In the early 90s, a series of brutal murders with a shotgun left the people of Northwest Indiana terrified and calling for the killer's capture. The search and investigation would prove a challenge for local authorities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NWI Byline Podcast

Byline Episode 45: Shotgun killer terrorized Northwest Indiana

For two years, 13-year-old Christian Choate's body went undiscovered by law enforcement, slowly decaying inside a Rubbermaid container underneath a storage shed in Gary. After being exhumed, the investigation revealed a troubled past of abuse surrounding the boy's life.

Byline, Episode 43: The murder of Christian Choate

Abandoned at age 9 by his mother at a "snake-pit" mental institution in Chicago, David Maust went on to brutally kill five teenage boys and harm at least a dozen others.He stabbed his victims, tied them up, beat them and strangled them.

Byline, Episode 42: A serial killer in Hammond

Larry Eyler, dubbed the "Highway Killer," terrorized Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin with his murders of hitchhikers, primarily men. Four of his victims ended up in Newton County. Though two were identified, two remain unidentified to this day. One man has a mission to "bring them home."

Byline, Episode 41: Serial killer terrorized NWI and beyond

The murder of Jay Given is one of the Region's oldest cold cases. Those involved with the investigation provide their accounts from the nearly 40-year-old murder.The second installment reflecting the Times' 'Crimes that Rocked the Region' series.

Byline, Episode 40: 40 years later, Given case still rocks Region

Her lifeless, strangled body was found partially naked in a Crown Point cornfield, and now her admitted murderer is a free man residing in a city that was home to the crime.It started out as a missing person's case nearly four decades ago when Robin Szafasz, then 20, of Griffith, never came home after attending a party.It ended with Paul Dressel, then 21, pleading guilty to murder.The latest episode of Byline takes a deeper look at this case.

Byline, Episode 39: Victim's strangulation murder in Crown Point reverberates

The North Township Trustee's office is often seeking ways to engage with and improve the livelihood of teens. One of the office's recent projects, 13 Reasons Why Not, is a campaign centered on educating peers on topics of suicide, mental health, stress and more.

Byline, Episode 38: Teens spur change around mental health

In the first year of his presidency, and throughout this campaign, insults in speeches, interviews and tweets are often found in President Trump's language. He likely isn't the only president to speak so abrasively at times, but the last presidents to publicly act brashly have been dead for decades. What expectations do citizens have for the one sitting in the highest elected office?The Southern Poverty Law Center released a report last year that surveyed 2,000 teachers across the U.S. Large percentages of teachers felt they couldn't discuss the election in their classroom. The teachers also reported many of their students felt fearful of the anti-immigrant sentiment and experienced instances of bullying.So how do the Region's school communities, particularly those churning out the next generation of leaders in high schools, navigate president Trump's rhetoric? Byline sits down with several teachers and students to pose that question.

Byline, Episode 37: High school teachers, students discuss President Trump in the classroom

In April, Merrillville police and town councilmembers were shocked when an assortment of loaded guns, knives and alcohol bottles were found in a home daycare belonging to Tawana Cole. With around 200 home daycares in the Region, it begged the question of whether or not this occurrence was an anomaly. Byline follows reporter Steve Garrison as he tries to answer this question.

Byline, Episode 36: Questioning the safety of home daycares in the Region

Lake County swore in a new sheriff, Oscar Martinez Jr., on Saturday. He will take over a position that has carried a black eye for the past few months due to the federal indictment of former Sheriff John Buncich.Buncich's trial was in August. The prosecution presented testimony and evidence from the FBI and informants claiming he accepted bribes in order to grant more work for towing firms. The defense presented its own testimony, featuring community leaders and two truck operators that defended Buncich's name and said they didn't feel pressured to jump through hoops for his favor. In the end, Buncich was found guilty.In February, Byline examined the chain of events and evidence that brought about the FBI raiding the sheriff's offices and federal indictments against Buncich and Portage Mayor James Snyder. In the latest episode, the podcast follows up on the trial's results, commentary from the prosecution and defense and what it means for Lake County's future.

