Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - “The Midwest Highway Murderer” Larry Eyler Pt. 1

Episode Date: November 29, 2021

In the 1970s, Larry Eyler seemed like your regular, easy-going guy. Behind closed doors, he was anything but. He had an insatiable appetite to dominate. When BDSM wouldn’t do it, he hit the Midwest highways, offering desperate hitchhikers a ride and leaving behind a trail of dead bodies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of murder, sexual assault, and child abuse that some people may find disturbing. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. 19-year-old Chris Lang knew hitchhiking was dangerous. He'd seen the headlines and the scare tactic FBI posters, warning people against getting into cars with strangers. But he'd never dreamed he'd actually be unlucky enough to hitch a ride with a murderer. Now he lay on the edge of a secluded forest close to the Indiana-Illinois border. A light breeze rustled through the elm trees, an owl hooted gently in the darkness.

All the while, his blood soaked silently into the forest floor, gushing from the wound in his chest. Chris's lung was punctured, and he was losing blood fast. But the man who'd stabbed him was still nearby, somewhere in the darkness. So instead of running for help, Chris, kept his eyes closed and played dead. But he was starting to feel dizzy. His head pounded, and the sounds of the forest were blurring into some kind of white noise. If he moved too soon, he was certain his attacker would come back and finish the job.

But if he stayed still for too long, he'd die right here in the middle of the woods. Chris knew that both decisions could end with his death, and his time was running out. Hi, I'm Greg Poulson. This is serial killers, a Spotify original from Parkast. Every episode, we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers. Today we're exploring the crimes of Larry Eiler, the Midwest's Highway Killer. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone.

You can find episodes of serial killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. Today we'll discuss Eiler's violent and dysfunctional childhood, and how, as a young adult, his fascination with Beard, ADSM tipped over into bloodshed. Next time, we'll explore Eiler's accelerating murder spray during the early 1980s, and how after an arrest, he walked free to continue killing. We've got all that and more coming up. Stay with us.

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I'm Global News crime reporter Nancy Hicks. You might listen to a lot of true crime podcasts this year, but they're not crime beat. Search for and follow the award-winning podcast Crime Beat on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts. Nobody is a truly open book. And curiously, the people who insist they are often have the most to hide. But the fact remains, we all have secrets, things we can seal to protect ourselves, to protect other people, or to protect an individual.

image were trying to maintain. Larry Eiler's colleagues and friends thought they knew him. He was kind, he was generous, he was the kind of guy who'd drive across town to bring you lunch when you were sick. But Larry was harboring a secret. Behind closed doors, all he wanted was to dominate, to inflict pain, and to look into another person's eyes and see terror reflected back at him. Given what he'd witnessed as a child, this may have not been a surprise. Eiler was born four days before Christmas of 1952 in the city of Crawfordsville, Indiana. As the youngest of four children, he was especially vulnerable to the chaos that consumed his home.

His father was an abusive alcoholic who made the house a terrifying place to live. He was physically and emotionally violent to his entire family. By 1954, his mother surely had had enough of the abuse. When Eiler was just two, his parents separated. This probably came as a relief to just about everyone involved. But though the violence stopped, things became more unstable for Eiler and his siblings. Shirley had to work multiple jobs to support her family and didn't have much time to watch your children. The two youngest, Eiler and his sister, were ferried between different caretakers during their formative years.

Sometimes their older brothers would look after them, though the oldest was only ten at the time. More often, they were left with relatives and babysitters, most of whom they didn't. didn't know very well. Shirley reportedly considered sending Eiler and his sister to an orphanage, but couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, when things got really bad, the two youngest were split up and sent to live with different families temporarily. Despite this instability, Eiler seemed to cope well.

In his early years, he was a happy, sweet-natured child, known for his generosity at school. Shirley visited her children when they were in the care of others, and they were always thrilled to see her. In fact, it's possible that Eiler felt the separations only brought him and his family closer. However, when the family was finally able to reunite and live under the same roof, things started to shift. You see, during the 1950s, surely remarried multiple times, once when Eiler was four and again when he was seven.

