What happened to Kimberly Dowell and Ethan Dixon? Details about the Crime Junkie podcast subjects, explored
Kimberly Dowell and Ethan Dixon were two Muncie, Indiana, teenagers whose lives were cut short in an unsolved double murder in September 1985. Their case, also known as the Westside Park Murders, has long gone cold.
The two were reportedly students at Muncie Northside High School—Kimberly a junior, and Ethan, a senior. They were discovered shot dead inside Ethan's vehicle at Westside Park, which is known for its peaceful and picturesque setting. The case is still unsolved almost four decades later, and has not received much light despite police investigation and public attention.
The case was researched thoroughly by Crime Junkie podcast in their latest episode titled, The Westside Park Murders. It was released on April 28, 2025, and is available on numerous platforms.
The night of the murders of Kimberly Dowell and Ethan Dixon
As per reports, it was on a September 1985 Saturday night that Kimberly Dowell and Ethan Dixon traveled to Muncie's Westside Park. They were allegedly parked in a lane of the park when the incident happened. A police officer reportedly found their bodies when he was clearing the park after closing time.
The officer found the crime scene in this manner: Ethan's Volkswagen Rabbit remained idling, a window rolled down, another one blown apart by a bullet. Both of the teens were shot dead in the front seats of the hatchback. As per reports, the community was shocked by this discovery. Information spread fast among relatives and friends before the next morning's newspaper headlines were published.
The victims were seemingly respectable local students who had no known background of involvement in criminal activities, furthering the mystery and public concern.
The investigation and theories
As per WRTV, the Westside Park Murders investigation was extensive. Early on, the police zeroed in on one of the teens' family members as a main suspect, but the lead didn't pan out, with no charges pressed against any individual. Investigators also pondered other possible theories, such as the crime being a random killing, a drug-related one, a personal targeting, or even involving a serial killer.
A man had even allegedly boasted that he had murdered the teens the same evening, but no decisive evidence was unearthed to incriminate him. The case was unusual in the number of officers who worked on it. As per reports, at one point, as many as nineteen officers were assigned to the case.
Eventually, the case went cold, and the number of active investigators decreased. Years later, a committed officer focused the investigation on a suspect whose name was not publicly released. No one has been charged with the murders of Kimberly Dowell and Ethan Dixon, despite these efforts.
The police investigation, too, attracted criticism. As per reports, several authors and members of the community have identified potential flaws and oversight in the initial police conduct that could have prevented the solving of the case.
The lasting impact and continued interest
As per reports, the killings of Kimberly Dowell and Ethan Dixon forever left their stamp on Muncie. The case broke the community's feeling of security and became a reminder of the city's crime and corruption problems of the time.
As per WRTV, the case has been revisited in books, including The Westside Park Murders: Muncie's Most Notorious Cold Case by veteran journalists Douglas Walker and Keith Roysdon, which includes in-depth interviews with detectives, family, and friends.
For more details on the murders of Kimberly Dowell and Ethan Dixon, listen to the Crime Junkie podcast.
