IN IN - Jerry 'Mike' Bayles, 10, Indianapolis, 3 Oct 1970

This website is dedicated to Jerry Michael Bayles:

In the Memory of Jerry Michael Bayles 1959 - 1970

Indiana State Police File

On 10/03/1970 at approximately 5:00 a.m., Jerry Michael Bayles Jr. had been delivering the Indianapolis Star newspaper and was last observed on South Harris Street, Indianapolis, Indiana. Bayles Jr. was abducted and killed. His body was discovered at 8:55 a.m. on 10/03/1970 in a roadside ditch in rural western Henry County.

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Find A Grave

On October 3rd, 1970, Jerry Michael Bayles, 10 year old was delivering his brothers Saturday morning papers, when he was kidnapped and murdered. His body was found three hours later off a rural road 40 miles from the location he was taken with multiple stab wounds. An escaped mental patient was arrested but the Grand Jury found insufficient evidence to convent him, he was sent back to a mental hospital. To this date Jerry Michael Bayles case is still unsolved and cold.

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New tip reopens 45-year-old cold case of murdered paperboy

She shared a startling story with Will Ott and then with police.

"She basically broke down in tears when she told me that her father was the murderer," Ott said. "The father had threatened her over the years, 'If you mess up, I'll do to you what I did to the newspaper boy'."

"You know, it'd kind of been a dark, dark family secret and, you know, they didn't feel comfortable coming forward while he was still alive," Jarvis added. "According to them, he admitted to being involved with this crime and a couple other crimes also. We're kind of focused in that direction now. That's kind of the avenue we're taking with the investigation is trying to confirm what they told us."

The witness's family members told Det. Sgt. Jarvis their father had a temper. That morning in 1970, they said he snapped.

"Family says the witness had a cup of coffee and Mike had came from the bank to 12 South Harris and rode out in front of him. The witness slams the brakes, spilling his coffee. According to the daughter, her father was very short-tempered and basically abducted Mike at that point," Ott explained.

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http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/indystar/obituary.aspx?n=jerry-bayles&pid=175985598

In Loving Memory of

Jerry M. Bayles "Mike"

Oct. 18, 1959 - Oct. 3, 1970

Though you were taken from us 45 years this very day, you have never been forgotten, and never will be. Always in our hearts.

Continue to Rest in Peace little Brother.

Your sister, Carol; brother, John and Family

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It is sad that as a young girl no authority figures helped this little girl. The details of what she experienced seem realistic.
Link to news report
http://www.wthr.com/article/cold-case-reopened-woman-tells-police-her-father-killed-paperboy

Who killed ten-year-old Jerry Michael "Mike" Bayles in 1970? - True Crime Diva

Indiana Cold Case: The Murder of Jerry "Mike" Bayles - 93.1FM WIBC

Hello,
I find the author's explanation at the first link above to be the most plausible and believe that RM is Mike's killer:

An excellent blog on the case:

In the Memory of Jerry Michael Bayles

Satch

Satch said:

Hello,
I find the author's explanation at the first link above to be the most plausible and believe that RM is Mike's killer:

An excellent blog on the case:

In the Memory of Jerry Michael Bayles

Satch

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From within the blog above, an excellent summary and questions below the link:

Synopsis

Mike's brother John believes that a neighbor RE killed Mike, because the neighbor had been going through a divorce and had threatened to kill his wife and kids. I wonder how much weight John gives to the grieving phone call from the witness, whom is believed to be RM's daughter and talked at great detail throughout his life about "killing that paperboy?" Even admitting it on his deathbed. According to her, RM put bloody clothes into a bag shortly after the murder of Mike and hid them in a wall.

Nobody reported RM in the family, because they feared for their life if he found out. This is very powerful evidence to me that RM did this. Is there any forensic evidence linking RE to the crime?

RM had a bad temper and was abusive. However, RM did not go out that morning to kill a kid. I think that Mike was excited about taking over his brother Gordon's route that morning. He had a momentary lapse in judgment and went out into traffic. RM slammed on his brakes and spilled his coffee to avoid hitting Mike. This combination of events set RM off into a rage, He dented Mike's bike and tried to force him off the road. RM had a kitchen knife in his car at all times, got out and chased after Mike with the knife forcing Mike into his car. (Mike tried to run IMO, but was easily overcome.) RM took Mike "out of site" and killed him, raping him out of rage and revenge.

RM did not "witness" anything concerning another man with a knife saying to him, "That's my son, he tried to run away, I'm taking him home." (Who takes their son home threatening him with a knife?) This is where RM's story becomes a lie. RM WAS the man who had the knife and flew into a rage because Mike darted out in front of him and RM spilled his coffee. The phone call "witness" was RM's daughter telling the investigator on Mike's case what an abusive person her father was. (He died in 2013.)

RM's story was a complete fabrication to throw off LE so that he could get away with murder and even threaten his own family with death if they reported him.

Satch

Wow. Interesting read. Poor Mike!!