It's possible that this lack of continuity had a profound impact on him. Vanessa is going to take over in the psychology here and throughout the episode. Please keep in mind that Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, but we have done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology found that multiple maternal relationship transitions can have a significant impact on a child's development and behavior. Specifically, children whose mothers live with multiple partners during their formative years are at a higher risk for delinquent behavior. The researchers link this to the instability hypothesis. This is a model which suggests that repeated family transitions not only causes stress to children,

but also affects their development. According to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Lyle Rossiter, Eiler likely suffered developmental trauma as a result of the abrupt and repeated intrusions into his life over many years of multiple men dating his mother. However, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Both of Iler's stepfathers were cut from the same cloth as his father. They were heavy drinkers and prone to violence. One of Iler's stepfathers would allegedly hold his head under scalding water, passing the horrific abuse off as discipline.

Perhaps inevitably the trauma took a toll, and Iler started to become unruly. It's not clear exactly what changed in his behavior, but we know that Iler became more assertive and aggressive at home. It was severe enough that Shirley decided she couldn't handle him, him anymore. When Eiler was 10, he was sent to the Riley Child Guidance Clinic at Indiana University Medical Center, where he underwent a psychological assessment. Test showed that Eiler was of average intelligence but troubled. He suffered from extreme insecurity as well as a deep

fear of abandonment and separation. During the late 1950s and 60s, psychologist John Bolby developed what's known as attachment theory. This framework suggests that a child's bond with their parents shapes all of their relationships throughout life. At one point in his research, Dr. Bolby focused specifically on the trauma of early maternal separation and the negative impact this can have once the child grows older. He found that in order to form a secure attachment, a child needs to perceive his or her mother as available, both physically and emotionally. If that availability is disrupted or unpredictable, it can lead to a number of negative outcomes, including insecurity and aggression.

The clinic staff specifically noted that Eiler wasn't secure in his parental relationships. He also viewed himself as damaged and subject to the control of others. They also concluded that Eiler's chaotic home life was holding him back and recommended that he be sent to live elsewhere. Which is exactly what happened. Sometime after his assessment, Eiler spent about five months at a Catholic boy's home. but the new living situation didn't last. Eventually, Eiler called to ask for a second chance.

He tearfully promised his mother that he'd be good and begged her to let him return. Shirley readily agreed, missing her son as much as he missed her. But while Eiler was glad to be back with his family, his life remained unstable. In 1963, Shirley's third marriage broke down. Within a year, she was married for a fourth time. As far as we can tell, life started to be able to be able to be.

stabilize and 12-year-old Eiler turned over a new leaf. Up until this point, all of Eiler's biggest problems were caused by his environment. But as he neared puberty, he became preoccupied with a more internal turmoil. Sometime in the 1960s during his early teenage years, Eiler realized that he was gay. When he came out to his family, it seems they were all accepting. But the acceptance of others wasn't the only hurtily faced. Eiler harbored a deep sense of self-loathing about a his sexuality. Consumed by these feelings, Eiler struggled to make friends and focus on his studies.

He ultimately dropped out of high school and briefly joined a monastery, which might have been an attempt to repress his sexual urges. When the monastic life failed to stick, Eiler reluctantly went back to reality. He started working a series of low-paying jobs, in a shoe store, a trucking company, and then as a security guard for banks and hospitals. When he wasn't working, he spent long periods on welfare and worried that his life was going nowhere. But eventually, Eiler earned his GED and decided to get a college degree. So in 1974, when he was 21, he enrolled at Indiana State University. This was a time of huge social revolution.

Young people in particular began experimenting with all kinds of norms. After years of abuse, fear, and repressive schooling, campus life was a revelation. For Eiler, he began opening up and saw sex and. a new light. He started going out to gay bars and gradually built a social circle of older men. In 1975, Eiler befriended a 37-year-old library science professor, Robert David Little. Soon afterward, the 22-year-old moved in with Little in the city of Tara Hote, where the university was located. It's not clear whether Eiler and Little's relationship was sexual.

