Delmar Wilson was a quiet, well liked, funny, friendly young man with his whole life ahead of him.

Delmar is described by his parents as being very well liked, having lots of friends, and as a quiet person who loved to hunt, fish, spend time in the woods and out on the lake. His classmates from high school describe him as someone who was quiet until you got to know him, then he would show his funny, kind, and trusting side.

“His parents made him pull his hair up, but it would fall and you couldn’t see his eyes by the time he got to school. He would have these smirks and all you could see is this grin underneath hair.” - Stacie Durbin, Delmar’s classmate.

Delmar graduated from Paoli High School in the spring of 1992. Three to four months before his death, Delmar began working at Hillcrest Manufacturing in his hometown of Paoli, IN as an inspector. At the time of his death, Delmar was looking forward to an upcoming promotion to upholsterer. He was also a member of Lighthouse Total Teaching Center in Paoli, IN.

“He was quite the fisherman and hunter. He wasn’t as competitive as his brothers. They were all wrapped up in sports and he was more content to watch.” - Darrell Wilson, Delmar’s father.

Delmar dropped his girlfriend off at her home in the early morning hours of June 12, 1994.

Around 1:00 am, Delmar dropped his girlfriend off at her home, which is approximately 2 miles away from where he would later be found. This is the last known sighting of Delmar prior to his death.

Delmar’s body is found.

Later that morning, at 7:50 am, Delmar’s body was found by a passerby in the driver’s seat of his white 1987 Chrysler. The car was parked in the road roughly 0.8 tenths of a mile south of US 150 in Hardinsburg, IN, only 2 miles away from his girlfriend’s home.

“This is an area that people do not use to get from one point to another point. The only reason you would be on that road would be if you lived there or were visiting somebody or something of that nature.” - Indiana State Police Sgt. Marvin Jenkins.

Delmar had been shot once in the head at close range. His foot was still on the brake and the car’s headlights were on. There was no evidence at the scene that Delmar had been robbed and the weapon used in the murder was nowhere to be found.

“I don’t worry about us or our family, but it’s not good for a killer to walk around free. Because if they can do it once, they can do it again. Someone who can just stick a shotgun in a face and pull the trigger, they don’t value human life.” - Mary Ann Wilson, Delmar’s mother.

Where the case stands today.

In August of 1994, a reenactment of Delmar’s murder was aired on television with Crime Stoppers, hoping to bring in new information and to raise awareness for Delmar’s case. Then, in 1997, on the weekend of the Paoli High School class of 1992’s class reunion, his classmates gathered and held a memorial service to appeal for new information from the public.

“We all still talk about it, so we know that may help. Someone may open their mouth and say something they shouldn’t. It’s just a matter of somebody just telling the wrong person, or it could be the right person.” - Stacie Durbin, Delmar’s classmate.

Today, more than 28 years later, Delmar’s case remains unsolved, though authorities continue searching for new information and leads. If you have any information regarding Delmar’s case, please contact the Indiana State Police - District Investigative Commander at (812) 246-5424 or Kentuckiana Crime Stoppers at (502) 582-CLUE (2583). There is a $1,000 reward being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for Delmar’s murder.

“We really feel as though someone knows something that could help us solve the case. … Rarely is a crime committed that no one besides the perpetrator knows about. The person guilty of the crime usually talks and spills thoughts and their guilty heart to someone.” - Indiana State Police Sgt. Jerry Goodin.delmar-wilson-hardinsburg-in