A husband \u0026 wife are tied up and murdered On January 4, 1978, the quiet of rural Montpelier, Indiana, was shattered by a brutal crime that has remained a haunting mystery for decades. Inside their small mobile home, 20-year-old Bruce Moser and his 22-year-old wife, Margaret, were discovered murdered. Bruce, a Caucasian male, was found on the bedroom floor, his hands bound behind his back with his own bootlaces. He had been shot multiple times in the head.
Margaret was found tied to the bed, having been sexually assaulted and also shot multiple times in the back of the head. The weapon used to end their lives was Bruce's own. 22 caliber single-shot rifle.
The couple's 17-month-old daughter, Kerri, was found alive in the trailer, laying on the bed next to her deceased mother. She was severely dehydrated and hungry but had been physically unharmed by the killer. It is believed that she had been alone with her parents' bodies for two days before they were discovered after Bruce's boss reported him absent from work. The home had been ransacked, though authorities never specified what, if anything, was stolen.
The investigation into the double homicide has been a long and frustrating one, with several potential leads but no definitive answers. Early on, police questioned two men, Jon Kennedy and Richard Mills, in connection with the murders due to a past incident where Bruce had witnessed another crime involving them. However, both men denied any involvement and provided alibis. Another person of interest who emerged was Robert Leslie, a man wanted for questioning in several other unsolved homicides and kidnappings. Before he could be brought to trial for those crimes, Leslie committed suicide in a motel room, leaving behind letters confessing to at least one other murder. While he was considered a prime suspect in the Moser case, he was never officially linked to their deaths.
Despite the passage of time, the case of Bruce and Margaret Moser has never been closed. It remains an active cold case with the Indiana State Police. Investigators continue to hope that advancements in forensic technology or a new lead will finally bring justice to the young couple and their surviving daughter. The brutal nature of the crime and the heartbreaking image of a toddler left alone with her murdered parents have left a lasting scar on the community, a grim reminder of a case that is still waiting for its final chapter to be written.
