JACKSON COUNTY — Lt. Adam Nicholson of the Jackson County Sheriff's Department has taken the lead in continuing the investigation of a cold case dealing with a mysterious cabin fire that occurred 51 years ago.
“A family member reached out to me and expressed interest in having the case reopened with the hope that we can provide some answers to decades-old questions,” Sheriff Rick Meyer said. “I took this information to Lt. Nicholson, and gave him the go-ahead to pursue a renewed investigation.”
The cabin fire happened on December 18, 1971, in Jackson County, a mile and a half south of Brownstown on State Road 135.
The cabin was a make-shift structure built out of railroad ties with dimensions of 9' by 15'. It was used for camping.
Two teenagers, Stanley R. Robison, 17, and Jerry Autry, 19, were believed to have perished in the fire, according to the initial police reports. A third teen was also camping with Robison and Autry, Michael W. Sewell, 16, but the police reports only indicate that the remains of the two teenagers were found.
“Several questions have been raised over the years adding to the mystery of the events of that evening,” Nicholson said. “After looking at everything and processing all of the old reports and evidence, the only additional thing we could do would be to exhume the remains of Mr. Autry and Mr. Robison to check for any additional DNA evidence.”
One of the questions that have been asked throughout the years is if Sewell was also lost in the fire that night. If he was not in the fire, what happened to him?
Nicholson sought out help from Dr. Krista Latham, a professor of Biology and Anthropology at the University of Indianapolis. Together, they are working to further the investigation into the possibility of more than two people dying in the fire.
The FBI will also be assisting in the investigation and will help to process the remains to extract DNA and compare that to the families of the deceased.
Autry and Robison's remains were exhumed on June 21, at Fairview Cemetery and taken to the University of Indianapolis for analysis. The families of the deceased were notified and gave consent for the exhumation.
Nicholson hopes to solve this case and bring resolution for the families involved.
“Although this is expected to be a long process, we are hopeful in getting long-overdue answers for these families and thank them for bringing attention back to this unsolved case,” Nicholson said.
The Sheriff’s Department is asking anyone with information that would help solve this case, please contact Lt. Nicholson at 812-358-2141.
-
Three injured in downtown shooting
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a shooting in downtown that left three people injured early Sunday morning.
Thousands lose SNAP benefits as city launches emergency food effort
As thousands across Indianapolis face the sudden loss of food assistance, the city and its partners are launching emergency food distributions and funding to help families put food on the table.
Abandoned historic church's parish files petition to demolish building
St. Philip Neri Church, which merged with Holy Cross Church in 2014, filed a petition on Halloween for a judge to potentially overturn the building's status because of religious freedom.
Pacers Obi Toppin out at least 3 months with a stress fracture in his foot
Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin will miss at least three months due to a stress fracture in his right foot that will require surgery, coach Rick Carlisle said Friday.