Some sources suggest that Eiler only saw him as a father figure. According to Eiler, the relationship was. at the very least mutually beneficial. Professor Little was shy and socially awkward. In exchange for his financial support, Eiler claimed that he helped him attract sexual partners. The duo began frequenting gay bars in Indianapolis, about 75 miles away. Thanks to his muscular build and charismatic personality, Eiler was especially popular with the city's gay men. With no shortage of partners to choose from, Eiler started experimenting sexually, eventually getting into BDSM.

BDSM can mean different things to different people, but at its core, it's an acronym for a variety of sexual and role-playing practices, involving bondage, domination, submission, and sadomasochism. In short, it's a sexual exchange of power between consenting participants. Eiler was known around the gay bars as a warm and laid-back regular, who had a close relationship with his mom and his sister, but behind closed doors, that man. The mask slipped.

Iler liked to be the dominant partner. He enjoyed catching his partner's off guard, inflicting pain and seeing the fear in their eyes. He sometimes hit or cut them with blades. These actions felt sadistic in a way that went beyond the boundaries of normal BDSM, particularly if they occurred without the consent of Iler's partner. But since these encounters were few and far between, it seems nobody ever seriously pursued charges. Eiler was so well-liked that the whispers about his dark side never got much traction. But concealed behind his affable front, his secrets were starting to fester.

His rage was consuming him. Coming up, Eiler attacks his first victim. Pirates, for centuries the world has been fascinated by them. In films like Pirates of the Caribbean, they're portrayed as squaggering anti-heroes. In books like Treasure Island, they're fearsome villains. But who were they really? That's the question that real pirates, the new Spotify original from Parkast answers. The whole thing about a pirate ship is that they were heavily manned.

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Follow and listen to Real Pirates for free on Spotify. Now back to the story. By the summer of 1978, BDSM was no longer cutting it for 20, 25-year-old Larry Eiler, he had an insatiable hunger to dominate and inflict pain, but his partners weren't willing to go as far as he wanted them to. What's more, he didn't want to ruin his reputation. The gay community in Indianapolis was small, and word would travel fast if he wasn't careful. To feed his craving, he needed to find someone anonymous, a nobody who he could test the limits with.

On the night of August 3rd, Eiler was driving through the outskirts of Terre Haute, Indiana. He saw a young man on the side of the road. His thumb stuck out, hoping for a ride. For the purposes of this episode, we're going to call him Chris Lang. 19-year-old Chris needed to get to Vorhe Street just a few miles south. It was a short drive, he figured, about 10 minutes, maybe even less. So when Eiler pulled his truck over and offered him a ride, he got in without hesitation. Of course, he had no idea that Eiler had an 8-inch butcher's knife hidden beneath his feet.

After a few minutes, Eiler slowed down at a stoplight. He gestured toward a ditch at the side of the road and asked Chris to follow him. At that moment, Chris felt a chill down his spine. He knew something was very wrong and that he needed to get away from this man. Chris shook his head no and reached for the door. But Eiler was quick. He pulled out the knife and held it against Chris's rib cage. With the other hand on the wheel, he stepped on the gas and sped through the intersection.

sped through the intersection. The truck careened around a bend, heading out of the city. At first, Chris thought he was being robbed and cried out that he didn't have any money to steal. With a nasty smile, Eiler told him it wasn't money that he wanted. He eventually pulled the truck onto a gravel path and turned off the engine. The area was used to store farm machinery and was deserted at night. At knife point, he forced Chris to get out of the truck and remove his shirt. Eiler handcuffed Chris and shoved him onto the bed of the truck. Then he pulled off Chris's jeans before tying his ankles with rope. As Eiler started to take off his own clothes, Chris held his breath, waiting for the right moment to make his move.

Chris was a former Marine. Knife or no knife, he wasn't about to go down without a fight. When he sensed Eiler was distracted, Chris twisted onto his back and then onto his knees, knocking his attacker aside. He launched himself over the side of the truck and started to run. But with his ankles still tied together, Chris couldn't get very far. As he reached the woods, Eiler caught up. He grabbed hold of Chris and stabbed him in the chest. Chris collapsed to the ground.

