Woman's Killer, Who Left Her 3-Year-Old Unharmed, Found 50 Years Later
An Indiana woman's 50-year-old murder case is finally getting answers.
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, Phyllis Bailer's killer has been identified by authorities.
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.
Lienemann's DNA was found on Bailer's clothing, per police. 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.
More from E! Online
Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly Make First Public Outing Since Welcoming Baby
Laura Prepon and Ben Foster's Divorce Settlement Reveals Their Eye-Popping Incomes
9-1-1 Killed Off a Major Character in Intense Season 8 Episode
"During their investigation, detectives learned that Fred Lienemann was murdered in Detroit in 1985," the release stated. "If Fred Lienemann were alive today, the Allen County Prosecutor's Office would have charged him with the murder of Phyllis Bailer."
As for why it took 50 years to solve Bailer's case? Police noted that DNA testing was not available in 1972 and was not widely used by law enforcement officials until two decades later.
Additionally, 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 is 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."
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Police pursuit involving stolen U-Haul truck ends with crash, driver in custody
A stolen U-Haul truck crashed into a utility pole during a police pursuit in Metro Detroit, the Michigan State Police reported. The crash happened about 12:10 a.m. Tuesday near 108 Massachusetts Street, after Highland Park Police Department reported it was involved in the pursuit. As the Detroit Regional Communication Center relayed that information to state police in the area, they learned that the stolen vehicle tried to ram a patrol car and strike multiple officers. Highland Park police reported the pursuit ended with the suspect crashing the truck into a pole near Massachusetts Street and John R Street. Metro South post troopers responded to the area, and assisted in looking for the driver. State police chased the suspect into a back yard and then found him, a 34-year-old man from Detroit, hiding behind a house. The suspect was taken into custody and turned over to Highland Park Police Department, which is continuing the investigation.
Politico
2 hours ago
- Politico
Another challenge to Habba's authority
Good Tuesday morning! A second criminal defendant is challenging Alina Habba's legitimacy as acting U.S. attorney — this time a high-profile one with some big-name attorneys. Cesar Pina, aka 'Flipping NJ,' made big headlines when Habba announced his indictment last month for allegedly running a Ponzi-like scheme and bribing a Paterson official. The motion to dismiss, like the one filed earlier by Julien Giraud, a defendant in a gun and drug case, argues that the Trump administration's end-run around the 120-day limit on Habba's interim appointment doesn't pass muster. Some of the arguments over Habba's tenure revolve around when she actually started the job. Trump announced her for the post on March 24, saying she would serve 'effective immediately!' The Department of Justice argues she started March 28. That matters, according to the DOJ, because New Jersey's federal judges voted not to keep Habba in the post on July 22 — 120 days after March 24. The DOJ argues the vote didn't count because there was not yet a vacancy to fill. It's easy to forget, but there was actually an interim U.S. attorney for three weeks before Habba. John Giordano was appointed March 3 and served three weeks before he was tapped as ambassador to Namibia. But Pina's lawyers — Gerry Krovatin, Abbe Lowell and Norman Eisen — argue that the 120-day clock actually starting ticking on Giordano's first day, meaning that her term expired on July 1, so she didn't have the authority to sign off on Pina's indictment almost a week later. Giraud's lawyer, Thomas Mirigliano, made a similar argument in a filing Thursday. This filing comes at a crucial time, since a federal judge in Pennsylvania on Friday is set to hear Giraud's arguments challenging Habba's authority. And many lawyers expect this case to reach the Supreme Court. It's telling, then, that both plaintiffs' legal teams cite the same 1986 memo from a new 30-something, Jersey-born deputy assistant attorney general in the Reagan administration named Sam Alito. According to the court filings, the memo — which neither set of lawyers has yet to obtain but have seen summarized in a scholarly article — says attorneys general can't make successive interim appointments. FEEDBACK? Reach me at mfriedman@ SHOW ME THE WAY: Acting Gov. Tahesha Way has no public schedule. Gov. Phil Murphy is scheduled to return to New Jersey today after a two-week vacation. