DNA: ID – The Phyllis Bailer Case
Date: February 9, 2026
Host: Jessica Bettencourt, AbJack Entertainment
Episode Overview
This episode of DNA: ID explores the decades-old, tragic murder of Phyllis Jean Bailer in 1972—how her cold case confounded investigators, the many suspects considered, and the ultimate solution through investigative genetic genealogy (IGG). The host, Jessica Bettencourt, delves into the details of the case: the victim’s life, the harrowing crime scene, the false leads, and the tenacious detective work that, more than 50 years later, finally gave her family answers. The story highlights not only the technological advancements in forensic science, but also the enduring impacts on victims, survivors, and communities.
Case Background and Crime Scene
[02:43]
- On July 8, 1972, in rural Indiana, Ruth Logar discovered three-year-old Jody standing calmly by a ditch. Nearby lay the body of her mother, 27-year-old Phyllis Jean Bailer (née Miller), bloodied and lifeless.
- Phyllis had been shot twice at close range, execution-style. There were no defensive wounds or signs of struggle.
- Ruth’s parents notified emergency services; Jody was found to have a head injury, but survived.
- Identity confirmed via Phyllis’s purse found at the scene. The coroner established death between 8pm Friday and before 11am Saturday.
- Autopsy revealed rape; semen discovered on her underwear, although specifics of forensic procedures from 1972 remain unclear.
- Jody had no clear memory to provide information; her time from the car breakdown to discovery was unaccounted for, and she has never spoken publicly about the incident.
Notable Quote:
“The cause of Phyllis’s death was two gunshot wounds to the head and neck. She had been shot at close range. Police described it as execution style.” – Jessica Bettencourt [04:45]
Victim and Timeline
[06:55]
- Phyllis was a young mother and legal secretary, amicably divorcing husband Rick Bailer.
- On Friday, July 7, Phyllis called her father in Bluffton to say she and Jody would visit, planning to leave Indianapolis around 8pm.
- When they never arrived, the family became concerned; Rick and her parents began searching and filed a missing persons report.
- The abandoned car: A borrowed 1965 Ford broke down about 75 miles from Indianapolis. Rick found it on the shoulder, hood up, with personal items inside but no sign of Phyllis or Jody.
- Farmer sighting: Car was seen stationary as early as 11:30pm the night of July 7.
- Jody and Phyllis were found ~70 miles north of where the car broke down, raising questions about what happened in the unaccounted hours.
The Investigation and Suspects
[19:12]
First Persons of Interest
- Husband Rick Bailer was quickly excluded; he had a solid alibi and there was no evidence of animosity.
- Police explored the rape evidence—how did they rule out possibility of consensual sex with the husband?
“Perhaps the sample detected in her underwear exhibited fresh sperm and Rick’s whereabouts during the days before the incident were accounted for.” [19:46]
- Witnesses: Several people reported seeing the little girl by the road; tire tracks suggested a vehicle other than Phyllis’s was at the disposal site.
Key Suspects: Arthur Morris Jr.
[24:29]
The Kidnapping Spree
- Arthur Morris Jr.—a serial kidnapper active that same weekend—became the prime suspect.
- Kidnapped multiple women, some with their children, in a spree coinciding precisely with the timeframe of Phyllis’s abduction.
- Was arrested in Florida after kidnapping another woman and involved in several attacks with similar MO (armed with a knife, often bragged about a .45 caliber pistol).
- A child’s shoe print was found in one of the abandoned vehicles, possibly Jody’s.
- Under police questioning, Morris failed a polygraph but denied involvement in Phyllis’s murder.
- Despite circumstantial evidence and being unaccounted for in the critical window, he was never charged due to lack of physical evidence linking him to the homicide.
Memorable Moment:
“He agreed to a lie detector and sat for the polygraph. While in the Florida jail, he failed.” [29:44]
Other Possible Suspect: Steven Judy
[35:47]
- Steven Judy, infamous for a similar highway abduction and murder of a mother and her children in 1979, was considered.
- Judy’s methods and background fit the scenario (“cars were always involved”), but he confessed to all known crimes without mentioning Phyllis, and was never known to use a gun.
- DNA connection to Baylor case unknown.