He could feel that the knife had punctured his lung, and blood was spilling freely from the wound. He closed his eyes and lay as still as he could. By playing dead, he hoped Eiler would think the job was done, and soon, Soon he heard Eiler's footsteps retreating. As the sound faded away, Chris cautiously opened an eye. As far as he could tell, the coast was clear. He managed to pull the ropes off of his ankles and get back on his feet, but as he staggered down the gravel path, he struggled to stem the bleeding.

With labored breaths, he made his way across some railroad tracks and headed toward a cluster of lights. They were from a small trailer park. Chris stumbled towards one of the mobile homes before collapsing and screaming for help. Fortunately, someone heard his cries and called 911. A sheriff's deputy arrived at the scene and tried to keep Chris talking as he applied pressure to his wound. By now, a crowd was gathering. One resident who will call Frank stepped forward. He told the deputy that a man had come to his door earlier that night saying that he'd stabbed someone.

Then Frank gestured toward a pickup truck, park nearby. Larry Eiler sat in the driver's seat, seemingly ready to turn himself in. The idea that some criminals want to get caught has been largely debunked, but there is another possible explanation for behavior like this. Psychologist Stanton E. Samanau calls this super optimism. There's a kind of blind, almost delusional optimism when some criminals carry out a crime. This becomes more pronounced as the criminal gets away with more crimes and begins to see himself as invulnerable. It's possible that Eiler was driven by this kind of blind optimism and didn't really believe he'd be convicted. It's also possible he was simply being strategic.

Maybe he knew that if Chris somehow survived his wounds, he could identify Eiler to investigators. So he threw himself on the mercy of the authorities. By doing this, Eiler might have hoped they'd be lenient. What's more, perhaps he was confident he could pass this incident off as as a BDSM game gone wrong. In any case, authorities weren't convinced. When they searched Eiler's truck, they found several knives, a second pair of handcuffs,

and a container of tear gas. There was no doubt he had dark motives. This hadn't been a game gone wrong. Eiler was subsequently charged with aggravated battery and agreed to plead guilty, but that was an empty promise. A week and 36 stitches later, Chris was released from hospital.

He fully intended to test, testify against Eiler in court. But then, Eiler's defense attorney asked Chris to meet him at the courthouse. There, he offered Chris $2,500. Ostensibly, this was to cover Chris's medical bills and the loss of work, but it was also a bribe. In exchange for the money, Chris had to drop the charges against Eiler. $2,500 was a lot of money to Chris. In 2021, it would have the buying power of more than $10,000.

It was an amount too good to pass up, so Chris pocketed the cash and Eiler ultimately walked free. Of course, Eiler wasn't the one footing the bill. He was still close with his longtime friend and wealthy benefactor, 40-year-old Robert David Little. Professor Little's generosity had not only saved him from serving time, it also taught Eiler a powerful lesson. Getting away with a violent assault could be relatively easy. And so, two years later, Eiler brought some of his darkest urges to life, all along the Midwest highways. In June of 1980, 27-year-old Eiler was driving through Indianapolis when he picked up a man named Ed Healy. He offered Ed $100 for sexual favors.

After confirming that Eiler wasn't a cop, Ed said they could work something out. So after a short drive, Eiler parked on the outskirts of the city and the two had sex in the the truck. However, midway through, the mood took a sudden turn. Before Ed could register what was happening, Eiler put him in handcuffs, shoved a gag into his mouth, and wound gauze around his eyes. Then he cut into Ed's chest repeatedly with a knife before he pulled out his shotgun. Ed braced himself. Sure, he was about to die. But for reasons we can't explain, Eiler stopped his attack and took off the restraints. He dropped Ed off at a hotel, then asked him if he wanted to go out sometime.