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'Perhaps recognizing the problem the President and she created, Attorney General Bondi then devised a 'Rube Goldberg' contraption to try to effect the appointment of Ms. Habba as U.S. Attorney, circumventing the congressionally mandated appointment scheme and the Senate's advice and consent role.' — Cesar Pina's motion to dismiss HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Jesus Alcazar, Justin Braz, Art Gallagher, Brandon Goldberg, Ryan Graham, Kim Taylor WHAT TRENTON MADE IMMIGRATION INGRATIATION — 'Ciattarelli breaks with the president on immigration — but in a Trumpian way,' by The Record's Charles Stile: 'After plans became public in July to turn Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst into another 'temporary' gulag for immigrants swept up in the Trump administration's raids, Trump loyalist Jack Ciattarelli made a rare break with the president by opposing the plan. But in doing so, the Republican nominee for governor — and onetime harsh Trump critic — also demonstrated just how much of a Trump acolyte he has become. Ciattarelli opposed the plan in typical Trumpian fashion. He followed the Trump Deflection of Responsibility Playbook, which is fairly simple: Just blame former Presidents Joe Biden or Barack Obama or Democrats for everything gone wrong since the dawn of time. Ciattarelli faulted the Democrats, including his opponent, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, for 'rolling out the welcome mat' to undocumented migrants by establishing New Jersey as a sanctuary state where they could come and flourish under the protection of state and local laws. The policy, he asserted, made New Jersey a magnet for 'illegals.' … That may sound reasonable, but it has no basis in reality. The sanctuary state policies had nothing to do with the need for more detention beds.' BONDS — S&P upgrades New Jersey's credit rating, by POLITICO's Madison Fernandez: S&P Global moved New Jersey's general obligation bonds rating from A to A+ on Monday — the eighth credit rating upgrade under Gov. Phil Murphy. The ratings agency attributed the change to 'meaningful improvement in the state's balance sheet reflecting management's commitment to rein in its comparatively large debt and pension liabilities while striving to achieve a structural budget balance longer-term,' along with the 'maintenance of a healthy reserve balance.' New Jersey has had an A rating from S&P since April 2023. 'We believe the state has transitioned to an operating environment that is more predictable and stable, which strengthens management's ability to address budgetary challenges as they arise,' the analysts wrote. The state has long struggled with its credit rating. And despite the upgrade, many other states still have a higher rating than New Jersey. JUST LIKE MY BOTTLE OF STEELE RESERVE — 'Special reserve fund, set up to ease NJ's bonded debt, runs dry,' by NJ Spotlight News' John Reitmeyer: 'The plan to replace the more than 100-year-old women's prison in Hunterdon County will see more than $220 million after Gov. Phil Murphy and lawmakers formally set aside the money several weeks ago. The source of funding for this long-planned capital project is a special reserve maintained outside of the state budget that, by law, is only supposed to be used to ease the burden of New Jersey's significant bonded debt. This can mean withdrawing funds from the dedicated reserve account to retire existing bonded debt ahead of schedule — known as defeasance — that can deliver big savings for taxpayers. Or it can mean appropriating funds from the account to immediately cover the cost of large-scale capital projects like the prison replacement. This way, state government doesn't have to borrow to pay for such projects, which saves taxpayers by avoiding interest payments and other borrowing costs. However, Department of the Treasury officials confirmed last week that all monies previously deposited into the debt relief fund 'have now been fully allocated.'' THE PORK ROLL CALL — 'N.J. is facing a financial cliff, but lawmakers just spent $500M on these pet projects,' by NJ Advance Media's Susan K. Livio and Jelani Gibson: 'For months, state budget analysts have cautioned that New Jersey is facing a grim fiscal future, with billions in federal aid cuts looming and predictions that the state's $6 billion surplus fund could be near empty within the next two years. But these warnings did not stop Democrats who lead the state Senate and Assembly from adding $500 million to the $58.8 billion state budget that Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law June 30. Among the top four most powerful Democrats, Assembly Budget Chairwoman Eliana Pintor Marin, D-Essex, sponsored or co-sponsored 74 line-items valued at $244 million — more than other leading lawmakers, her colleagues in leadership, including Senate President Nick Scutari, D-Union, and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex … Late Friday, state officials quietly posted the list of spending resolutions on the state Legislative website, six weeks after the vote. And Republicans, as usual, wasted no time condemning the actions as secretive and fiscally irresponsible.' CHIEF JUSTICE RABNER SAID 'SHUT UP. NO WAY' WHEN TOLD THAT BRAYDEN ASKED OLIVIA TO THE PROM — 'Gossip at high school basketball game makes it all the way to the N.J. Supreme Court,' by NJ Advance Media's Colleen Murphy: 'The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Thursday