FBI Looks At Possible Lead In Jill Behrman Disappearance

FBI agents investigating the disappearance of an Indiana University student nearly a year ago are comparing that case to the thwarted abduction of a female cyclist near Bowling Green, Ky. FBI agent comments on Kentucky case Jill Behrman, 19, disappeared while riding her bike in Bloomington last May 31. Last month, investigators with a local task force advanced the theory that Behrman might have been struck by a motorist. Now they have a new lead as authorities in Kentucky search for a man who they say attempted to abduct a woman who was bicycling alone in Richardsville, Ky., last Sunday morning. Gary Dunn, an FBI agent working with Bloomington police detectives on the task force, said that he's been in contact with Kentucky FBI agents and police in Warren County, Ky. "We have a very strong interest in this," Dunn said. "We were alerted to this by the FBI in Kentucky and we're trying to determine if there is a correlation between the two cases." The woman, whose name has not been released by police, was riding alone Sunday morning when a man driving a brown or maroon 1980s model four-door car struck her, said Deputy Joe Green of the Warren County Sheriff's Department. The man, described as 5 feet 11 inches tall with sandy blonde or red hair, pursued her into a yard and tried to drag her back to his car, Green said. A resident heard the woman's screams and ran to her aid. Green said that the suspect then fled in his car, which reportedly had a Kentucky license plate and a Playboy bunny sticker in the back window. The woman sustained a broken foot and was treated and released from a nearby hospital. Kentucky investigators say they believe the would-be abductor had been stalking the bicyclist. “She had seen him twice before this same day [Tuesday], so he had been at least watching her, we know that,” one investigator said. Dunn said that the similarities between the Kentucky case and what police believe happened to Behrman are striking, and investigators are now looking to see if there is a deeper connection. "There's a lot more we need to determine," he said. "But we've given them information about Jill's disappearance, and they've given us information about this attack as well." Kentucky FBI spokesman David Beyer remained cautious. "Obviously, the biggest similarity is they were both on bicycles, and we're certainly looking into the possibility the two cases are connected. But I think it would be premature to draw any conclusions at this present time and say they are connected," he said. Dunn said that investigators continue to work on Behrman's case and are following other leads as well. Authorities announced Wednesday that a reward offered for information that helps to solve Behrman’s disappearance has been increased from $50,000 to $100,000. Previous Stories:

• April 19, 2001: FBI Has New Theory On Behrman Disappearance