The killer would choose young boys and adolescents as victims, whom he met in popular
gay bars and other similar establishments within a four-block radius in
Indianapolis. All of the victims were later found naked or partially clothed near I-70, often dumped in rivers, streams and ditches in the rural countryside. Each had been strangled to death. In total, 12 men were recorded as his official victims: •
Michael Petree (15) was discovered naked in rural
Hamilton County, Indiana on June 16, 1980. Despite his young age, he was a male prostitute who spent most of his time around Indianapolis' gay bars. He was reported missing on June 7, but three days later, he was observed in different parts of the city riding along in a stranger's car. The cause of death was established as strangulation; no traces of drugs or alcohol were found in his blood. •
Maurice Taylor's (23) topless corpse was found in July 1982 in the Weasel Creek in rural Hamilton County outside
Atlanta. He remained unidentified for eight months, since his mother, who was detained in a mental hospital, was unable to file a missing persons report. Due to several differences in comparison with other victims (being the youngest and only black victim), Baker's homicide was considered to be unrelated by some policemen. •
Eric Allen Roettger (17) vanished on May 7, 1985, with his shirtless body found a few days later near a stream in rural
Preble County, Ohio, east of
Lewisburg. When found, he had an apparent burn mark on his left shoulder, and had been strangled with a rope. •
Jean Paul Talbot (26), like the previous victims, was found strangled to death in May 1989. His body had been dumped near a stream in
Defiance County, Ohio. •
Steven L. Elliot (26)'s body, clad in his underwear, was found in August 1989 in rural Preble County, Ohio, again near I-70. •
Thomas Clevenger Jr. (19) vanished without a trace at the end of August 1990, and his semi-nude corpse was later found at an abandoned railroad track near
Greenville, Ohio. == Investigation ==