that people who sue for false light invasion of privacy must file their claims within one year—the same time limit used for defamation cases. The unanimous decision aims to protect free speech by limiting lawsuits over old statements that could make people afraid to speak out publicly for fear of being sued years later. This ruling emerged from a case involving Salve Chipola III, who alleged he was falsely accused of being a drug dealer … During halftime of a game at Clearview Regional High School in Mullica Hill, Chipola walked past Sean Flannery and another man speaking with a school staffer. That night, the other man called Chipola and said Flannery had been talking about him, though he didn't share details, the court said. Five days later, Chipola returned to the school for another game but was stopped by a police officer, handed a letter banning him from school grounds, and asked if he was a drug dealer who had given drugs or alcohol to students. Chipola denied the accusations. Later that night, Chipola texted Flannery, who admitted he had told a school official that Chipola was a drug dealer and had provided drugs and alcohol to students. Nearly two years later, Chipola sued Flannery for false light invasion of privacy, saying the statements harmed his reputation and caused emotional distress.' — 'Judge rejected request to detain immigrant at center of fight between Trump, governor' — 'New NJ laws target abuses in addiction recovery' — 'NJ lawmaker aims to expand definition of domestic violence in wake of double murder' TRUMP ERA I'D MAKE A 'HALF BAKED' JOKE HERE, BUT IT WOULD PROBABLY BE CONSTRUED THE WRONG WAY — 'Cory Booker, Senate's Mr. Nice Guy, starts to throw some punches,' by The Wall Street Journal's Siobhan Hughes, Eliza Collins and Jasmine Li: 'When Sen. Cory Booker made a long shot bid for president in 2020, his closest advisers begged him to take swings at Democratic primary opponents, telling him that polling showed the tactic was the only way to break through in a crowded field. But the New Jersey senator refused to go negative, insisting on a message focused on love and unity, recalled Mo Butler, his former chief of staff and currently an adviser. His campaign floundered, and he dropped out before the first presidential contest in Iowa. Now — as he contemplates another run for the White House — Booker is changing his tune. In a moment last month on the Senate floor that stunned Democrats, he accused colleagues of being complicit in President Trump's purported abuses, raising his voice, jabbing his finger, eyes darting around the room. 'You've got to be kidding me,' he said, throwing his arms up. Other Democratic senators were taken aback, wondering: What has gotten into Booker? … Booker, in the interview, said he wasn't ruling out another run for president.' OH, THE URBANITY! — 'HUD takes possession of Atlantic City Housing Authority,' by The Press of Atlantic City's John O'Connor: 'The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has taken over the city's housing authority after determining the local agency cannot overcome the many issues that have plagued it over the years. Tom Sahlin, the authority's executive director, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A city spokesperson declined to comment. HUD sent a letter to the Housing Authority on July 22 declaring it in substantial default, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd, said in a news release at the time. In a 15-page response sent last week, the authority said the current administration's improvements have not yet been recognized as HUD's Public Housing Assessment System scores, which identified multiple physical and financial deficiencies between March 2022 and 2023, predated a recovery agreement between the authority and HUD.' — 'ICE raids are putting NJ industries that rely on immigrants in a bind' — 'As Trump curbs wind farms, Orsted plans $9.4 billion share offering' LOCAL MANVILLE — 'Former Manville police chief sentenced for sex assault of employees,' by Patch's Alexis Tarrazi: 'Former Manville Police Chief Thomas Herbst of Bridgewater was sentenced to seven years in state prison on multiple charges stemming from the sexual assault of multiple subordinate women employees both inside and outside the workplace. Herbst, 57, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Peter J. Tober on Monday to seven years in state prison on each of the four counts of official misconduct … According to the evidence presented at trial, Herbst engaged in unwanted sexual behavior toward at least three women. Starting in 2008, coercively and without consent, Herbst groped, exposed himself to, and sexually harassed an employee of the police department. Over the next 13 years, Herbst's conduct escalated to violent sexual assault on the primary victim. The attacks often happened while he and the victim were on duty, and many of the attacks took place in police headquarters, according to authorities.' ANOTHER GREAT DAY IN ATLANTIC CITY — 'Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. says he will 'absolutely not' accept a plea deal that would force him out of office,' by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Amy S. Rosenberg: 'An emphatic Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. said he was turning down an offer to plead guilty in a case involving the alleged assault of his daughter that would have forced him to give up office. 