been experiencing serious financial problems because of unpaid taxes and a lot of misuse of money by Colchee. Uland expected Gierse to straighten it out. Along with microfilming, Uland had business interests in several other areas, his major business being digging oil wells, and so consequently, Uland had let Gierse essentially run Records Security Corporation until he quit to start up B&B Microfilming.
Combest then told the detectives how Hinson had quit Records Security Corporation first, but that Gierse had told her he was going to stay on until he could besure that B&B would get several good contracts for microfilming. For a while Hinson ran B&B by himself. Combest said that for a time she had helped by answering the telephones for the business, which had been set up to ring at both the office on East 10th Street and at the house on North LaSalle Street. She said she asked Gierse if he thought that Records Security Corporation was going to be a lot of competition to them at B&B, but that Gierse had laughed and said no, since Uland didn’t have a clue about what he was doing when it came to microfilming. She also later mentioned that Ted Uland and Richard Roller, a friend of the three men, both had keys to the house on North LaSalle Street. Why they did, no one knew.
The detectives, having heard hints and rumors from other individuals about a possible affair, also asked Ilene Combest about Bob Hinson’s relationship with Louise Cole. Combest told the police that yes, she believed Hinson and Cole had been having an affair for several years, but that apparently Louise Cole had had no intention of divorcing her husband, with whom she’d had seven children. This was despite the fact that, according to Combest, James Cole had often threatened to beat his wife. There had even been an incident at a party once, she said, in which James, angry and suspicious as always, had poured a cup of coffee over Louise’s head and made her cry.
When asked about other women the three men had dated, Combest told them about one of Gierse’s girlfriends named Bonnie Russel, who had told several peopleat the beauty shop where Combest worked that the murders had been committed by the Mafia. She didn’t say where this information had come from.
Finally, Combest told detectives about how she had heard from another person that Bob Gierse had once sent money to a woman named April Lynn Smoot when she and her husband, David Lynn, were stranded in New Orleans. Smoot had contacted Gierse and asked for his help, so he sent her $50. Smoot’s husband, Combest said the person told her, became very suspicious and jealous, and accused her of having an affair with Gierse. He then reportedly blacked her eyes and threatened to kill all of them if April ever tried to leave him. The detectives made a note to add Mr. Lynn to their list of possible suspects, and, very important, to find out if April Lynn Smoot had recently been involved with Gierse.
Also on December 2, 1971, the detectives interviewed Sue Ross, the office manager at the Bell and Howell plant in Indianapolis, where James Barker had worked as a service manager. She said she had known all of the victims but hadn’t dated any of them. Although the police had already learned about the men’s lothario ways, Ross was the first person to mention the sex contest to the police, and it changed the direction of the investigation. She said Barker had told her about it. Suddenly, the detectives had a new motive and possibly dozens of new suspects. This information also gave new meaning to the list of women’s names the detectives had found in the address book at the North LaSalle Street house.
The detectives knew this also meant they’d need tofind and interview dozens of new individuals in the case; not only the women involved in the sex contest, but potentially also their husbands or boyfriends. Any one of the women could have become angry at being used for the contest, or could have had a husband
Combest then told the detectives how Hinson had quit Records Security Corporation first, but that Gierse had told her he was going to stay on until he could besure that B&B would get several good contracts for microfilming. For a while Hinson ran B&B by himself. Combest said that for a time she had helped by answering the telephones for the business, which had been set up to ring at both the office on East 10th Street and at the house on North LaSalle Street. She said she asked Gierse if he thought that Records Security Corporation was going to be a lot of competition to them at B&B, but that Gierse had laughed and said no, since Uland didn’t have a clue about what he was doing when it came to microfilming. She also later mentioned that Ted Uland and Richard Roller, a friend of the three men, both had keys to the house on North LaSalle Street. Why they did, no one knew.
The detectives, having heard hints and rumors from other individuals about a possible affair, also asked Ilene Combest about Bob Hinson’s relationship with Louise Cole. Combest told the police that yes, she believed Hinson and Cole had been having an affair for several years, but that apparently Louise Cole had had no intention of divorcing her husband, with whom she’d had seven children. This was despite the fact that, according to Combest, James Cole had often threatened to beat his wife. There had even been an incident at a party once, she said, in which James, angry and suspicious as always, had poured a cup of coffee over Louise’s head and made her cry.
When asked about other women the three men had dated, Combest told them about one of Gierse’s girlfriends named Bonnie Russel, who had told several peopleat the beauty shop where Combest worked that the murders had been committed by the Mafia. She didn’t say where this information had come from.
Finally, Combest told detectives about how she had heard from another person that Bob Gierse had once sent money to a woman named April Lynn Smoot when she and her husband, David Lynn, were stranded in New Orleans. Smoot had contacted Gierse and asked for his help, so he sent her $50. Smoot’s husband, Combest said the person told her, became very suspicious and jealous, and accused her of having an affair with Gierse. He then reportedly blacked her eyes and threatened to kill all of them if April ever tried to leave him. The detectives made a note to add Mr. Lynn to their list of possible suspects, and, very important, to find out if April Lynn Smoot had recently been involved with Gierse.
Also on December 2, 1971, the detectives interviewed Sue Ross, the office manager at the Bell and Howell plant in Indianapolis, where James Barker had worked as a service manager. She said she had known all of the victims but hadn’t dated any of them. Although the police had already learned about the men’s lothario ways, Ross was the first person to mention the sex contest to the police, and it changed the direction of the investigation. She said Barker had told her about it. Suddenly, the detectives had a new motive and possibly dozens of new suspects. This information also gave new meaning to the list of women’s names the detectives had found in the address book at the North LaSalle Street house.
The detectives knew this also meant they’d need tofind and interview dozens of new individuals in the case; not only the women involved in the sex contest, but potentially also their husbands or boyfriends. Any one of the women could have become angry at being used for the contest, or could have had a husband
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