Eiler's casual, affable tone was so wildly at odds with what had just happened that Ed didn't know what to say. He just knew he was lucky to be alive. After the incident with Chris, it's surprising that Eiler would risk leaving another victim alive to testify against him. Then again, maybe it's to be expected. After he'd avoided prison time for his first attack, it's possible Eiler knew he could do it again. If he was quest to be he could insist his behavior was within the bounds of acceptable BDSM conduct. The BDSM community has a number of guidelines in place to keep things safe, sane, and consensual. That last rule, consent, is one of the most important of all.

Since Eiler clearly didn't see consent, his actions are simply sadistic, and they could also indicate a condition known as sexual sadism disorder. This condition is one of several paraphylic disorders, a blanket term for abnormal sexual behaviors. It's important to note that unusual kinks, urges, or sexual behaviors are not disorders in themselves. Per the DSM-5, they can be considered symptoms of a disorder only if they result in behaviors that cause distress or harm, either to the individual or to others who haven't given consent. There's little doubt that Eiler got a kick out of making people suffer.

But after attacking Ed, it seems he felt nothing. but frustration. His life was a mess of unfinished business. He couldn't commit to killing any of his victims, and at 28, he'd failed to finish college, despite being sporadically enrolled for years. He was still living with a man 16 years as senior, and as nice as the free rent was, he knew it was time for a change. He had to turn things around. Eventually, he decided that a sea change might help him out. A fresh start was just what the doctor ordered. Eiler had lived in Indiana for his entire life, but in 1981, he packed up his belongings and drove almost 200 miles north to Chicago, Illinois.

He didn't know it, but he was about to find everything he wanted in the windy city, including plenty of victims. Up next, Eiler meets the man of his dreams and his beautiful wife. Now back to the story. In the summer of 1981, 28-year-old Larry Eiler wanted a fresh start in the windy city. He figured that relocating to Chicago would mean more opportunities, more access to culture, and a much more sprawling gay scene. But after years of trawling the bars, Eiler was getting tired of meaningless hookups. He wanted something real.

And in August of that year, he found it. Sort of. That month, Eiler began dating John Dobrovolski. John lived in the north side with his wife and their two children. Eiler wasn't phased by any of this. He'd met many closeted gay men over the years. However, he was surprised when John eventually invited him back to his house. It soon became clear that John's wife knew all about her husband's sexual orientation.

In fact, the two had an open marriage of sorts. As long as John maintained the facade of a heterosexual life in public, it seems he could do as he pleased behind closed door. John's wife was so tolerant that Eiler began living with her and John during the week, paying a third of their rent. On weekends, he went back to Indianapolis to stay with his longtime benefactor, 43-year-old Professor Robert Little. Despite this unusual setup, both Eiler and John took their relationship seriously. Unfortunately, life was far from ideal, and the two frequently argued. One major source of tension was Eiler's obsessive jealousy.

often accused John of having affairs. This was ironic because Eiler himself was often the one who was unfaithful. It's doubly ironic because Eiler had chosen a married man as his long-term partner. By doing this, he guaranteed that he'd never truly be in a committed relationship. John's wife would always be in the picture. It was a form of self-sabotage. A 2010 study by researchers at Columbia University and the City University of New York explored how internalized homophobia can have a profoundly negative effect on LGBTQIA plus relationships.

According to the study's authors, experiencing negative feelings about one's sexual orientation is likely to put a damper on intimate relationships. That's because for those struggling with internalized homophobia, their partner acts as a constant reminder of their sexual orientation,

to alleviate feelings of shame and self-relivenous. self-loathing, a person with internalized homophobia may avoid lasting and deep relationships with other LGBTQIA plus people and or seek avenues for sexual expression devoid of intimacy and interpersonal closeness. Ever since his teenage years, Eiler had struggled to reconcile himself to his sexuality. Deep down, it's possible he didn't believe he deserved to be happy. So he chose a partner who would never be truly available to him. Of course, Eiler wasn't always available to John either.

