How a quiet veteran vanished after Thanksgiving—and how his family and detectives uncovered a chilling betrayal.
In November 2019, 58-year-old Roger “Fred” Farmer told his family he was heading out for a hunting trip. That wasn’t unusual for Fred. He was a disabled veteran, quiet and dependable, the kind of man who liked routine and the outdoors. A trip to the woods was in character. What wasn’t in character? Leaving his dog behind.
That was the first detail that didn’t sit right with his daughters. Then came the second: the texts.
Fred wasn’t much of a texter. He used voice-to-text. His messages were rambling and unpunctuated. But after he supposedly left town, his daughters started receiving texts that looked… polished. Neat sentences. Full punctuation. Emojis. The tone felt off—like someone pretending to be their dad.
At first, they tried to believe the story. Maybe he really was in the woods. Maybe the texts were just a new habit. But when Christmas passed without a single call or visit, the doubt turned to dread.
On December 27, one of Fred’s daughters filed a missing person report with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
And just like that, the case began.
A Friend, a Detective, and a Hunch
In early January 2020, IMPD Detective Larry Craciunoiu—known as “Crasanoi” to friends—got an unexpected message. It came from an acquaintance, someone he wasn’t particularly close to, but who knew two things: Fred Farmer was missing, and Crasanoi worked homicide.
That friend happened to be a mutual connection between the detective and Fred. And he’d been receiving texts from Fred too—strange, brief ones that didn’t feel like the man he knew. He was worried. Crasanoi agreed to quietly look into it.
He discovered there was already an open missing persons case. Out of courtesy, he reached out to the assigned detective to offer assistance—and was surprised to find that she already believed something was wrong. This wasn’t just a man who wandered off. It felt darker. More deliberate.
That’s when Crasanoi got permission to dig deeper.
A Daughter’s Discovery
In the days before the missing person report was filed, Fred’s daughter Christina had gone to check on his house. She hoped for something simple: maybe he had stopped home and left again. Maybe she’d find a note. But what she found instead was a pile of unopened mail. A strange silence.
She opened one envelope—just to see if it held a clue. It was a bank alert: Fred’s account was overdrawn.
This was a man who kept his money in order. A negative balance didn’t make sense. And it wasn’t just that account. As police dug in, they found thousands of dollars in new charges on his credit cards, along with a suspicious shift in spending habits.
Bars. Restaurants. Gas stations in Indianapolis.
Fred was supposedly in the woods—but his bank account said otherwise.
A Trip to Lowe’s
On November 18, 2019, four days before Fred was last seen, a purchase was made at a local Lowe’s for $225.73. Curious, detectives pulled the receipt—and the surveillance footage.
What they saw was not Fred. It was a younger man, tall and familiar to Fred’s family.
When detectives showed the footage to Christina, her stomach dropped.
It was her brother, Jeremy.
Fred’s 35-year-old son. The man who had been living with him. The same person who told everyone their dad was off hunting.
That moment marked a turning point. From then on, Jeremy Farmer wasn’t just a relative. He was the prime suspect.
A Quiet Vigil—and a Loud Signal
In February 2020, the family held a vigil at the American Legion Post where Fred had spent many nights. Dozens of people came to honor him. His daughters gave emotional speeches, asking for information, for justice.
Jeremy was there, too. Sitting in the back. Silent.
Detectives continued to dig. They found that Jeremy had pawned Fred’s crossbow, taken over his email and phone information on banking accounts, and was spending his father’s money. And in a particularly disturbing move, he had purchased heavy-duty cleaning supplies and a 96-gallon trash bin just before Fred vanished.
The carpet in Jeremy’s bedroom had been ripped out. Cleaning products were found throughout the home. And Fred’s cellphone had never left Indianapolis.
Still, no body had been found.
That didn’t stop IMPD.
A Year Later, a Break
In February 2021, police arrested Jeremy Farmer and charged him with the murder of his father, even though Fred’s remains were still missing. The case was circumstantial but strong.
Then, in May 2021, something unexpected happened.
A foul smell was reported at a storage facility in Brownsburg, Indiana—just outside Indianapolis. The stench was coming from a unit registered to Jeremy Farmer. When police arrived, they found a large trash bin, sealed with zip ties, and inside, the remains of Roger “Fred” Farmer.
He had been shot in the head. His body wrapped in a sleeping bag and left to decompose in silence.
Trial and Aftermath
Jeremy Farmer went to trial in April 2023. He claimed self-defense—that Fred had pulled a gun on him and it went off during a struggle. But evidence told a different story:
- No alcohol was found in Fred’s system, despite Jeremy’s claim he was drunk.
- The gunshot trajectory was clean, not the erratic path of a scuffle.
- Fred had no defensive wounds.
- And Jeremy admitted to the cover-up: hiding the body, sending fake texts, using his father’s money.
The jury took only two hours to convict him.
Jeremy Farmer was sentenced to 57 years in prison.
A Family Forever Changed
Fred Farmer’s daughters spent over a year searching for their father. Along the way, they uncovered a betrayal they couldn’t have imagined. They lost a parent and a sibling. Their courage in confronting that loss—and speaking the truth—was instrumental in helping police build a case.
Today, they remember Fred as a kind, honest man. A steady presence. A loving father.
Listen to the full story on this week’s episode: “Gone Hunting: The Disappearance of Roger ‘Fred’ Farmer”— now streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube, and wherever you get your podcasts.
