Maple Grove Road: Wednesday, May 31, 2000
What the Farmer Saw
The following is based on a deposition given to defense attorney Patrick Baker and prosecutor Steven Sonnega on
October 5, 2006 and on trial testimony given by a prominent local farmer who has lived on North Maple Grove Road
his entire life.
Around 9:00 a.m. on the morning of Wednesday, May 31, 2000 the farmer, who was preparing to bale hay that day,
saw a white van driving very slowly along North Maple Grove Road. The two male individuals in the van were looking
left and right as if they were looking for something. The van was white in color, with a metal grid guard behind the
driver and passenger seats. The van did not have windows along the sides of the cargo area nor did it have a
ladder rack on top. The van was not distinctively new or old in appearance, and had not recently been washed and
polished. It looked like a typical business service van, but with no markings or identification.
The farmer was able to closely observe the white van’s occupants from about 8 to 10 feet of distance as he passed
by it on his tractor on at least one occasion. The farmer saw the same white van in the area on three occasions that
day. The farmer did not ever see the occupants leave the van. The farmer never saw the victim’s bicycle lying at the
edge of his cornfield along North Maple Grove Road.
Local authorities contacted the farmer and he subsequently reviewed a large number of mug shots over a 5-year
period. About one week after the victim’s disappearance, the farmer assisted a sketch artist in the production of a
composite drawing of one of the van occupants at the request of FBI Agent Gary Dunn. During the 5-year process
of reviewing mug shots, the farmer did state in his deposition that, “ …there was one person (in the mug shots he
saw) that I thought represented the person of the composite drawing.” The composite drawing of the person the
farmer saw in the white van that day is reproduced below. This sketch was never published or mentioned in any
newspaper; it is seen here publicly for the first time.
email innocent@justiceforjohnsite.com If you have any information that will lead to this person's identity.
The farmer was introduced to John Myers II by a neighbor in late 2004 or early 2005. The farmer has never
identified John as resembling either of the two males he saw in the white van on May 31, 2000. The farmer has
never identified John Myers II as resembling anyone else he might have seen driving in the North Maple Grove Road
area on May 31, 2000. Despite making a number of trips up and down North Maple Grove Road in his day-long
efforts, the farmer never saw anyone resembling Jill Behrman or any female bike rider that day.
Most of the above listed information provided to investigators by the farmer was covered at the trial of John Myers II
by the prosecution and defense. However, the farmer stated under questioning that he was not able to identify the
person in the composite drawing after reviewing mug shots. This apparently contradicts information given in his
deposition.
What the Female Person Bailing Hay Saw
The following is based on a deposition given to defense attorney Patrick Baker and prosecutor Steven Sonnega on
June 29, 2006 and on trial testimony given by a prominent local real estate agent and horse stable owner who lived
in the West Maple Grove Road area in May 2000, an area where she has lived most of her adult life. On May 31,
2000 she was bailing hay in a field near where the victim’s bike was first seen.
This individual was one of the first to notice a bicycle abandoned in a field along North Maple Grove Road. She also
saw a white van on one occasion in the afternoon. She described the van’s two dark-haired male occupants as
being 30 to 40 years old. They were unshaven and unkempt. She further described the van occupants as people
she wouldn’t want to run into in a dark alley and that they didn’t resemble the “normal people” she usually saw
running up and down West Maple Grove Road.
This woman lived near John Myers II; she has never claimed that Myers resembled either of the two male occupants
of the white van or anyone she else might have seen driving along North Maple Grove Road on May 31, 2000. It is
not known if she was asked by investigators to look at mug shots. It is not known if she was ever shown the
composite drawing (above) produced by the farmer. Despite working in the hayfield area along North Maple Grove
Road during the entire day, the woman has never claimed she saw a female bike rider.
None of the above listed information provided to investigators by this woman concerning the van and its occupants
was introduced at the trial of John Myers II by the prosecution or defense.
