Cold cases from Indiana discussed, mapped, and brought back into public eye. In this book, every chapter is a new case with new victims. From Burger Chef to Lauren Spierer, I cover all types of unsolved cases. Theories and serial killer studies incl...
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On August 21, 1988, Lisa Handlon was living the dream of many young girls. She was a blushing bride marrying her sweetheart, George Kopanakis. Often described as being a comic, she was vivacious. She was ready to start the next chapter of life with her groom and have a family of her own.
Lisa was full of potential. She had one semester left at Indiana University Northwest before her degree would have been complete. She lived in an apartment in Portage, Indiana. Portage is approximately twelve miles from Gary, Indiana where the university is located. According to Google maps, the drive is about 15 minutes thanks to the highways system.
The population of Portage was somewhere between 19,000 and 27,450 in 1989, an exact count is unavailable. Like Gary, Portage was a heavy industrialized area. Farms were becoming rare and were running on smaller basis. Many people relocated from Gary to Portage for a slightly more suburban life than what was available in the city.
Life in Portage sounds quiet, doesn't it? It really seems to have been good to Lisa that is until Easter of 1989.
Lisa and her husband returned to their apartment to find a horrific scene. The couple's beloved dogs had been excessively stabbed to death. The dog's attacker covered the animals with a rug before leaving the scene. It is unclear whether or not the incident was reported to police. This incident took place at their apartment at 5180 Plaza Ave. in Portage.
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(The map above shows the locations of victim's apartments. Apartment one is where the dogs were found slain on Easter. The second apartment is where Lisa was slain)
Two months later, Lisa and her husband had moved to different apartment after the incident with their beloved dogs. The address was 5237 Rachel Street in the Cherrywood Trace Apartments. After a few months in their new apartment, George was required to travel for work and Lisa would be staying there alone.
On August 5, 1989, Lisa's sister-in-law, Niki, tried to contact her numerous times via telephone. When this was unsuccessful, Niki went to the apartment. The door was locked, so she was forced to find the complex manager to open the door.
Upon entering the kitchen of the apartment, Niki discovered the body of Lisa Handlon Kopanakis. Lisa had been stabbed excessively, similar to her dogs, and her throat had been slit as well. An autopsy later revealed that there was an injury to the skull consistent with blunt force trauma to the head. The blood loss that Lisa experienced is believed to have been a catalyst for her death.
At the time investigators were able to clear numerous suspects using polygraph tests and interrogations. Officers were able to verify George Kopanakis's alibi, he was out of town at the time of his wife's murder. Investigators tried to solicit information from neighbors in the apartment complex, it seems without much success. Due to the location of the Kopanakis's apartment in relation to the complex's pool, it is likely that someone saw Lisa's killer enter her apartment as a visitor either the evening of August 4th or earlier on August 5th.
In September of 1989, lawmakers approved offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of an individual in connection to the case. After a year without any progress or tips, the reward was withdrawn.
Portage police continue to hold that the case was thoroughly investigated in 1989. The documents on this case are not available for release through the departments request form because the case is still open and considered active. Indiana State Police handled the review in the years prior to 2009, it was stated that "they went over all evidence and (made) no determination."
Linda, Lisa's mother, has come to believe that case will never be solved. Almost ten years after her 2009 interview, it appears as though she might be correct. Sadly, this mother only gets occasional glimmers of hope that something might solve her daughter's case. Instead of buying her daughter a Christmas present each year, she has to buy a grave blanket. It is the only gift that Lisa can use.
If anyone has any information regarding Lisa Handlon Kopanakis's murder, that individual is still eligible for up to a $1,000 reward, he or she has to call the WeTip Crime Hotline at (800)78-CRIME. The Portage Police will also take tips at (219) 762-3122. The Portage Police are also available for contact via email. If any new information comes up in this case, this chapter will be updated.
--Sources--
Census Data of Cities in Indiana. Portage City. http://www.stats.indiana.edu/population/PopTotals/historic_counts_cities.asp .
"Lisa Kopanakis: Hope fades in slaying of IUN student." The Times Northwestern Indiana. Ken Kosky. November 23, 2009. http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/lisa-kopanakis-hopes-fades-in-slaying-of-iun-student/article_c6aead91-ce11-5d4e-9e45-c7365642b5ce.html .
Marriage Record of Lisa and George Kopanakis. http://marriage-divorce-records.mooseroots.com/l/77418231/George-M-Kopanakis .
"Portage: A long history for one of the Region's newer cities." The times Northwestern Indiana. Joyce Russell. March 6, 2016. http://www.nwitimes.com/news/history/then-and-now/portage-a-long-history-for-one-of-the-region-s/article_0bfe436f-1807-55db-bf27-2371f794895b.html .
The official website of the Portage, Indiana Police Department. http://www.ci.portage.in.us/department/index.php?structureid=8
"Reward Offered in Slaying." Post Tribune (In). September 15, 1989. https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-108533B1A38D63E9.html
"Woman Fears Daughters '89 Slaying May go Unsolved." WTHR 13. Sarah Galer. November 26, 2009. http://www.wthr.com/article/woman-fears-daughters-89-slaying-may-go-unsolved .
