Belle Plaine, IA Area Cold Cases

Name

Frank Searway

Age

43

Cause of Death

Murder

Info

Frank searway, a 43-year-old single farmer, had just sold a horse for $850 when he was murdered and buried in his barn about six miles northwest of millersburg, iowa, on or around may 8, 1911.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Rose Burkert

Age

22

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On friday evening, september 12, 1980, rose burkert, 22, and roger atkison, 32, arrived at the amana holiday inn along I-80 near williamsburg, iowa, hoping for a romantic weekend getaway. The on-duty attendant told them the hotel was booked solid due to an area morticians’ conference, but double-checked the register. They were in luck; there’d been a cancellation.The couple received a key to room 260 at 7:40 p.M.Shortly after noon the next day, a housekeeper arrived at room 260 — a room only accessible from inside the building — and knocked several times. She got no answer. She tried the door, but found it locked.What the housekeeper saw — blood splattered all across the bed’s headboard, the walls and the carpet — caused her to “slam the door shut and run for the manager,” wrote gazette staff writer gary peterson.The married atkison worked as a telephone installer-repairman for general telephone co. In savannah, mo., and burkert was a nurse trainee at st. Joseph hospital.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Roger Atkison

Age

32

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On friday evening, september 12, 1980, rose burkert, 22, and roger atkison, 32, arrived at the amana holiday inn along I-80 near williamsburg, iowa, hoping for a romantic weekend getaway. The on-duty attendant told them the hotel was booked solid due to an area morticians’ conference, but double-checked the register. They were in luck; there’d been a cancellation.The couple received a key to room 260 at 7:40 p.M.Shortly after noon the next day, a housekeeper arrived at room 260 — a room only accessible from inside the building — and knocked several times. She got no answer. She tried the door, but found it locked.What the housekeeper saw — blood splattered all across the bed’s headboard, the walls and the carpet — caused her to “slam the door shut and run for the manager,” wrote gazette staff writer gary peterson.The married atkison worked as a telephone installer-repairman for general telephone co. In savannah, mo., and burkert was a nurse trainee at st. Joseph hospital.

Agency

Iowa

Name

William Rogers

Age

46

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

William francis rogers, 46, was last seen at his north english, iowa, residence, the same night his house burned down on sunday, february 25, 2001.Authorities were unable to locate any trace of him in the ruins, and he was listed as missing with the keokuk county sheriff’s office.At the time of his disappearance, rogers was described as a 5-foot-8 white male weighing 160 pounds. His eyes, reported as hazel, are brown but the left one has a green hue to it and it often appears as two different colors.Rogers was last seen wearing a tan jacket, a “comfort-inn” t-shirt, blue jeans and black tennis shoes.Rogers is balding, though he may have a moustache, beard or goatee. His nickname is bill.Mr. Rogers is also listed as missing on the texas department of public safety’s missing persons clearinghouse.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Amos Jellison

Age

74

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Amos jellison, a 74-year-old former railroad employee, was bludgeoned to death in his blairstown, iowa, mobile home either late sunday night, aug. 2, 1981 or in the early morning hours of monday, aug. 3, 1981, during an alleged robbery.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Charles Plucar

Age

74

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Plucar’s estimated date of death was sometime either late june 21 or early june 22, 1977. According to interviews with neighbors, plucar was a good man who didn’t bother anybody. Benton county sheriff kenneth popenhagen and an iowa bureau of criminal investigation agent worked the case.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Myrtle Cook

Age

51

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Myrtle cook, 51, was sitting near the window of her vinton, iowa, home, rewriting and rehearsing aloud her speech to an upcoming women’s christian temperance union (wctu) meeting when she was shot through the home’s window. The bullet entered cook’s heart, and she died within the hour.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Rita Papakee

Age

41

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Rita papakee, a 41-year-old mother of four, vanished january 16, 2015, after leaving the meskwaki bingo casino hotel near tama, iowa. Family members reported her missing to the meskwaki nation police in tama on february 18, 2015.The police are asking for assistance to help locate her.After she first went missing, police said they believed she may be in the des moines or cedar rapids area.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Steven Babka

Age

58

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Steven babka, a 58-year-old homeless man who lived in a tent near the iowa river on the outskirts of marengo, iowa, has not been seen since may 25, 2012. He was reported missing to the iowa county sheriff’s office in marengo on june 6, 2012.He is described as a 5-foot-9 white male with brown hair turning gray, and his hair has varied between shorter to almost shoulder length with some typical male pattern baldness. He has blue eyes and weighs about 240 pounds, and has unknown tattoos on his head, right arm, and upper right arm. He also has a scar near his right eye and a scar on his right forearm, and has a crippled right hand.He typically wears a mustache and is usually not clean shaven. He seldom wore anything other than short pants and tie dye t-shirts.Though babka wears prescription glasses, they were found left behind along with his medications and all his worldly possessions. Babka had no car and usually traveled with a bicycle.

Agency

Iowa