Sleuths, though I joined because of the Caylee Anthony Case. I just got through reading about these three murders at the other site where over 300 posts were deleted, and followed the case over here where I was registered already.

It is a shame that you've had to forego pursuing the Burkett Case! So does that mean the other two are off-limits as well?
 
mahoneys07 said:
bumping up and adding info....Over the last coupld weeks I have been talking with a couple of the victims families....I will no londer look into the death of Jeffery A Burkett as his family has asked me not to pursue it ...In fear something could happen to them or myself and my family...I regret giving up on Jefferys case and hope someday he will get his justice.
I am continuing to look at the other tow murders if any one has anything the can or will add.
Thanks
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Very odd that in such a small town, 3 murders would go unsolved.
Since two of the boys were under 18, the FBI could be asked to step in.
Is there a cold case unit near this town?

Since there was sexual assault listed on two of the cases, there should be DNA available, gathered at the time, to run through the major databases.
Plus any fibers or hair evidence could be tested now with all the new forensic tests out there.

As for the local newspaper forum, maybe someone posting saved the threads on microsoft word or other internet document?
I post on my local newspaper forum about unsolved murders here, and I copy the threads to microsoft word. I like to be able to read them through.
 
We lost tons of info in there other forum....which is why i came here but haven't been able to get people as instreted in it here....
 
Not sure if these are related at all. Police believe there was a serial killer active in the Gulf States in the late 70's. This victim was identified after almost 30 years. He was tied up but police say he was not sexually assalted.

Could the killer have been active up north as well?

Daniel Wayne Dewey

Case History

The victim was found by deer hunters in St. Helena Parish woods on November 17, 1979. The victim was discovered bound and strangled. He was hog-tied with his hands and feet behind his back. A rope ran from his hands and feet to his neck; when the victim struggled, the rope constricted and caused his death.

Investigators showed a picture of the body around the French Quarter of New Orleans, where some people said he looked familiar but nobody could provide a positive identification.

Two other bodies, one found near Abita Springs, another near Gulfport, Mississippi, may be linked to the case. Both were found in 1978 in remote woods. One victim was tied identically the way this victim was tied; the other, similarly.

The Abita Springs victim was identified as Dennis Turcotte, 22; the Gulfport victim was Raymond Mark Richardson, 17. The similarities in the three cases would indicate that a serial killer was at work in the region in the late 1970s. The victims all were found in desolate areas bound in similar fashion, all were in their teens, slightly built, and all had similar facial features and hair styles. At one time, all three were thought to have lived in the New Orleans area and had ties to the French Quarter or hung out there. They may have been "street kids," possibly male prostitutes.

Turcotte and Richardson worked at the same restaurant in the French Quarter, Jimmy's Coney Island Hot Dog Stand on Royal Street.
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I'm still here too and I check this everyday. It's nice to see some new activity and interest in this case.
 
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