Notable Quote:
“Every woman he ever bothered, he either tricked them into pulling off the road or he started to help them as they were stopped on the road. It sounded very much like what happened to Phyllis.” [43:24]
Investigative Breakthrough: DNA & Genetic Genealogy
[47:34, 61:23]
Testing the Oldest Evidence
- In 1994, Allen County detectives obtained DNA samples from Morris. The comparison excluded him as the source—after 22 years, the top suspect evaporated.
- For years, the case stalled until Indiana State Police Captain Kevin Smith reopened it in 2015, prioritizing a new round of DNA profiling and subsequently, IGG.
- With help from Jenna Robertson at Identifinders International, genealogical methods narrowed the suspect to Fred Allen Lineman.
- The crucial clue: a second cousin-level DNA match to the suspect, which, after extensive tree-building and family outreach, led to Lineman, a rootless, troubled drifter with ties to Michigan and Indiana.
Notable Quote:
“Arthur J. Morris was excluded as the contributor to the DNA profile. After all those years, the top suspect evaporated with the stroke of a DNA analyst’s keyboard.” [50:54]
The Killer: Fred Allen Lineman
[62:25]
Who Was He?
- Born in Michigan, moved often, described by relatives as “the black sheep” and essentially disowned.
- Only known arrest: 1973 for grand theft auto in Florida; otherwise, law enforcement encounters untraceable.
- Died violently in 1985 in Detroit: beaten and burned in a dumpster, apparently killed by two local men during an altercation over theft.
- Family refused to claim his body; buried in a pauper’s grave.
- Investigators speculate he was a stranger to Phyllis, simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
- There is no evidence he killed before or after Phyllis, but his transient lifestyle and untraceable movements make certainty impossible.
Notable Quote:
“They wanted nothing to do with him and refused to pay for burial services. He ended up being buried in a pauper’s grave in Michigan. The family does not even know where the gravesite is.” [63:30]
Aftermath & Reflection
[72:10]
- Informed of Lineman’s identification, Phyllis’s family expressed relief at knowing, regret that he died before he could be tried, and solace for Jody, who grew up without her mother.
- Host reflects on what likely transpired: Phyllis’s car broke down, Lineman stopped and offered “help”, then abducted, raped, and murdered her; Jody was left at the roadside, surviving by luck.
Notable Quotes:
“Totally relieved that it was uncovered and we found out who the person was, but upset that he died... the good side of it.” – Rick Bailer [72:37]
“All we can do is speculate at this point. Let’s discuss what we think happened on the night that Phyllis and Jody were abducted.... The only thing we really know about what happened to Phyllis and the true pathos of this crime is that she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and suffered impossibly bad luck.” – Jessica Bettencourt [73:36]
Notable Moments & Reflections
- Extensive genealogical research, involving building out family trees of distant matches, ultimately solved the case.
- Jody survived and grew up, working in IT in Chicago, but has never reclaimed memories of that night.
- The case is a somber example of bad fortune — a random crime by a transient, violent stranger, made solvable only by new forensic science decades later.
- DNA:ID closes with a powerful message on the relentless pursuit of justice through IGG: “After 52 years, Phyllis Baylor’s case is resolved thanks to IGG. And if you are one of the bad guys, they are coming for you.” [74:43]
Important Timestamps
- 02:43 – Crime scene discovery
- 04:45 – Cause of death and evidence of rape
- 19:12 – Husband ruled out, timeline confusion
- 24:29 – Arthur Morris Jr. investigation
- 35:47 – Steven Judy comparison and context
- 47:34 – DNA exclusion of Morris
- 61:23 – Genetic genealogy process
- 62:25 – The life and death of Fred Lineman
- 72:37 – Family’s reaction to resolution
- 74:43 – Host’s closing reflections
Overall Tone
Compassionate, meticulous, and unflinching. The host presents the case with factual detail and empathic reflection, honoring the victim and recognizing the limitations and achievements of law enforcement past and present.
Key Takeaway
Even after decades in the cold, justice can be served through the tireless pursuit of answers and the evolving power of genetic genealogy. The Phyllis Bailer case stands as “both a blueprint for investigative perseverance and a cautionary tale about luck, vulnerability, and the unpredictable horrors that can shatter lives.”