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The original was posted on /r/unresolvedmysteries by /u/TheBonesOfAutumn on 2024-01-24 03:15:14+00:00.
Original Title: In March 1974, the body of 32-year-old, mother of six, Margaret “Peggy” Hinkle was found a short distance from her Lake County, Indiana home. After being beaten and sexually assaulted, Peggy’s attacker ended her life with two merciless shots to the head. Her case remains unsolved.
On the evening of March 4, 1974, at approximately 7pm, Margaret “Peggy” Hinkle, a 32-year-old mother of six, departed from her Gary, Indiana home to attend a Girl Scout Leaders meeting at the local library. By 10:30pm, Peggy’s husband, 34-year-old Raleigh Hinkle, and their children had settled in for the night, but when Raleigh woke at 2 am, Peggy’s lingering absence sent a wave of unease through him. Unable to shake the worry, he set out in search of his wife.
After searching the library, Peggy’s friends’ and family’s houses, and gas stations to no avail, Raleigh returned home. As he sat waiting for his wife to return, he clung to the faint hope that there was a simple explanation for Peggy’s absence; a flat tire, a friend who needed help, or some other unforeseen emergency.
Raleigh was unaware that just hours before, at 1:30am, two passing motorists had stumbled upon a woman’s body at the corner of 25th and Wright, located just a short distance from the Hinkle’s King Street home. The woman was found lying facedown on the ground, just nine feet away from a van caked in mud. A check of the vehicle revealed an address and name; Hinkle.
Hope’s fragile flame was snuffed out just before 6 am by the sharp rap of knuckles against the Hinkle’s door. Gary police officers delivered the devastating news; A woman’s body found nearby, had been loosely identified as Peggy. At the scene, Raleigh confirmed the investigators’ suspicions.
An autopsy determined Peggy had been sexually assaulted and shot twice in the back of the head with a .38 caliber weapon. A single bullet was recovered from her body, found lodged in her skull. Powder burns found on her head and neck indicated that the weapon had been fired at a distance of less than three feet away. Extensive bruising found on her upper body, and damage sustained to her hands testified to a violent struggle, one Peggy fought bravely to the end.
Peggy’s green colored van sat mired in mud at the corner of 25th Avenue and Wright Street, a secluded lane framed by woods that abruptly ends at a billboard overlooking I-80. The van’s keys were found in the ignition, however Peggy’s wallet was missing. Investigators were able to recover a set of unidentified fingerprints from the van’s interior. Also collected from the scene was a single .38 caliber bullet, found embedded in the ground beneath where Peggy’s body had laid.
Detectives attempted to piece together Peggy’s last known steps. They learned she had attended the Girl Scout meeting as planned, which concluded at 10pm. Afterwards, Peggy grabbed a late-night snack at the 29th and Burr hot dog stand between 10:30 and 11pm. Beyond that her movements are uncertain, however a check of police reports for that evening showed that at 1am, a resident living near the crime scene had reported hearing seven gunshots.
Days after her murder, Peggy’s missing wallet resurfaced in downtown Gary. Found by a passerby, the wallet still contained her identification and the money inside sat untouched, however, family photos that Peggy carried in the wallet were missing.
Several potential suspects were questioned in the weeks following Peggy’s murder, however fingerprint comparisons ultimately excluded them. Raleigh was also questioned, however he was quickly excluded as a suspect as well. A reward of more than 2,300 dollars was offered for information about Peggy’s case, but sadly, the few tips investigators received resulted in no arrests.
Peggy was laid to rest in Lake County, Indiana’s Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Her husband, Raleigh, passed away in 2017 at the age of 78. Two of her children, and both of Peggy’s parents have also since passed away.
Over the years Peggy’s remaining loved ones have continued to pursue answers about her murder. Despite their relentless efforts, they have faced numerous setbacks. Peggy’s daughter, Teresa, received word of a confession from a St. Louis inmate in 1999, however the confession was later deemed false. This was followed by a crushing blow in 2008. Teresa learned that an array of evidence from old cold cases that had been deemed “unsolvable,” had been discarded, leaving her with only a two page police report and autopsy from her mothers case. However, in 2009, a journalist’s persistence led to the rediscovery of crucial evidence; crime scene photos and copies of the unidentified fingerprints found in Peggy’s van. Sadly, this glimmer of hope ultimately faded, as no new leads emerged.
The murder of Margaret “Peggy” Hinkle remains unsolved.
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