Just two months into their complicated relationship, Eiler met a doctor at a party, and the two began an affair. At first, the fling was exhilarating, but soon the doctor noticed some glaring red flags. For starters, Eiler seemed to lack any sort of ambition. At the time, he worked part-time painting houses, but otherwise had no goals. More troubling was Eiler's temper and his disturbing sadistic streak. He liked to call his sexual partners by derogatory names. He also had an obsession with bondage that made the doctor uncomfortable.

All in all, the doctor believed that Eiler was deeply conflicted about his sexuality. Perhaps that's why he ended things after just a few months. Back in the Dabarvalski's home, things were also becoming strained. Although John's wife tolerated his relationship with Eiler, they were determined not to confuse their children. For that reason, Eiler kept up the facade of being John's drinking buddy. But the men became tired of all the subterfuge and decided to get a place of their own. In June of 1982, they rented a unit at the sovereign hotel near the Chicago Waterfront, which had previously been converted to apartments.

That same year, Eiler was hired by a program that helped vulnerable residents pay their utility bills. He was well liked and excelled at making his customers feel welcome. Things seemed to be looking up for Eiler. He had a steady job he was good at and was in a relatively steady, if unorthodox relationship. But despite everything he had going for him, Eiler was restless. He craved violence, well beyond what anyone would permit him to do during sex. Eventually, it got to the point that he decided to find a new victim, and this time,

he'd make sure they didn't walk away. There are some ambiguities in the crimes were about to describe. Many of Eiler's killings were never conclusively linked to him with evidence. What's more, his full victim count may be much. higher than the official number. That said, we're going to lay out a series of violent deaths Eiler is believed to be responsible for and piece together the details as best we can. In the fall of 1982, Eiler allegedly picked up 14-year-old Del Void Baker and strangled

him to death. His body was found on October 3rd, along the side of a road north of Indianapolis. The following week, on October 12th, Eiler parked his truck outside a Chicago bar, and To a casual passerby, he looked like he was waiting for somebody, which, in a sense, was true. Eiler was searching for easy prey. His eyes fell on 21-year-old Craig Townsend, a construction worker who was leaving the bar after several drinks. Eiler rolled down his window, offered Townsend a beer, and asked if he wanted to take a drive. Townsend accepted and climbed inside the truck.

He drank some beer and downed some pills that Eiler said were speed, but in fact they were a strong sedative called eth-chlorvinole. Townsend's vision became fuzzy, and he started to suspect something was wrong. That might have been when he started struggling with Eiler. Unfortunately, the drug soon took full effect, and he blacked out. At this point, Eiler was free to act out his every sadistic desire without any resistance. But for some reason, once Townsend was unconscious, Eiler had another change of heart. Townsend woke up in a hospital in Crown Point, Indiana. where he'd learned that he'd been in a coma. While we can't say for certain,

it's possible Eiler let Townsend go because an unconscious victim simply didn't give him the same thrill. For one thing, he couldn't hear them scream, but mostly he couldn't see the fear in their eyes. Eiler was determined to change all that. Later that month, around October 23rd, 19-year-old Stephen Crockett

disappeared from the sovereign hotel, where Eiler and John shared. an apartment. While we can't confirm how the two might have met, it's possible Iler befriended or even seduced Stephen while John was at home with his wife and kids. It's also possible he abducted Stephen at knife point. In any case, it's believed that Eiler drugged the teen with the same sedative he'd given Craig Townsend.

Then once he was sure his victim couldn't fight back, Iler stabbed Stephen 32 times. The drugs Eiler gave Stephen were incredibly strong, so it's unlikely he was able to put up much of a fight. Needless to say, either's actions were overkill. According to a 2019 overview by Italian researchers at the universities of Bari and Turin, overkill is broadly defined as the infliction of massive injuries during a murder, far beyond what is necessary to kill the victim. It's typically associated with sexual homicides, that is, a crime that involves both sexual assault and murder. It's not clear whether Stephen was sexually assaulted, but based on Eiler's previous crimes, it's highly probable.

