Indiana State Police cold case investigators ask for public’s help with murder of Darlene Hulse

Friday, August 15, 2025 at 9:00 AM

This Sunday marks 41 years since the abduction and murder of Darlene Hulse, from her rural Argos home in Marshall County. Darlene was a homemaker, wife, and mother of three daughters.

On Aug. 17, 1984, shortly after 9 a.m., Hulse and her three daughters were preparing to leave their residence on 20B Road when a man forced entry into the residence under the guise of a delivery. A struggle ensued between Hulse and her attacker. During the struggle, her daughters, ages 6 and 8, fled the residence and ran to a nearby relative’s house to report the incident.

The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office was contacted and officers from the Argos Police Department, Sheriff’s office, and the Indiana State Police immediately responded to the residence. When officers arrived, they found Hulse's 11-month-old daughter in the residence, but Hulse was missing. Investigators were able to determine that Hulse was brutally attacked and abducted, being driven from the residence in the attacker’s vehicle.

An area search was conducted, but Hulse was not located.

In the early afternoon hours of the next day, Aug. 18, police received a report about a deceased female that was found in a wooded area by a timber surveyor on Olive Trail between State Road 110 and 20A Road. This is approximately six miles west of the Hulse residence. Investigators confirmed the identity of the deceased female as 28-year-old Darlene Hulse. An autopsy ruled the official cause of death as blunt force trauma.

Witnesses described the suspect as a white male in his mid to late 20s, approximately 6-foot to 6-foot, 2-inches tall, blonde hair combed to the side, with a long nose and long face. The suspect vehicle was described as a 70s style 4-door, greenish in color with rust. The vehicle was also described as possibly being a Pontiac or an Oldsmobile.

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,” states Detective Arthur Smith of the Indiana State Police Cold Case team.

Information can be reported through the Cold Case Hotline at 833-466-2653, or via email at ispcoldcase@isp.in.gov .