Phyllis Bailer.Indiana State Police
In a significant development, DNA evidence has linked Fred Allen Lienemann to the 1972 murder of Phyllis Bailer, whose body was discovered in a ditch in Indiana. Bailer was traveling with her 3-year-old daughter when they went missing on July 7, 1972, while en route from Indianapolis to Bluffton to visit family.
Richard Bailer, Phyllis's husband at the time, received a call from her father the following day, prompting him to search for his wife and daughter. He located their car on Interstate 69, which was abandoned with the hood raised.
Later that day, a passerby found Phyllis deceased in a ditch, while her daughter was unharmed. Richard was reunited with Jodi at a local hospital, where he learned of Phyllis's tragic death. Although he was initially considered a person of interest, he cleared himself by providing an alibi.
An autopsy revealed that Phyllis had died from a gunshot wound and had been sexually assaulted, but DNA testing was not available at that time. Years later, a DNA profile was created from evidence found on her clothing, which excluded the main suspect from the investigation. Recently, advancements in DNA technology led to a stronger profile, and law enforcement collaborated with a forensic genealogy firm to identify the perpetrator.
This year, the DNA was matched to Fred Allen Lienemann, a Michigan man with a criminal background who was 25 years old at the time of the murder. Lienemann had no known ties to Bailer and was killed in Detroit in 1985 during a violent altercation. If he were still alive, he would have faced charges for Phyllis's murder.
Richard Bailer expressed mixed feelings about the resolution of the case, feeling relieved that the identity of the suspect was uncovered but saddened that Lienemann had already died. He lamented that Phyllis's family members were not alive to see justice served, but he found solace in knowing that their daughter, Jodi, finally has answers after so many years.