Few People Know The Infamous I-65 Killer Had A Chilling History In Indiana As Well

In the late 1980s, female night clerks at hotels in multiple states all with something location-wise in common - Interstate 65 - found themselves under siege by an unknown monster. With three officially known victims (and at least two survivors) all fitting the same Modus Operandi under his belt, he was officially a serial killer, as defined by the FBI. His identity, however, wouldn't be discovered for another three decades while the states terrorized by his legacy were left to pick up the pieces. The killer is known mostly for his having worked along the highway - and few people realize that Indiana, not Kentucky, was where he committed two of his first three (known) homicides. An Indiana serial killer? Well, partially. And, anyway, he was far from the first (but that's a story for another time).

Note: This story contains potentially upsetting details of various violent crimes.

The nightmare began on February 21st, 1987, when Greenwell burst into the lobby of a Super 8 Motel in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.

After fighting with - and ultimately overpowering - 41-year-old Vicki Heath, Greenwell sexually assaulted and shot her. Her body was found by police called to the chaotic and disheveled scene, partially hidden behind a trash can near the motel.

It seemed like a horrific, random, one-off homicide. There were no suspects, no motives, and the offender did not strike again for another two years (that we're aware of).

On March 3rd, 1989, Greenwell would strike in Indiana - twice. The first murder occurred at the Days Inn in Merrillville, Indiana, when he sexually assaulted and shot 24-year-old night clerk Margaret "Maggy" Gill. Her body would be found in a hallway.

But Greenwell was not done. Four hours later, he hit the Days Inn in Remington.

This time, he took the life of 34-year-old Jeanne Gilbert, a night auditor for the motel. This time, Greenwell took her body with him, dumping it alongside a nearby roadway, where it was discovered in the morning by a motorist (imagine starting your day like that).

In 1990, there would - sort of - be a break in the case.

Greenwell assaulted and stabbed a 21-year-old night clerk at the Days Inn in Columbus. This time, she survived - and was able to give a detailed description of her attacker. DNA evidence linked her attacker to the other assaults and murders in Indiana and Kentucky.

Then, in 1991, Greenwell attacked a woman for the final (confirmed) time.

This time, he struck in Rochester, Minnesota and the victim, who also survived, was able to describe him. The description matched that of the same person responsible for the I-65 hotel murders, though this one was the only one that actually occurred on I-90 instead. It wouldn't be until 2013, though, that DNA made the link official.

Things would be quiet for a while. The case was considered cold until 2008 when new DNA evidence was introduced. By 2010, the FBI was well on its way to discovering the identity of the monster of I-65.

The DNA was linked to still at least four more attacks on female night workers at hotels along I-65 over the years, and the way Greenwell was officially identified is endlessly fascinating.

In 2018, a decades-old, terrifying, infamous cold case in California was solved thanks to the use of forensic genetic genealogy: a distant family member did a DNA test and uploaded her results to GEDMatch, a public website that helps find long-lost genetic relatives using a database of DNA uploaded by users.

Her test results were found to be related to the person responsible for at least one of the "Golden State Killer" murders (among other crimes). He was subsequently caught after decades on the down-low thanks to this awesome technology. This case - the case of the I-65 Killer - has a similar ending: familial DNA forked over to a database was used to officially identify Greenwell, whose identity was officially revealed in April 2022.

Both fortunately and unfortunately, Greenwell never saw the inside of a jail cell: he died of cancer in 2013, many years before he would be formally identified. It is cold comfort for survivors to know that he's long gone, but the sting of his having never formally faced justice still remains.

The history of Harry Edward Greenwell is a terrifying one that stretches across the entire American Midwest over several years, and unfortunately, the Hoosier State was indeed a piece of the whodunnit puzzle. At the time of this writing, this Indiana serial killer is currently being investigated as the suspect in numerous other attacks, assaults, and murders committed on or nearby the I-65 throughout the Midwest during the 1980s, and who knows what's left to be discovered.

Need more Indiana true crime? Check out this disturbing homicide in Indiana that was so abhorrent that it inspired a movie.