INDIANAPOLIS — Remember when some of John Dillinger's family members were trying to dig up a grave in Crown Hill Cemetery to do DNA testing? Well, they're still looking for a way to do it.
It was supposed to be part of a new documentary. Since the production company that was planning to create the documentary isn't currently in the picture and a non-disclosure agreement recently expired, 13News reporter Alyssa Raymond spoke with Dillinger's nephew, Mike Thompson, for an exclusive Q&A.
Q: Do you think John Dillinger is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery?
A: Before we started this project, I pretty much always believed it was John, but then the more I got to looking at the FBI files and saw some of the stuff that Stewart [Stewart Fillmore is a retired FBI agent] had uncovered and stuff, it gives a good reasonable doubt whether it was him or not. For us, whether any production company comes on board or not, we still want to find answers whether it was John or not.
Q: What’s the plan going forward?
A: We have to look at going back to court and maybe go for an autopsy request. I think you were there at that hearing. The judge seemed like he was very much for us. He wasn’t too happy with Crown Hill. It didn’t seem like. I think if we go in and file under the right thing that we would have a good shot.
Q: What was the documentary supposed to be about?
A: The idea was kind of a treasure hunt. Maybe they hid the money somewhere and that was the whole idea of the show. Also, the strong possibility that it might not be John in that grave.
Q: Are other production companies and networks contacting you?
A: Yeah, I’ve had a few other networks and am actually talking to one now, but with the virus it’s slowed things down.
Q: Can you say which production companies or networks are interested?
A: Don’t want to say right now, but there definitely some interest. And even if they don’t, we’re trying to figure out a way to go on ourselves just to find the truth if it is or it isn’t. Would be interesting to see if he had a wife or children or where he ended up. My mom always said that was definitely her brother. She was 12 when he got killed though.
Q: What has your life been like since the story came out that you were trying to this?
A: A lot of people want to know. Some don’t think we ought to be doing it, but most are for us finding out. I’ve had people contact me who knew me long ago and said I know. Well, I didn’t walk around saying my uncle is John Dillinger. Never really brought it up. People have contacted me from England and Australia and Russia when it first got out there in the news.
Q: When was the 1934 Shell map found?
A: 2018
Q: When did you sign a non-disclosure agreement?
A: 2017
Q: When did the non-disclosure agreement expire?
A: April 1, 2020
Q: What's going on with testing the map for DNA?
A: The map was sent to LA towards the end of March or the beginning of April. It was sent back to the property owner. They said that there was three strong male DNA on the map and if I was willing to give my sample then they to match to see if there was a hit on one of the three. So, we're waiting now to find that out.
Q: For the people who think this is all about money, what do you have to say to them?
A: Nobody’s getting rich. It's about getting answers and that’s why we’re still proceeding now even without a production company. If we get the okay, it's a pretty expensive process to exhume. People think we’re doing it for a bunch of money, and it was never that. We were checking into it before a production company when we got those files. We’d been looking at those files finding those interesting. Everyone’s got their own opinion of it and to each their own and our reason is to finally prove that it either is John in the grave or not. I still kind of believe it is John but there is enough to cause doubt. In those files, they’re they’re still looking for John in 1962. Why are you looking for a dead guy?