Jimmie T. Roberts, an 18-year-old African American male, was found deceased on May 9, 1983, in Thorn Creek, Cook County, Illinois. Born on February 2, 1965, in Indiana, Roberts was discovered with thirty-five stab wounds to his body. His pants had been pulled down, and his body was rolled into a creek, which removed any signs of sexual assault.
Roberts was one of the victims of Larry Eyler, known as the 'Highway Killer,' who confessed to murdering at least twenty-one young men and boys between 1982 and 1984. Eyler lured his victims with drugs, alcohol, and money, and his crimes were characterized by extreme violence. He was convicted in only two slayings and died in prison in 1994 from AIDS-related complications.
An accomplice was believed to have assisted Eyler in some of the killings, but this individual was never charged. The confessions provided some closure to the families of the victims, including Roberts's, who had long suspected Eyler's involvement.
Roberts was buried on June 3, 1983, at Restvale Cemetery in Alsip, Cook County, Illinois.
