Naming the Dead: The Hitchhiker on Disney+: The Story Behind Larry Eylers' Victims
Documentary series about DNA Doe Project's work to identify John Brandenburg Jr. after 40 years as an unknown victim
What is the series about?
Naming the Dead: The Hitchhiker (2025) is the premiere episode of National Geographic's documentary series on Disney+, which sheds light on the complex work of giving unidentified crime victims their names back. The series follows forensic experts and genealogists from the organization DNA Doe Project , which uses genetic genealogy to solve cold cases. This episode focuses on one of the USA's most notorious serial killers, Larry Eyler, also known as 'The Highway Killer', and his many anonymous victims from the early 1980s.
The real case
The real case behind the documentary centers around the discovery of four bodies on a farm in Newton County, Indiana, in October 1983. One of the deceased was known for over 40 years only by the name 'Brad Doe'. The perpetrator was Larry Eyler , who systematically abducted and murdered young men along the highways of Illinois and Indiana. Eyler was known for extreme brutality, often stabbing his victims between 21 and 31 times in a violent rage. To avoid detection, he deliberately removed identification from his victims before leaving them in remote areas.
The breakthrough in the case came when Newton County Coroner Scott McCord decided to send biological material from 'Brad Doe' for analysis at DNA Doe Project. By comparing the DNA profile with public genealogy databases, it was possible to find distant relatives, which ultimately led investigators to the Brandenburg family. The victim was officially identified as John Brandenburg Jr., a young man who disappeared while hitchhiking in 1983.
Timeline of the case
- 1983: John Brandenburg Jr. disappears. His body is later found the same year along with three other victims on a property in Indiana.
- 1984: Larry Eyler is arrested and later convicted of the murder of Danny Bridges, leading to the revelation of his extensive killing spree.