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.
-
‘The largest I’ve seen’: Crews battle fire at Franklin apartment building
Firefighters from across Johnson County responded to a large building fire in Franklin Friday morning. Fortunately, the building was unoccupied and there were no injuries.
Obi Toppin’s 26 points lead Pacers to 123-94 win over Brooklyn Nets
Obi Toppin had 26 points and nine rebounds and seven Indiana players scored in double figures as the Pacers snapped a three-game skid with a 123-94 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.
Rushville man accused of child exploitation, possession of CSAM
Indiana State Police have arrested a 25-year-old Rushville man who is accused of child exploitation and possession of child sex abuse material on Thursday.
Hooters downtown location to host splashdown party for astronauts return
The Hooters on 25 W. Georgia Street is one of many across the country that is hosting a splashdown party to watch the astronauts return from their trip around the moon on Friday evening.