Byline, Episode 35: Analyzing the fate of John Buncich

In the middle of April, many that regularly shop at Strack & Van Til learned the news of the stores' sale. In a rollercoaster, storybook turn of events, Indiana Grocery Group, led by the Strack and Van Til families and former CEO Dave Wilkinson, successfully outbid Jewel-Osco to buy them back.The meantime between these two milestones left many questions about the food desert issue in the Region or how some local entities would acquire donations or food in the absence of a longtime community partner. Now that Strack & Van til is here to stay for the foreseeable future, it once again returns to the struggle posed by new grocery shopping preferences.In other news, July 27 marked one year since West Calumet Housing Complex residents received a letter from Mayor Anthony Copeland advising them to relocate because of lead and arsenic contamination in the soil. Former residents have been seeking new housing arrangements, often with the help of vouchers, and adjusting to new chapters in their lives. The Calumet Day celebration also recently happened on July 22, but the shine of the annual event didn't seem to be dimmed by the current circumstances.

Byline, Episode 34: Strack & Van Til stays alive; West Calumet residents adjust to new life

A part of the Region's strength comes from its local and small businesses. They provide jobs and help keep capital flowing back to the community, such as through sponsorships or philanthropic gifts.Local community banks are a shining example. Recently, Centier Bank earned the No. 1 spot in Northwest Indiana with $2.5 billion in local deposits and around 19 percent of the local market share, just edging out Chase Bank, according to the FDIC's summary of deposits. In what Centier's President and CEO Michael Schrage would call a "David and Goliath" type of scenario, a local entity, with a history dating back to 1895, triumphed over a national financial behemoth.However, any business has a natural need to grow. Centier has spread branches as far east as Fort Wayne and is also eyeing Indianapolis. Horizon Bank, the third largest in Northwest Indiana, recently announced its expansions into Michigan and Ohio. How does a local entity maintain its flavor and balance expansion goals?

Byline, Episode 33: Community banks prove their value

Over the last few weeks the details of Central Grocers and the eventual sale of Strack & Van Til have come to light. The grocery chain has been a go-to spot for Region shoppers and an enormous bolster for the community.Strack & Van Til provided support for community organizations from Little Leagues to charities. It also donated loads of food items to local food banks and pantries.The latest episode of Byline talks with local community leaders at the forefront of this issue and how they are coming to terms with the eventual sale.

Byline, Episode 32: A grocery giant bids goodbye to its community

Last time, Byline took a look at how many are opting to leave the Region for different opportunities or a better quality of life. However, there's many still coming.According to recent data from 2015, over 34,000 people left Illinois that year to come to Indiana. A significant amount came to the Region. More often than not, they try to escape a state with one of the highest tax burdens in the country.Are lower taxes the Region's saving grace? Or are there innovations and pushes to spur its economic growth as well? Byline takes a look in the second part of its examination into population loss and gain in the Region.The Byline podcast is a production of the Times of Northwest Indiana. Listen at nwitimes.com/podcasts. Byline is a show about stories from Northwest Indiana and the reporters who tell them.

Byline, Episode 31: The movement out of (and into) the Region, Part 2

At one point in time, Lake County held over half a million residents. Since the beginning of the decade, the county has lost over 10,000 people, raising concerns among local political and business leaders.The Region's makeup has been changing in an odd way. Growth isn't consistent across the three counties, whether in regards to population or jobs.What is causing this shift? In a two-part examination of the situation, Byline follows the signs pointing to what has likely caused such an exodus: an aging position in the Rust Belt and millennials looking for their opportunities elsewhere.The Byline podcast is a production of the Times of Northwest Indiana. Listen at nwitimes.com/podcasts. Byline is a show about stories from Northwest Indiana and the reporters who tell them.

Byline, Episode 30: The movement out of (and into) the Region, Part 1

The Byline podcast is a production of the Times of Northwest Indiana.

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NWI Byline Podcast

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