What the Two Male Persons Bailing Hay Saw
The following is based on depositions given to defense attorney Patrick Baker and prosecutor Steven Sonnega
on June 29, 2006 by two male farm laborers who assisted the above-described female and the farmer on May 31,
2000.
The two laborers made repeated trips into and out of the hayfield via a fence gate located across the road from and
directly west of where the abandoned bike lay. The laborers first observed the bike between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.
m. that morning. The two laborers observed the bike in that position between 6 and 12 times (estimated); they did
not stop to pick up the bike. They last saw the bike in that location between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. that day.
Neither male laborer reported seeing a white van in the area that day. Despite working in the hayfield area along
North Maple Grove Road during the entire day and making numerous trips into and out of the hayfield gate there,
the laborers have never claimed they saw a female bike rider.
One of the laborers knew John Myers II and other members of his family. That person has never claimed that
Myers resembled anyone he might have seen driving in the area that day.
Attorneys for the prosecution and defense did not bother to ask either of the two laborers during their trial testimony
about any possible sightings by them of the white van, bike rider, or John Myers II. Their testimony was centered on
sightings of the bike lying along the roadway.
What the Substitute Mail Carrier Saw
The following information is based on an investigative report prepared by FBI Agent Gary Dunn on June 8, 2000.
A substitute rural mail carrier saw an older white van with no markings backed up behind her as she delivered
mail along North Maple Grove Road on either Tuesday, May 30, 2000 or Wednesday, May 31, 2000. The mail
carrier did not report seeing a female bicyclist riding along North Maple Grove Road either day.
None of the above listed information provided to Agent Dunn by the mail carrier concerning the sighting of a white
van and the lack of any sighting of a female bike rider was introduced at the trial of John Myers II by the prosecution
or defense.
What the Delivery Person Saw
The following information is based on an investigative report prepared by Bloomington Police Department
Detective “JM” on June 3, 2000.
A delivery person driving southbound along North Maple Grove Road spotted a northbound bicyclist on either
the morning of Wednesday, May 31, 2000 around 10:00 a.m. or on Thursday, June 1, 2000 around 9:00 a.m. The
bicyclist was wearing a green helmet and red/white jersey. The rider was proceeding northbound at high speed on
North Maple Grove Road near the stone fence located on the east side of the road, just south of Lost Man’s Lane.
The delivery person did testify at the trial of John Myers II. He testified that could not be sure which day,
Wednesday or Thursday, that he saw the bicyclist.
What the Person Repairing the Fence Saw
The following information is based on a report prepared by Special Agent S. M. Osborne on June 7, 2000.
A man and his two teenage grandsons spent the morning of Wednesday, May 31, 2000 repairing fence at his
mother’s home located on North Maple Grove Road, south of Maple Grove Church. The three departed the area
around 11:00 a.m. and proceeded north along North Maple Grove Road, stopping briefly to speak with the farmer
(above) at the entrance to the farm. The three then proceeded north again. The two grandsons reported to their
grandfather as they rode along that they had seen a bicycle lying in the grass and weeds between a field and the
North Maple Grove Road pavement. The grandfather backed up, and saw the wheel of a bike sticking up, still
spinning as if it had recently been tossed. The two grandsons also remembered seeing a maroon-colored vehicle
pass their pickup truck as they were stopped talking to the farmer.
Neither the man nor his grandsons reported seeing a female bike rider that morning despite spending most of
the morning that day repairing fence along North Maple Grove Road.
None of the above listed information provided to Special Agent Osborne by the man repairing fence concerning
the lack of any sighting of a female bike rider, the sighting of the bicycle lying alongside the roadway, or the maroon-
colored vehicle was introduced at the trial of John Myers II by the prosecution or defense
What Happened in the Behrman’s Neighborhood
The following information is based on a deposition given to defense attorney Patrick Baker and prosecutor
Steven Sonnega on July 14, 2006 by Bloomington Police Department Detective Kay Minger; Minger retired from BPD
in August 2004.
Detective Minger interviewed a neighbor of the Behrman’s who reported seeing a suspicious white van near the
Behrman’s house around the time of Jill Behrman’s disappearance. The van and its occupant have not been
subsequently identified.