After killing Stephen, he abandoned the body in a cornfield in Kankakee County, Illinois, about 60 miles south of Chicago. A week later, 25-year-old John R. Johnson disappeared from Chicago's uptown neighborhood. This was just south of the Sovereign Hotel, where Eiler lived, so maybe the two crossed paths somewhere around their homes. Beyond that, we don't know how the two might have met. We do know that Johnson was of our tender, so it's possible they met at one of the neighborhood watering holes. Whatever the case, Eiler killed John and dumped his body off the side of a road near Lowell, Indiana,

around 20 miles from where he'd left Stephen's body. By December, Eiler had abducted and killed multiple victims, and yet he still hungered for more. Less than a week before Christmas, he hit the streets to find another victim. Only, according to Eiler, he wasn't alone. On the night of December 19th, he and Robert Little were driving around the city of Tara Hote, allegedly hunting for a sexual adventure. At some stage, Eiler spotted a young man trying to hitchhike and did a double take. He recognized 23-year-old Stephen Egan.

Egan worked at a car wash nearby, where Eiler was a regular. Eiler waved to Egan and told him to get in. As soon as Egan was inside, Eiler locked the doors and drove out of the city. He gave Egan drugs and then bound and gagged him. Eiler stopped at an abandoned farm building surrounded by woodland. There he beat Egan and stabbed him to death. But that was just the beginning. Once he was dead, Eiler continued slashing at his torso,

making cuts so deep that his organs were exposed. Based on Eiler's account, Little was an active participant, even taking photographs of the murder. However, Little claimed he did. no such thing and denied any involvement. In fact, on the night of this attack, Little was in Florida. So far as we know, Eiler acted alone. As for why he tried to implicate his longtime friend in the murder, it's anyone's guess.

As Eirley returned home, Egan's parents were just waking up in Terre Haute, Indiana. Egan had his own apartment in the city, so they didn't immediately worry when they didn't hear from him that day. Even when a few days passed and he didn't return their call, they tried to do. to stay calm. Egan was independent and sometimes needed his alone time. They were sure he'd call on Christmas, but their sun's silence cast an anxious shadow over their festivities. Meanwhile, Eiler was thoroughly enjoying the holiday season. At his work Christmas party, he dressed up as an elf and sat on Santa's lap, making all the guests chuckle.

Everyone in the room was charmed by the impish helper. They all knew Eiler as a goofy, generous soul, who always went the extra mile for the vulnerable clients he served. They could never have imagined that their jolly holiday elf was hiding a sinister secret. But even as he joked around and handed out presents, Eiler was already thinking about his next kill. Thanks again for tuning into serial killers. We'll be back soon with Part 2, where we'll discuss Eiler's accelerating murders spree throughout 1983,

and the unbelievable story how he was arrested, then released to keep killing. For more information on Larry Eiler, amongst the many sources we used, we found the book, Freed to Kill, the true story of serial murderer Larry Eiler, by Geraldind Kolarik and Wayne Clatt

extremely helpful in our research. You can find all episodes of serial killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. We'll see you next time. Have a killer week. Serial Killers is a Spotify, Original from Parcast.

Executive producers include Max and Ron Cutler, sound design by Russell Nash, with production assistance by Ron Shapiro, Trent Williamson, Carly Madden, and Bruce Kitovich. This episode of Serial Killers was written by Emma Dividin, with writing assistance by Jane O., Natalie Pertsovsky and Joel Callan,

fact-checking by Bennett Logan, and research by Brian Petrus and Chelsea Wood. Serial Killers stars Greg Poulson, and Vanessa Richardson. For centuries, the world has been fascinated by them. Blackbeard, Charles Vane, and Bonnie. Who were they really? Real Pirates is a new Spotify original from Parkast.

Join us starting November 15th, as we bring the true story of pirates to life. Do you want to hear something? Spooky? Some monster, it reminded me of Bigfoot. Monsters Among Us is a weekly podcast featuring true stories of the paranormal. One of the boys started to exhibit demonic possession. Stories straight from the witnesses' mouths themselves.

Something very snakelight lifted its head out of the water. Hosted by me, your guide, Derek Hayes. Somehow I lost eight whole hours. Listen now on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.