She Vanished After Her Apartment Was Burglarized In 2002, But The Only Suspect In Her Case Died
In 2002, Brookley Louks of Greenwood, Indiana, was 19-years-old and working as a waitress at Prime Time Bar and Grill in Beech Grove.
She had reportedly struggled with substance abuse in the past yet was on the road to recovery.
However, after her home was burglarized on June 24, 2002, Brookley vanished, and her mother, Kim Louks, has been left without closure for over two decades.
“I just want to bury my daughter,” she said.
Brookley had lived with her father at the time in an apartment located in the 1400 block of Cottonwood Drive. Around 4:00 p.m. on June 24, she arrived home and realized some belongings were missing from their residence.
She contacted her mother, Kim, who recalled hearing Brookley say, “Mom, I’m freaked out.” But during that same phone call, Brookley reportedly stated that her father did not seem too worried about what had happened, instructing her to contact the police and file an insurance claim.
Once authorities were contacted, officers showed up and took a report. Then, at approximately 5:30 p.m., Brookley left the apartment to supposedly stay the night at her boyfriend’s residence, which was 30 minutes away.
One witness reportedly spotted Brookley entering a blue 1990 Chevy Corsica driven by an unidentified man. After that final sighting, she was never seen again.
Brookley did not arrive at her boyfriend’s home that evening, and she didn’t show up for her waitressing shift the following day.
Facebook – pictured above is Brookley
She was ultimately reported missing on June 26, 2002, to the Greenwood Police Department.
When she disappeared, Brookley did not have a bank account, a credit card, or a cell phone. None of her personal belongings or clothes were gone, either.
Shortly after she vanished, an anonymous tip led authorities to locate her car in Waverly, Indiana, on July 1, 2002. The vehicle had been abandoned around 10 miles from her apartment in a parking lot close to Indiana State Road 37 and Highway 144.
A male named Joe Nowicki then became the only suspect in Brookley’s case.
Known as “Old Man Joe” to Brookley, he was actually her father’s fishing buddy. In the past, Brookley had helped him out with upholstery projects, a detail that was extremely relevant to this case.
That’s because once Brookley’s car was recovered by police, it was determined that Joe Nowicki had reportedly been picked up by a neighbor not far from where her abandoned vehicle was found. He was allegedly “out of breath and frazzled.”
Additionally, one neighbor claimed to have spotted Brookley’s car parked outside of Joe’s home from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the evening she went missing.
Investigators ultimately searched his house and garage, which was located in the 4600 block of Old Smith Valley Road, in July 2002. Brookley’s blood was reportedly found on the floor, desk, and ceiling.
But, according to Joe, she had been working on an upholstery project and cut her finger.
In his workshop, authorities also found evidence that someone had attempted to mop a large amount of blood off the floor. Finally, Joe’s thumbprint was found on the hood of Brookley’s car.
Nonetheless, investigators did not have enough direct evidence to charge Joe regarding either the blood or the thumbprint because he had reportedly worked on Brookley’s vehicle in the past.
Joe had a lengthy criminal history going back to his teenage years, and he was the only suspect in Brookley’s disappearance. But, not long after serving time for gun charges in an unrelated case, Joe died of cancer in August 2003.
Brookley’s mother, Kim, thinks that Joe was responsible.
“Everyone connected to this case has died,” she stated, referring to both Joe as well as Brookley’s father, who took his own life shortly after she went missing.
Still, Kim believes that someone out there has information and could help Brookley’s remains be located. If she is able to receive that closure, she’d like to provide Brookley with a proper burial in Paragon, at their family’s small cemetery.
“She would tell me, ‘Mom, if I ever go, this is where I want to be,'” Kim said.
Unfortunately, though, authorities have not received any new leads despite continuing the search for answers.
Brookley was five foot two, weighed 120 pounds, and had brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing dark-colored Capri pants, a light-colored blouse, and pink sandals.
If you have any information regarding her case, you are urged to contact the Greenwood Police Department at (317) 882-9191.
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