None of the above listed information provided to Detective Minger by the Behrman’s neighbor concerning the
sighting of a white van was introduced at the trial of John Myers II by the prosecution or defense.
What the Bloomington Herald-Times Published
An online search of the Bloomington Herald-Times website revealed only two brief Behrman case related
mentions of a white van. Neither article mentions or depicts the composite drawing of one of the van’s male
occupants produced by the farmer.
Bloomington Herald-Times Reporter Kurt Van der Dussen published these two short articles on May 10 and May
11, 2006, one of which mentioned a white van, “... some witnesses reportedly saw driving back and forth along North
maple Grove Road on May 31, 2000, the day of Behrman’s disappearance.”
Comments and Conclusions
There are no reliable sightings of Jill Behrman or of any female bicyclist in the North Maple Grove Road or West
Maple Grove Road areas on May 31, 2000. In fact, there are no reliable sightings of her riding her bicycle
anywhere north of her south side home in Hyde Park Addition that day.
There are no reported sightings of John Myers II or any of his vehicles on North Maple Grove Road or West
Maple Grove Road on May 31, 2000. Myers owned a Red Honda CRX and a green pickup truck at that time.
There are 4 reliable sightings of a white van and its two male occupants driving slowly on North Maple Grove
Road that day. A composite drawing of one of the occupants was produced based on the eyewitness description of
a local farmer but it was never published in any newspaper. The farmer stated in his deposition that he identified a
person in a mug shot as being representative of the composite drawing, but there is no record that the person in the
mug shot was investigated.
It is not known if any of the people working in the hayfield, the person repairing the fence, or anyone living along
either North or West Maple Grove Road were ever contacted by investigators for the purpose of reviewing the
composite drawing of the white van occupant.
It is not known if any investigative follow-up was attempted concerning the suspicious white van sighting in the
Behrman’s neighborhood.
It is not known if any attempt was made by investigators to identify and question owners of similar white vans
who might live in northern Monroe County.
What the Farmer Saw
The following is based on a deposition given to defense attorney Patrick Baker and prosecutor Steven Sonnega on
October 5, 2006 and on trial testimony given by a prominent local farmer who has lived on North Maple Grove Road
his entire life.
Around 9:00 a.m. on the morning of Wednesday, May 31, 2000 the farmer, who was preparing to bale hay that day,
saw a white van driving very slowly along North Maple Grove Road. The two male individuals in the van were looking
left and right as if they were looking for something. The van was white in color, with a metal grid guard behind the
driver and passenger seats. The van did not have windows along the sides of the cargo area nor did it have a
ladder rack on top. The van was not distinctively new or old in appearance, and had not recently been washed and
polished. It looked like a typical business service van, but with no markings or identification.
The farmer was able to closely observe the white van’s occupants from about 8 to 10 feet of distance as he passed
by it on his tractor on at least one occasion. The farmer saw the same white van in the area on three occasions that
day. The farmer did not ever see the occupants leave the van. The farmer never saw the victim’s bicycle lying at the
edge of his cornfield along North Maple Grove Road.
Local authorities contacted the farmer and he subsequently reviewed a large number of mug shots over a 5-year
period. About one week after the victim’s disappearance, the farmer assisted a sketch artist in the production of a
composite drawing of one of the van occupants at the request of FBI Agent Gary Dunn. During the 5-year process
of reviewing mug shots, the farmer did state in his deposition that, “ …there was one person (in the mug shots he
saw) that I thought represented the person of the composite drawing.” The composite drawing of the person the
farmer saw in the white van that day is reproduced below. This sketch was never published or mentioned in any
newspaper; it is seen here publicly for the first time.
email innocent@justiceforjohnsite.com If you have any information that will lead to this person's identity.
