10/16/2026
Larry Hall and the Missing Girls of the Midwest
Who was Larry Hall?
Larry DeWayne Hall was born on December 11, 1962, in Wabash, Indiana. He became a nationally known criminal suspect after investigators connected him to the 1993 abduction of 15-year-old Jessica Roach in Illinois. Hall was convicted of her kidnapping and sentenced to life in prison. He has been suspected of involvement in numerous other disappearances, but those suspicions have not resulted in convictions for dozens of additional murders.
His background
Some of the details that make Hall’s story particularly disturbing come from court records and accounts of the investigation:
* His family: Larry grew up in Wabash with his twin brother, Gary. Their father worked in cemetery-related employment, and the brothers reportedly spent considerable time around the cemetery.
* Civil War reenactments: Larry traveled to historical reenactment events, a hobby that took him to communities across several states.
* Reports of suspicious behavior: Before his arrest, police investigated incidents involving teenage girls who reported being followed or approached by a man in a van. Investigators identified Hall in connection with several of those incidents.
* The investigation: In 1994, police questioned Hall after girls in Georgetown, Illinois, reported encounters with a suspicious man. His vehicle and earlier encounters drew investigators’ attention to him in Jessica Roach’s case.
The most important point is that Hall was not simply a man surrounded by rumors. There was a documented criminal investigation, a prosecution, and a life sentence. At the same time, his notoriety has grown partly because of the many other cases investigators have tried to connect to him.
The girls and women associated with the Larry Hall investigation
1. Jessica Lynn Roach
Age 15 • September 1993
Jessica disappeared while riding her bicycle near her home in Georgetown, Illinois. Her body was discovered in a cornfield near Perrysville, Indiana, in November 1993. Hall eventually confessed to abducting her, and he was convicted of kidnapping her across state lines. His conviction was for kidnapping, not a separate murder conviction. This is the central case in any accurate account of Hall.
2. Tricia Lynn Reitler
Age 19 • March 29, 1993
Tricia was a student at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana. She left her dormitory to visit a nearby supermarket and never returned. Investigators later found her clothing in a field, and Hall became a suspect after making statements and confessions about her disappearance. He subsequently recanted. Her case remains one of the most prominent unresolved cases associated with him.
3. Rayna Rison
Age 16 • March 1993
Rayna disappeared in the La Porte, Indiana, area. Her body was later found in a pond. Reports about the Hall investigation describe an item associated with her among his possessions, and Gary Hall later publicly said he believed his brother was responsible. That belief is not, by itself, proof of responsibility.
4. Michelle Dewey
Age 20 • July 1991
Michelle was found murdered in her Indianapolis-area home. Her young son was found unharmed. Gary Hall later said he believed Larry was responsible, based on what he said Larry had told him. Michelle’s case is an important lead to examine.
5. Laurie Depies
Age 20 • August 1992
Laurie disappeared in Appleton, Wisconsin. Her disappearance has been discussed among the cases potentially linked to Hall, whose travel and reenactment activities took him across state lines.
Other names that appear in published lists of suspected or investigated connections include Georgia Schreve, Holly Anderson, Wendy Felton, and several women who disappeared in other states.
What about his twin brother, Gary Hall?
Gary Hall is Larry’s twin brother. In a CNN report, Gary publicly stated that he believed Larry had killed other girls and women, including Tricia Reitler and Rayna Rison. Gary also described accompanying detectives who were trying to obtain information from Larry. According to Gary’s account, Larry confessed on tape to 15 murders but later retracted his statements.
There are several account’s of people that commented on my recent post about the Haunted House on Monroe Street in Hartford city that knew & worked with Gary and stated he was very creepy.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…
Did you grow up in Wabash, Muncie, or anywhere in East Central Indiana? Did you ever cross paths with Larry Hall or know his twin brother, Gary? Did you attend school with them, work with them, or remember anything from that time that might help shed light on this story?
I’m especially interested in hearing from people with firsthand memories, old newspaper clippings, photographs, or information that could help us better understand these cases.
And this is just the beginning. 👀
What other mysteries, missing-person cases, unsolved murders, or dark chapters of East Central Indiana history would YOU like me to investigate?
There are stories behind the headlines, and there are families who still deserve answers.
Drop your suggestions in the comments or send me a private message. You never know which forgotten story we might uncover next.
Please distinguish firsthand knowledge from rumors, and let’s keep the focus on facts, the victims, and the families still waiting for answers.
