Hot on trail of cold case: Sheriff's Office investigating 1985 murder of La Rue area man

The family of William J. "Bill" Allen hopes detectives from the Marion County Sheriff's Office can uncover the evidence needed to finally solve a nearly 38-year-old murder case.

Allen's nephew, Steve Allen, 66, and his great-nephew, Ron Allen, 53, have taken up the mantle for the family, working with investigators and following up on information. They told the Marion Star their uncle was a World War II veteran, a fur buyer and farmer who worked the "generational farm" on Allen Road southwest of La Rue that his family owned for many decades. He lived there with his mother.

"He was a hard-working man. I worked for him when I was growing up," Steve Allen said. "He had a tough exterior, but a very kind heart. We'd just like to see this thing concluded."

Ron Allen became emotional when reflecting on his relationship with his great-uncle.

"He was my idol back then. That's what I wanted to do, be a fur seller," he said, holding back tears. "I was supposed to have been up there that night (when Bill Allen was murdered), but my dad wouldn't take me. I was 15 at the time. I was up there quite a bit, doing furs. Me and him would take the dogs and go hunting. (Bill Allen's death) set me back. It still does."

Facts of the case

According to records provided by the Marion County Sheriff's Office, Allen, 65 at the time of his death, was last seen alive around 11 p.m. Dec. 4, 1985, at the fur trade business he operated on his family's property near the border of Marion and Hardin counties. Sadly, his mother, Hazel Retterer Allen, was the one who discovered his body at 9 a.m. Dec. 5, 1985, outside of the barn that housed his business.

In the wake of Allen's death, former Marion County Coroner Dr. Robert Gray told the Marion Star that Allen "died from a blow to the head." Gray said, "The blow could not have been accidental," according to a report in the Star.

Former Sheriff John Butterworth told the Star at that time that "the evidence points to robbery as the motive behind the murder."

Witnesses in Marion and Hardin counties observed a dark-colored vehicle with two round, amber or yellow lights on its roof in the vicinity of the Allen residence on the night of the murder, but the vehicle was never located, according to investigators.

Crime Stoppers Anonymous offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. However, while many people of interest were identified during the original investigation, no one was ever arrested, said Capt. Ken Rittenour, who took over the investigation for the Marion County Sheriff's Office about two years ago.

"Bill bought furs from hunters and was known to carry large sums of cash on him, because the (local fur trade) was a cash business, from what I've been told," Rittenour said. "It was normal for Bill to work late in his fur shop during the hunting season. His normal routine was to work late, lock the shop up, spit his chewing tobacco out in the well, wash his mouth out, and then go into the house for the night. He was found between his shop and the well."

Investigation dormant for more than 30 years

Before Rittenour took charge of the investigation in 2021, nothing had been done with the case since the early 1990s, he said. Like Sheriff Butterworth, Rittenour said, based on the evidence collected in 1985, investigators still believe robbery was the primary motive for the attack on Allen.

"There were a lot of people of interest, simply because Bill knew a lot of people," Rittenour explained. "He did business with a lot of people (through his fur trade business) and he was well known around the La Rue area because he farmed, too. So, a lot of people knew the businesses he was involved in and, as I said, they knew that he would carry a large sum of cash with him."

Rittenour noted that over the past two years, investigators have identified "people of interest" in the case, but he declined to divulge further information because it is an open investigation. However, no one has been named a suspect in the case at this point.

Sheriff hopes to solve case, bring peace to the family

"I think this is solvable," Sheriff Matt Bayles said. "I would love to be able to bring the family some peace. Even if the suspect is deceased now, if the family can know what happened and who was responsible, it might bring them some peace. That's why we're offering a reward. Somebody knows something. They didn't just keep this to themselves for 38 years; they told somebody. We've got people of interest in this case, we just need something, some information, to tie this all together."

Bayles said a $5,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest in the case. He said the MARMET Drug Task Force is funding the reward.

Anyone with information about the homicide of William J. "Bill" Allen is asked to contact the Marion County Sheriff's Office tip line at 740-375-TIPS (8477). Tips also can be sent to the Sheriff's Office online at mariontips.org.

Email: ecarter@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Allen family looks for closure in 1985 murder of La Rue area uncle