The farmer was introduced to John Myers II by a neighbor in late 2004 or early 2005. The farmer has never
identified John as resembling either of the two males he saw in the white van on May 31, 2000. The farmer has
never identified John Myers II as resembling anyone else he might have seen driving in the North Maple Grove Road
area on May 31, 2000. Despite making a number of trips up and down North Maple Grove Road in his day-long
efforts, the farmer never saw anyone resembling Jill Behrman or any female bike rider that day.
Most of the above listed information provided to investigators by the farmer was covered at the trial of John Myers II
by the prosecution and defense. However, the farmer stated under questioning that he was not able to identify the
person in the composite drawing after reviewing mug shots. This apparently contradicts information given in his
deposition.
What the Female Person Bailing Hay Saw
The following is based on a deposition given to defense attorney Patrick Baker and prosecutor Steven Sonnega on
June 29, 2006 and on trial testimony given by a prominent local real estate agent and horse stable owner who lived
in the West Maple Grove Road area in May 2000, an area where she has lived most of her adult life. On May 31,
2000 she was bailing hay in a field near where the victim’s bike was first seen.
This individual was one of the first to notice a bicycle abandoned in a field along North Maple Grove Road. She also
saw a white van on one occasion in the afternoon. She described the van’s two dark-haired male occupants as
being 30 to 40 years old. They were unshaven and unkempt. She further described the van occupants as people
she wouldn’t want to run into in a dark alley and that they didn’t resemble the “normal people” she usually saw
running up and down West Maple Grove Road.
This woman lived near John Myers II; she has never claimed that Myers resembled either of the two male occupants
of the white van or anyone she else might have seen driving along North Maple Grove Road on May 31, 2000. It is
not known if she was asked by investigators to look at mug shots. It is not known if she was ever shown the
composite drawing (above) produced by the farmer. Despite working in the hayfield area along North Maple Grove
Road during the entire day, the woman has never claimed she saw a female bike rider.
None of the above listed information provided to investigators by this woman concerning the van and its occupants
was introduced at the trial of John Myers II by the prosecution or defense.
What the Two Male Persons Bailing Hay Saw
The following is based on depositions given to defense attorney Patrick Baker and prosecutor Steven Sonnega
on June 29, 2006 by two male farm laborers who assisted the above-described female and the farmer on May 31,
2000.
The two laborers made repeated trips into and out of the hayfield via a fence gate located across the road from and
directly west of where the abandoned bike lay. The laborers first observed the bike between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.
m. that morning. The two laborers observed the bike in that position between 6 and 12 times (estimated); they did
not stop to pick up the bike. They last saw the bike in that location between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. that day.
Neither male laborer reported seeing a white van in the area that day. Despite working in the hayfield area along
North Maple Grove Road during the entire day and making numerous trips into and out of the hayfield gate there,
the laborers have never claimed they saw a female bike rider.
One of the laborers knew John Myers II and other members of his family. That person has never claimed that
Myers resembled anyone he might have seen driving in the area that day.
Attorneys for the prosecution and defense did not bother to ask either of the two laborers during their trial testimony
about any possible sightings by them of the white van, bike rider, or John Myers II. Their testimony was centered on
sightings of the bike lying along the roadway.
What the Substitute Mail Carrier Saw
The following information is based on an investigative report prepared by FBI Agent Gary Dunn on June 8, 2000.
A substitute rural mail carrier saw an older white van with no markings backed up behind her as she delivered
mail along North Maple Grove Road on either Tuesday, May 30, 2000 or Wednesday, May 31, 2000. The mail
carrier did not report seeing a female bicyclist riding along North Maple Grove Road either day.
None of the above listed information provided to Agent Dunn by the mail carrier concerning the sighting of a white
van and the lack of any sighting of a female bike rider was introduced at the trial of John Myers II by the prosecution
or defense.
What the Delivery Person Saw
The following information is based on an investigative report prepared by Bloomington Police Department
Detective “JM” on June 3, 2000.
A delivery person driving southbound along North Maple Grove Road spotted a northbound bicyclist on either
the morning of Wednesday, May 31, 2000 around 10:00 a.m. or on Thursday, June 1, 2000 around 9:00 a.m. The
bicyclist was wearing a green helmet and red/white jersey. The rider was proceeding northbound at high speed on
North Maple Grove Road near the stone fence located on the east side of the road, just south of Lost Man’s Lane.
