In the winter of 1982, the life of 23-year-old Steven Ray Agan was tragically cut short, a chilling chapter in the deadly rampage of a notorious serial killer. On December 19th of that year, Agan was abducted in Terre Haute, Indiana, marking the beginning of a grim and terrifying ordeal. His body would be discovered nine days later, on December 28th, abandoned in a wooded area near Indiana State Road 63, just north of Newport.
The investigation into the young man's death revealed a scene
of horrific violence. An examination of an outbuilding on a nearby abandoned farm uncovered traces of human flesh on the walls, leading investigators to the chilling theory that Agan had been suspended against them during the assault. The coroner's report detailed extensive mutilation to his abdomen, chest, and throat, indicative of what was described as 'tremendous rage' on the part of his killer. The severity of the injuries even led the coroner to speculate that more than one person may have been involved in the brutal attack.
The case was eventually linked to Larry Eyler, a man who would come to be known as 'The Highway Killer' for his string of murders of young men and boys across the Midwest between 1982 and 1984. Eyler was ultimately convicted for the murders of 21 individuals. While on death row, Eyler confessed to the murder of Steven Agan. In his confession, he implicated an accomplice, Robert David Little, a professor at Indiana State University. Eyler claimed that Little had been present during the murder, taking photographs while Eyler carried out the gruesome act.
Following Eyler's confession, Robert David Little was arrested and charged with murder. However, his case went to trial in Terre Haute, and on April 17, 1991, he was acquitted of all charges due to a lack of physical evidence to corroborate Eyler's statement. Larry Eyler, who had been sentenced to death for other murders, died of AIDS-related complications in 1994 while incarcerated on death row. He had offered to confess to a total of 20 murders in exchange for his death sentence being commuted to life imprisonment, an offer that was refused by state authorities.
