The murderer of a woman, who spared her 3-year-old daughter, has been identified 50 years after the crime.
Yes, it's a remarkable case that highlights the power of modern forensic science. Phyllis Bailer was tragically murdered in 1972, and her 3-year-old daughter was found unharmed beside her. Thanks to advancements in forensic genetic genealogy, authorities were able to identify Fred Allen Lienemann as the perpetrator 50 years later. Lienemann's DNA was found on Bailer's clothing, and he had a significant criminal history. Unfortunately, justice cannot be served as Lienemann himself was murdered in 1985.
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This case underscores how technology can bring closure to cold cases, even decades later. It's both fascinating and poignant. Five decades after she was found dead in a ditch on the side of a road with her 3-year-old daughter unharmed by her side.
Forensic genetic genealogy has led officials to determine Fred Allen Lienemann was the 26-year-old mom's assailant, the Indiana State Police shared in an April 16 press release.
He would have been 25 at the time of her 1972 murder, which occurred while she was traveling in her parents' car from Indianapolis to Bluffton, I.N., with her 3-year-old daughter, per the release.
"Lienemann had no known connections to Phyllis Bailer," officials continued of the Michigan-born man in the release, "but had a significant criminal history."
And while authorities are confident that the DNA testing has led them to the correct killer, the Indiana State Police noted that they are unable to convict Lienemann, who sexually assaulted Bailer before fatally shooting her and leaving her on the side of the road, according to an autopsy obtained by the department.
This tragic case truly demonstrates the leaps made in forensic science over the years. While it took half a century to identify Fred Allen Lienemann as the killer of Phyllis Bailer, this was largely due to the absence of DNA testing in 1972. It wasn't until the 1990s that DNA evidence became a pivotal tool in law enforcement, and even then, the technology required significant refinement.
What's remarkable here is how advances like forensic genetic genealogy and improved DNA profiling, as developed by companies such as Identifinders, enabled investigators to finally resolve this case. Even though justice couldn't be served in the conventional sense since Lienemann was murdered in 1985, this breakthrough likely brought long-awaited answers and some sense of closure to Bailer's loved ones.
Science and determination can bring light to even the darkest mysteries, don't you think?
New forensic technology that was developed by the company Identifinders in 2024 allowed police to pull a stronger DNA profile from Bailer's clothes, as opposed to the partial profile they had previously collected in the investigation.
“Identifinders are proud to have supported the Indiana State Police with bringing long overdue answers to Phyllis and her family," Identifinders founder Colleen Fitzpatrick shared in the press release. "This case is an example of still another homicide that would never have been solved without Forensic Genetic Genealogy."
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