After 53 years of mystery, DNA technology finally reveals the killer of young mother Phyllis Bailer, whose brutal 1972 roadside murder left her daughter alone and a community searching for answers.
At a Glance
- 26-year-old Phyllis Bailer was sexually assaulted and murdered in July 1972 while traveling with her 3-year-old daughter
- DNA testing identified Fred Allen Lienemann, who died in 1985, as the killer
- Lienemann, a Michigan man with an extensive criminal history, had no known connection to Bailer
- The case remained unsolved for over five decades until advanced DNA technology provided answers
- Indiana State Police announced they would have charged Lienemann with murder had he been alive today
A Mother’s Journey Tragically Cut Short
On July 7, 1972, 26-year-old Phyllis Bailer and her three-year-old daughter set out from Indianapolis to visit family in Bluffton, Indiana. The routine trip turned into a decades-long mystery when they never arrived at their destination. The following morning, authorities discovered Bailer’s empty vehicle, launching a search that would end with the grim discovery of her body in Allen County. Her toddler was found unharmed, but Bailer had been brutally sexually assaulted and shot to death, leaving investigators with few leads to identify her attacker.
For over half a century, the case remained unsolved, with Bailer’s family left wondering who committed this heinous crime and why. Despite extensive investigation at the time, the limitations of forensic science in the 1970s meant that crucial evidence collected at the scene couldn’t be effectively processed to identify a suspect. The trail went cold as years turned into decades, with Bailer’s daughter growing up without her mother and without answers about what happened that summer day.
Breaking the Case Wide Open
In a triumph of modern forensic science, Indiana State Police recently announced that Fred Allen Lienemann, a 25-year-old from Gross Point, Michigan at the time of the murder, has been identified as Bailer’s killer. The breakthrough came when investigators collaborated with Identifiers International, a company specializing in DNA analysis for cold cases. Using evidence preserved from the 1972 crime scene, technicians were able to extract and analyze DNA that was matched to Lienemann through genealogical research and database comparisons.
“This case demonstrates the commitment the Indiana State Police Cold Case Unit, the Allen County Police Department, and the Indiana State Police Laboratory have for victims and victims’ families,” the state police said in a written statement.
The identification of Lienemann came too late for justice to be served in a courtroom. He was murdered in Detroit in 1985, thirteen years after Bailer’s death, during what investigators believe was a criminal incident. Had he been alive today, authorities confirmed they would have pursued murder charges against him. Lienemann’s extensive criminal history suggests a pattern of violent behavior, though investigators found no evidence of any prior connection between him and Bailer, pointing to a likely random encounter.
The Power of Perseverance and Technology
The resolution of Phyllis Bailer’s murder highlights the remarkable advancements in forensic science over the past five decades. When she was killed in 1972, DNA testing was not available to law enforcement. Evidence that today can quickly identify a suspect was simply preserved in the hope that future technology might provide answers. That patience and foresight have now paid off, demonstrating how cold cases that once seemed unsolvable can now be cracked through scientific breakthroughs.
For Bailer’s now-adult daughter and remaining family members, the identification of Lienemann brings a measure of closure to a wound that has remained open for 53 years. While nothing can bring back the young mother who was taken so violently, knowing the identity of her killer removes one painful question mark from a tragedy that has spanned generations. The case stands as a testament to law enforcement’s refusal to allow the passage of time to prevent justice and answers for victims’ families.
