Submitted by Hamilton County Coroner’s Office
The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying a victim connected to the Fox Hollow murders investigation.
Human remains recovered from the Fox Hollow site have yielded a DNA profile that does not match any entries in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). An extensive forensic genetic genealogy investigation, reaching as far back as the 1700s, has successfully identified the victim’s deceased father. However, investigators have been unable to determine the identity of the victim’s mother, preventing positive identification of the victim.
Harvey
The identified father is Jerome Clarence “Jerry” Harvey. Harvey was described as 6-foot-5. Harvey worked in construction and lived in Indianapolis for the majority of his life. He may have operated a furniture store in Fort Wayne in the early 1970s. He was known to frequent New Albany, Ind., and may have attended high school in Indianapolis during the early 1960s.
Public records indicate Harvey was married four different times. Genetic evidence indicates Harvey’s previous wives may not be the mother of the unknown victim.
Based on the available evidence, investigators believe the victim was a male child fathered by Jerome Clarence “Jerry” Harvey.
Dr. Susan Walsh, an expert in forensic genetics and DNA phenotyping from Indiana University, analyzed the DNA profile that was generated from the remain of the unknown victim and provided prediction estimates based on current genetic knowledge of the physical characteristics of the unidentified victim. According to Dr. Walsh, the victim was a male with very pale to pale skin, brown to dark brown auburn hair, with hazel brown eyes.
Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison is asking anyone who may have information about a male child connected to Jerry Harvey, particularly information regarding the child’s mother, to come forward.
“Even seemingly small details may be critical to identifying the victim and bringing resolution to this case,” Jellison said.
Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office at (317) 770-4415.