The Strange Death of Blair Adams
If the disappearance of Roger “Fred” Farmer left you unsettled, the baffling murder of Blair Adams may intrigue you even more. In 1996, Adams fled Canada in fear, crossing multiple borders before ending up in Knoxville, Tennessee. Days later, he was found brutally murdered in a parking lot with thousands of dollars in cash and gold scattered around his body — but investigators never discovered why he ran, who was chasing him, or who ultimately killed him. Nearly three decades later, the bizarre case remains one of the most perplexing unsolved mysteries in America. Read more here – The Bizarre Murder of Blair Adams, or listen to part 1 here – Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube and part 2 here – Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube.
The Disappearance of David Glenn Lewis
If the strange circumstances surrounding Roger “Fred” Farmer’s disappearance left you with more questions than answers, the baffling case of David Glenn Lewis may be even more unsettling. In 1993, the respected Texas attorney vanished from his Amarillo home under mysterious circumstances. Days later, his body was discovered more than 1,600 miles away along a highway in Washington state — dressed in unfamiliar clothes and carrying items that didn’t belong to him. How Lewis traveled across the country, why he ended up there, and what happened in the days before his death remain deeply puzzling. Decades later, the case continues to raise one haunting question: how does someone disappear so completely and turn up somewhere they seemingly had no reason to be? Read more here – The Most Baffling Case You’ve Never Heard Of: The Disappearance of David Glenn Lewis or listen here – Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube
Have thoughts on this story or other cases you’d like to see highlighted? Share them with us in the comments or connect with us on social media. Together, we can ensure that stories like this one are never forgotten.
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See you in the next episode of Crime Clueless!
Resources:
News & Media Outlets
- WTHR 13News – Family says Roger Farmer missing for more than a month
Family says Roger Farmer missing for more than a month - WTHR 13News – Remains found in Brownsburg storage unit identified as Roger Farmer
Human remains found in Brownsburg storage facility identified as Roger Farmer Jr., son charged with murder | wthr.com - Fox59 / CBS4 Indy – IMPD: Man arrested for murdering his missing father, Roger Farmer
IMPD: Man arrested for murdering his missing father, Roger Farmer - IndyStar / USA Today – Strange texts, hardware purchases help lead to son’s arrest in father’s disappearance (Original article may be behind a paywall)
Strange texts, hardware purchases help lead to son’s arrest in father’s disappearance - Washington Post – An Indiana Man never returned from a hunting trip. Strange texts and emoji led police to his son. An Indiana man never returned from a hunting trip. Strange texts and emoji led police to his son.
- Fox59 / CBS4 Indy – Human remains found in Brownsburg confirmed to be those of missing Indy man allegedly murdered by his son
Human remains found in Brownsburg confirmed to be those of missing Indy man allegedly murdered by his son - IndyStar – Roger Farmer’s body found in storage unit after son stopped paying rent, police say
Delinquent rent, news articles led to discovery of Roger Farmer’s body in storage unit - WRTV Indianapolis – Son arrested and charged with murder more than a year after his father disappeared
Son arrested and charged with murder more than a year after his father disappeared - The Charley Project – Roger Fred Farmer Jr.
Roger Fred Farmer Jr. – The Charley Project
Court Records & Legal Filings
- Indiana Court of Appeals – Jeremy Farmer v. State of Indiana (Appeal Decision, Dec 2023)
Jeremy Farmer v. State of Indiana - MyCase.IN.gov – State of Indiana vs. Jeremy Farmer (Case Summary)
Indiana Courts Case Search – MyCase - FindLaw / Indiana Court of Appeals – Jeremy Farmer v. State of Indiana (Appeal Decision)
Jeremy Farmer, Appellant-Defendant, v. State of Indiana, Appellee-Plaintiff (2023) | FindLaw
Podcast Coverage
- Crime Junkie Podcast – MURDERED: Roger “Fred” Farmer (Nov 2024 episode)
(Requires access via Crime Junkie’s feed – links may vary by platform, but here’s Apple Podcasts):
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crime-junkie/id1322200189
(Search for “Roger Fred Farmer” in the episode list.)
Additional News Coverage
- WTHR 13News – Jeremy Farmer sentenced to 57 years for killing his father, storing body in Brownsburg
Son sentenced to 57 years in 2019 killing of his father in Indianapolis - Conkle Funeral Home – Obituary for Roger “Fred” Farmer Jr.
Obituary | Roger Frederick Farmer Jr. of Indianapolis, Indiana | Conkle Funeral Homes - IndyStar – What we know about Roger Farmer, the man found dead in a storage unit
Roger Farmer murder: What to know of man found in Indiana storage unit - WRTV Indianapolis – Indy man guilty of killing father, leaving body in Brownsburg storage unit
Indy man guilty of killing father, leaving body is Brownsburg storage unit - WTHR 13News – Arrangements set for Roger “Fred” Farmer
Arrangements set for man found dead at Brownsburg storage facility - Fox59 News – Indy man found guilty of killing father, hiding body in storage unit
Indy man found guilty of killing father, hiding body in storage unit - IndyStar – Jeremy Farmer found guilty of killing his dad, Roger Farmer, found in a storage unit
Jeremy Farmer found guilty of killing his dad, whose remains were found in storage unit - WTHR 13News – Trial ending for Jeremy Farmer, accused of killing father whose body was found in storage unit
Jeremy Farmer convicted of murder in killing of his father in Indianapolis - Business Insider – Man charged with father’s murder allegedly used emojis to pretend he was still alive
Man Charged With Father’s Murder After Texts From Phone Used Emojis – Business Insider - The Parkersburg News and Sentinel – Indiana man convicted in death of dad found in storage unit
- Indiana man convicted in death of dad found in storage unit | News, Sports, Jobs