The delivery person did testify at the trial of John Myers II. He testified that could not be sure which day,
Wednesday or Thursday, that he saw the bicyclist.
What the Person Repairing the Fence Saw
The following information is based on a report prepared by Special Agent S. M. Osborne on June 7, 2000.
A man and his two teenage grandsons spent the morning of Wednesday, May 31, 2000 repairing fence at his
mother’s home located on North Maple Grove Road, south of Maple Grove Church. The three departed the area
around 11:00 a.m. and proceeded north along North Maple Grove Road, stopping briefly to speak with the farmer
(above) at the entrance to the farm. The three then proceeded north again. The two grandsons reported to their
grandfather as they rode along that they had seen a bicycle lying in the grass and weeds between a field and the
North Maple Grove Road pavement. The grandfather backed up, and saw the wheel of a bike sticking up, still
spinning as if it had recently been tossed. The two grandsons also remembered seeing a maroon-colored vehicle
pass their pickup truck as they were stopped talking to the farmer.
Neither the man nor his grandsons reported seeing a female bike rider that morning despite spending most of
the morning that day repairing fence along North Maple Grove Road.
None of the above listed information provided to Special Agent Osborne by the man repairing fence concerning
the lack of any sighting of a female bike rider, the sighting of the bicycle lying alongside the roadway, or the maroon-
colored vehicle was introduced at the trial of John Myers II by the prosecution or defense
What Happened in the Behrman’s Neighborhood
The following information is based on a deposition given to defense attorney Patrick Baker and prosecutor
Steven Sonnega on July 14, 2006 by Bloomington Police Department Detective Kay Minger; Minger retired from BPD
in August 2004.
Detective Minger interviewed a neighbor of the Behrman’s who reported seeing a suspicious white van near the
Behrman’s house around the time of Jill Behrman’s disappearance. The van and its occupant have not been
subsequently identified.
None of the above listed information provided to Detective Minger by the Behrman’s neighbor concerning the
sighting of a white van was introduced at the trial of John Myers II by the prosecution or defense.
What the Bloomington Herald-Times Published
An online search of the Bloomington Herald-Times website revealed only two brief Behrman case related
mentions of a white van. Neither article mentions or depicts the composite drawing of one of the van’s male
occupants produced by the farmer.
Bloomington Herald-Times Reporter Kurt Van der Dussen published these two short articles on May 10 and May
11, 2006, one of which mentioned a white van, “... some witnesses reportedly saw driving back and forth along North
maple Grove Road on May 31, 2000, the day of Behrman’s disappearance.”
Comments and Conclusions
There are no reliable sightings of Jill Behrman or of any female bicyclist in the North Maple Grove Road or West
Maple Grove Road areas on May 31, 2000. In fact, there are no reliable sightings of her riding her bicycle
anywhere north of her south side home in Hyde Park Addition that day.
There are no reported sightings of John Myers II or any of his vehicles on North Maple Grove Road or West
Maple Grove Road on May 31, 2000. Myers owned a Red Honda CRX and a green pickup truck at that time.
There are 4 reliable sightings of a white van and its two male occupants driving slowly on North Maple Grove
Road that day. A composite drawing of one of the occupants was produced based on the eyewitness description of
a local farmer but it was never published in any newspaper. The farmer stated in his deposition that he identified a
person in a mug shot as being representative of the composite drawing, but there is no record that the person in the
mug shot was investigated.
It is not known if any of the people working in the hayfield, the person repairing the fence, or anyone living along
either North or West Maple Grove Road were ever contacted by investigators for the purpose of reviewing the
composite drawing of the white van occupant.
It is not known if any investigative follow-up was attempted concerning the suspicious white van sighting in the
Behrman’s neighborhood.
It is not known if any attempt was made by investigators to identify and question owners of similar white vans
who might live in northern Monroe County.
