A beloved mother and daughter are brutally murdered in their Indianapolis home In the autumn of 1987, a brutal act of violence shattered the quiet lives of a mother and daughter in Indianapolis, leaving a case that would remain a chilling mystery for decades. Twenty-one-year-old Vicki McCarty, a Caucasian female, and her mother, Mary, were found bludgeoned to death in their home on Radford Drive on September 25, 1987. The discovery was made by a concerned family member who, after being unable to reach them by phone, went to the house and saw a gruesome scene through a
window.
Investigators arriving at the residence found both women had been viciously attacked with a hammer, which was recovered at the scene. There were no signs of forced entry, and valuables, including money in their purses, were left untouched, suggesting that robbery was not the motive. Evidence suggested that Mary was likely attacked in her sleep, while Vicki may have confronted their assailant in the hallway. Adding to the perplexing nature of the crime, the family's car, a 1987 Chevy Cavalier, was missing from the driveway and has never been found. The family's poodle was found at the home, faithfully guarding the scene.
Suspicion quickly fell upon Vicki's on-again, off-again boyfriend. The day before the murders, he had reportedly proposed to Vicki at her workplace, Central Hardware. When she rejected his proposal, witnesses told police he became angry and stormed out, ominously stating, 'You'll see me again soon.' This man, who had a criminal record for bank robbery, was considered the primary suspect in the double homicide. He was known to be involved in activities related to stolen cars and drugs.
Despite the strong suspicion surrounding Vicki's boyfriend, he was never formally charged with the murders. Investigators learned that he was last seen in Panama City, Florida, on the day the bodies were discovered. Over the years, the investigation into the deaths of Vicki and Mary McCarty grew cold. The case was eventually transferred to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department's Cold Case Unit. Though decades have passed, the brutal slayings of a young woman and her mother remain officially unsolved, a painful and unresolved chapter in the city's history, with no arrests ever made and no one held accountable for the devastating loss of two lives.
