25-year-old Ferdinand bank robbery cold case solved
Indiana State Police investigators say they have solved another Dubois County cold case thanks to DNA evidence.
The case began at 9:05 a.m. on September 1, 2000, when a male suspect armed with a gun robbed the Holland National Bank in Ferdinand.
After the suspect left the bank, a bank employee immediately provided the suspect’s vehicle description and license plate number to the police. Bank employees reported that the suspect was wearing dark pantyhose over his head, holding a small handgun in his left hand, and carrying an object in his other hand that appeared to resemble a possible explosive device. The suspect left the bank with currency, dropping a set of plastic ties inside the bank as he fled. He did not bring a bag to carry the money and instead attempted to conceal it inside his shirt.
Police determined the vehicle belonged to a Ferdinand resident, and police had already been dispatched to the Ferdinand Road Northwest address associated with the license plate number.
Police determined that earlier that morning, prior to the robbery, the mother and her young child were at their residence on Ferdinand Road Northwest, preparing to leave for school, when a male wearing a nylon mask and a baseball cap approached the young child, who was outside at the time, with a gun and a bag. The man took the child by the hand and instructed her to come with him. The child told the man that her mother was home, and the pair went to the back of the house, where the child’s mother met them outside as she came out. The man told her to go back inside, and once inside, he told them that no one would be hurt if they did what he said.
The man then restrained the mother and child using plastic ties, binding their hands behind their backs, before placing them in a closet, covering their mouths with duct tape, tying them together with twine, and securing the mother’s feet.
While restraining the mother, the suspect dripped blood onto her ankle. Law enforcement collected and preserved a swab of that blood as evidence.
The mother and child eventually freed themselves and sought help from a neighbor after discovering their phone was not working. Upon leaving their residence, they encountered the responding law enforcement officer and reported what had occurred.
The mother’s vehicle was later located in the parking lot of Aristokraft Plant #22, located near 3rd Street and Industrial Park Road in Ferdinand.
Police were unable to identify the suspect, and the case remained unresolved until 2024, when it was assigned to the Indiana State Police Cold Case Unit. After seeking funding from Seasons of Justice, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing funding for investigative agencies and families in unsolved violent crime cases, the unknown DNA sample was sent to Parabon NanoLabs Inc. for genetic genealogy testing. Based on the results from Parabon NanoLabs Inc., the Indiana State Police Genealogist narrowed the detective’s focus to three brothers, two of whom lived in Ferdinand at the time of the robbery and were within walking distance of where the stolen vehicle was recovered.
Two of the brothers are deceased, and one is currently living outside of Dubois County. After obtaining a search warrant and conducting DNA testing on the living brother, investigators were able to conclusively rule him out as a suspect. Although the remaining individuals of interest are deceased and unable to provide DNA samples, the investigation has now reached a conclusive resolution based on the available evidence and modern forensic advancements that narrowed it to one deceased brother.
This resolution reflects the dedication and persistence of law enforcement agencies over the past two decades and the powerful impact of evolving forensic technology. Most importantly, it brings long-awaited answers and peace of mind to the victims, their families, and the residents of Ferdinand and Dubois County.
Police did not identify the individuals involved.
