News Release

ARGOS — This Sunday marks 41 years since the abduction and murder of Darlene Hulse from her rural Argos home in Marshall County.

Hulse, a 28-year-old homemaker, wife, and mother of three daughters, was killed on Aug. 17, 1984, in a case that remains unsolved.

Darlene Hulse

On the morning of Aug.17, shortly after 9 a.m., Hulse and her three daughters were preparing to leave their residence on 20B Road when a man forced his way inside under the guise of making a delivery. A struggle ensued, during which her daughters, ages 6 and 8, fled to a nearby relative’s home to report the incident.

The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office was contacted and officers from the Argos Police Department, sheriff’s office and Indiana State Police immediately responded to the residence. Inside the home, they found Hulse’s 11-month-old daughter in the residence, but Hulse was missing. Investigators determined she had been brutally attacked and abducted, driven away in the suspect’s vehicle. An area search was conducted, but Hulse was not located.

In the early afternoon hours the following day, Aug. 18, a timber surveyor discovered the body of a deceased female in a wooded area on Olive Trail between SR 110 and 20A Road —approximately six miles from the Hulse home. Investigators confirmed the identity of the female as Hulse. An autopsy ruled the official cause of death as blunt force trauma.

Suspect Police Sketch

Witnesses described the suspect as a white male in his mid-to-late 20s, standing 6’0”–6’2” tall, with blonde hair combed to the side, a long nose, and a long face. The suspect’s vehicle was described as a greenish 1970s four-door sedan, possibly a Pontiac or Oldsmobile, with visible rust.

Detectives from the Indiana State Police Cold Case team are asking the public for help.

“Somebody knows something. It might be a family member, friend, or former associate. Please help us in finding answers for Darlene’s family and the community. They deserve it,” said Det. Arthur Smith, ISP Cold Case team.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the ISP Cold Case Hotline at (833) 466-2653 or email [email protected].

Police rendition of suspects vehicle.