'Absolutely not,' Small said outside the courtroom after a brief hearing before Superior Court Judge Bernard DeLury. The deal called for Small to plead guilty to third-degree aggravated assault and avoid prison time. But the deal would have required Small to forfeit his elected office, Atlantic County prosecutor Elizabeth Fischer told the judge … DeLury set a trial date for Mayor Small for Nov. 10, a week after voters decide whether to reelect him, and Dec. 1 for La'Quetta Small. Another hearing was set for Sept. 25. Although the plea offers were not formally turned down in court, Small and his attorney left little doubt outside the courtroom. 'It's been turned down,' said Mayor Small's attorney, Jordan Barbone.' PIPE SCREAMS — 'Mayors call for patience as 200K people go 4th day without water, or showers. And pipe's not fixed,' by NJ Advance Media's Richard Cowen: 'An estimated 200,000 people in Paterson, Haledon, North Haledon and Prospect Park were without water for a fourth day on Monday as a crew struggled to repair a pipeline break at Hinchliffe Stadium in the city. Water was still gushing from the 30-inch pipe during a 12 p.m. press conference at Hinchliffe Stadium as mayors of the four municipalities asked residents for patience as the crisis dragged on. 'Now is not the time to point fingers. Now is the time for all hands to be on deck,' Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh said. Jim Mueller, the executive director of the Passaic Valley Water Commission (PVWC), said a crew had been working around the clock since the pipe burst early Friday morning. But as of noon Monday they still hadn't detected the source of the leak.' — '200K in North Jersey use bottled water, donated showers as old pipe repair drags on' — 'Newark enters multi-million dollar agreement for homeless housing at Riviera' — 'These NJ schools take action to control student cell phones as they wait for state to act' — Snowflack: 'A New O'Dea dawns in Jersey City' — '[Park Ridge] faces lawsuit over affordable housing development: What it says' — 'Five Minutes with Don Torino: Defender of the Meadowlands' EVERYTHING ELSE LUCA BRASI SLEEPS WITH THE IMPORTED FISHES — 'New Jersey fishermen net millions of dollars worth of fish, but diners demand more,' by the Asbury Park Press' Dan Radel and Sarah Griesemer: '[T]his $3.2 billion New Jersey industry supplies just a fraction of the state's ravenous appetite for seafood, especially when tourism drove more than 123 million to New Jersey last year — 20 million to Monmouth and Ocean counties alone. These visitors spent more than $14 billion on food and drinks, the state's Division of Travel and Tourism reports. To make up the difference, restaurants and fish markets must bring in seafood from other states and foreign countries … What New Jersey fishermen do catch gets eaten here. The Garden State's most productive fisheries such as sea scallops can feed the Shore, and have enough left over to be exported. However, favorite dishes such as lobster are just not abundant enough in the local waters to feed everyone in Monmouth and Ocean counties.' — 'Big Four accounting firm EY to lay off 130 NJ employees this fall' — 'Princeton University says most families with incomes up to $250K will pay no tuition'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Calhoun County Sheriff's Office recognized for high standards
The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office has achieved accredited status through the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission. The recognition was announced during the Calhoun County Board of Commissioners meeting on Aug. 7, according to a community announcement. The accreditation process is voluntary and involves a thorough evaluation of an agency's policies, procedures, operations and services. This independent review is conducted by law enforcement professionals to ensure that agencies meet or exceed Michigan's professional standards. Stay informed: Sign up for Enquirer newsletters, notifications and more The Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission was established by the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police and the Michigan Sheriffs' Association. Its goal is to promote high standards in policing through structured evaluations and peer reviews. Out of 588 law enforcement agencies in Michigan, only 88 have achieved this accreditation. The process included extensive internal assessments and external evaluations, demonstrating the department's commitment to continuous improvement. The accreditation reflects the sheriff's office's dedication to excellence, accountability and building trust within the community, according to the announcement. This story was created by Jane Imbody, jimbody@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Calhoun County Sheriff earns state accreditation Solve the daily Crossword
