Who killed Angie Barlow?
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – It’s clear a storm is on the horizon.
As clouds hoovered over the Garden Memorial Cemetery a lighting bolt pierced through the clouds.
It appeared rain was imminent. Yet, standing firmly under the clouds were the Kramers who appeared not to be bothered by the current weather conditions. The husband and wife team held each other tight.
Suddenly, they knelt down and picked the grass that attempted to cover their daughter’s grave sight. This week marked one year since the Kramers’ daughter, Angie Barlow’s body was discovered in a shallow grave in Indianapolis.
On Oct. 26, 2016, Barlow, a dancer, received an invitation via text to dance at a private party in the 7000 block of Harcourt. The sender of the cryptic text never gave a name only an address and a couple of vague request for wardrobe.
It’s clear Barlow felt uneasy about this invite. In court documents, Barlow sent an text to her roommate just before she left for the party, “Doing a private party at this address just in case I go missing lol, ” texted Barlow.
The next day Barlow didn’t come home. Her roommate contacted Kramer. Instantly, Kramer and her husband made the 60-mile commute from Muncie to Indianapolis to Barlow’s home. Inside they found Angie’s dog Pablo left alone. Something that was very uncharacteristic of Barlow.
“I was calling the hospitals and jails I called everywhere I could think of,” said Kramer.
She filed a missing persons report with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and flyers went up. Images of Barlow were plastered all over the city. Court documents show detectives believe Barlow went to that private party on Harcourt. Surveillance video taken from the northwest complex shows Barlow’s car left around 3:30 a.m. Right behind Barlow’s vehicle is another vehicle following closely behind. Detectives could not view the occupants in the vehicle.
However, they were able to pull the license plate number from the second vehicle. Investigators tracked it to a couple who hosted a private party. A couple, detectives say Barlow did not get along with. At one point, Barlow was seeing the guy that was part of the couple.
Detectives questioned the couple they admitted they were at the party, but they told investigators Barlow left. With no other details, police let the couple go, and they skipped town.
“We believe that couple set our daughter up, we have been told they have been trying to get Angie to do this private party for a couple of months, she was set up to be killed,” believes Kramer.
About 12 days after Barlow went missing, police found her car, a blue Pontiac G6 more than eight miles away from the northwest side apartment complex. Detectives took DNA swabs inside the vehicle, and court documents hinted to blood being in the back seat.
News 8 recorded video of crime scene technicians at the Harcourt apartments. On that day, detectives released very little on why they were there.
The case went quiet. Then one day in June, police received a tip about a body found in a shallow grave behind a home on the city’s eastside. In Kramer’s own words, posted on her Facebook page, she describes the moments she found out that detective may have found Angie.
“I remember 1yr ago today. I’m sitting in the dentist chair. I start getting phone calls from reporters. A crime stoppers tip came in. IMPD was digging, searching for my missing daughter. Can you imagine the thoughts racing through your mind? Picture yourself, searching for your daughter for 8 long excruciating months. Holding onto hope and praying, everyday, she’s found alive. “
Kramer didn’t want to believe it. She held out hope the body would not be confirmed as her Angie. She made it to Marion County Corner’s Office and after looking through a stack of pictures she confirmed her fears.
It was Angie.
“Can you imagine if that was your child you spend eight long months looking for your child she was buried in a five foot grave because someone had set her up to murder her,” said Kramer.
Since the discovery, the Kramers haven’t given up hope that someone will be arrested, charged, and convicted with Barlow’s murder. One Wednesday evening, the Kramers surrounded by friends and family, released balloons at the Barlow’s gravesite.
Kramer made it clear. She is not giving up her fight to find out what happened to her Angie.
“I don’t even know who I am anymore, but I do know this I am first and foremost the mother of four beautiful daughters and a wife to an amazing husband. We as a family will do everything we can to make sure justice is served,” said Kramer.
If you have any information call Crime Stoppers at 317.262.TIPS, or 317.262.8477 . As always, remember your tip will remain anonymous.
Shortly before completing our interview the sun pushed through the clouds shining a light on the Kramers.
