Hillsboro, IA Area Cold Cases

Name

Billy Clark

Age

43

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Sometime on friday, august 1, 1975, billy lee clark of ottumwa, iowa, was shot in the back in a rural wapello county pasture. The 43-year-old’s body, found lying next to his pick-up truck, was discovered the following day at approximately 2:23 p.M. On a farm owned by martin bergland, about seven miles west of ottumwa on route 4.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Denease Latham

Age

24

Cause of Death

Suspicious

Info

On sunday, oct. 5, 1986 — just 15 days before her 25th birthday — denease (monson) latham of what cheer, iowa, suffered blunt force trauma injuries to her head before coming to rest face-down in two feet of water beneath a bridge about a half mile north of rose hill in mahaska county. One of latham’s young sons remembers the fight between his mother and father the last night he ever saw his mom alive. She’d taken off on her bicycle, he said, and his father, robin latham, later went after her.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Dennison Stookesberry

Age

56

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Dennison stookesberry, a 56-year-old disabled man from rural blakesburg, iowa, in wapello county, was last seen alive on monday evening, feb. 8, 1999, when a fishing buddy said he’d dropped his friend off at home after a night at a bar. Stookesberry was reported missing to the wapello county sheriff’s office in ottumwa, iowa, one week later on monday, feb 15, 1999, after officials discovered the diabetic appeared to have left his home in the middle of cooking dinner and hadn’t taken any of his diabetes or heart medication with him. Butter had been left on the kitchen table and a deer steak left in the microwave oven.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Douglas Shondel II

Age

21

Cause of Death

Undetermined

Info

Many things don’t add up in 21-year-old douglas james shondel ii’s mysterious march 2001 death. Jefferson county in iowa jefferson county in iowa fairfield in jefferson countyfairfield in jefferson county shondel’s pregnant girlfriend, crystal knight, told officials on sunday, march 11, 2001, that she’d found him unresponsive in the bathtub of the couple’s 100 n. 16th st. Apartment in fairfield, iowa, the water still running from the shower. Rather than ask to use the next-door neighbor’s telephone to call 911, knight walked one and one-half blocks to gather some of the couple’s friends, who returned to the 16th street apartment with her to allegedly clean everything before anyone called emts.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Francis Jordon Sr

Age

42

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

In the early morning hours on wednesday, july 12, 1978, francis frederick jordon sr. Was killed after two men knocked on his door saying they had car trouble and asking him for help.

Agency

Iowa

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

Helen Morrow

Age

55

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Mrs. Helen morrow was found lying on a bed in a first floor room of her fire-ravaged two-story home in eldon, ia, on august 12, 1980. An autopsy report showed she died of smoke inhalation. Herman pierce, 48, also of eldon, was charged tuesday, aug. 26, 1980, with first-degree murder in morrow’s death, but a grand jury refused to return any indictments against him.

Agency

Iowa

Name

James Chamberlain

Age

41

Cause of Death

Blunt Force Trauma

Info

James chamberlain, a carpenter who lived on ottumwa’s south side, was found lying in mud and water in the des moines river beneath the wabash railroad trestle in the city’s old richmond section on thursday, may 25, 1893. Chamberlain, 41, suffered blunt force trauma injuries to his head after having been hit with a heavy object. Though still conscious when discovered by authorities, chamberlain died from the skull fracture four days later on may 29, 1893

Agency

Iowa

Name

John Hill

Age

51

Cause of Death

Stabbing

Info

On monday, november 22, 1976, at approximately 5:06 a.M., two young men found john robert hill, 51, lying face down in a small room at the ottumwa launderette that hill owned and operated on east main street in ottumwa

Agency

Iowa

Name

Melvin Adams

Age

55

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Melvin royale adams, a 55-year-old royal canadian air force veteran, was found dead in a small cabin south of agency, iowa, just off cemetery road near the cliffland bridge on february 13, 1983. The cabin was located on property owned by the coghlan family. Adams, who had celebrated his 55th birthday just five days earlier, had been partially decapitated.

Agency

Iowa

Name

John Franklin Sr

Age

35

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

John franklin, sr., 35, a central iowa factory worker, and his 22-year-old wife michelle were shot to death in their eddyville, iowa, home some time between 10 p.M. And midnight on tuesday, january 3, 1978, in what officials called a double homicide.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Michelle Franklin

Age

22

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

John franklin, sr., 35, a central iowa factory worker, and his 22-year-old wife michelle were shot to death in their eddyville, iowa, home some time between 10 p.M. And midnight on tuesday, january 3, 1978, in what officials called a double homicide.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Robert Ruby

Age

54

Cause of Death

Undetermined

Info

Robert ruby, a 54-year-old blakesburg miner, fell 87 feet to his death on saturday, january 11, 1936, down the shaft of the bidwell fuel co. Mine on the henry oswalt farm, one mile south of christiansburg.An ottumwa courier article dated july 13, 1936, said most of the bones in ruby’s body were broken in the mishap, which occurred, coroner john drake said, when ruby wheeled an empty coal car into the open shaft. Both ruby and the coal car fell to the bottom of the mine shaft.

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

Amber Hayes

Age

712

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Amber marie hayes, 7-1/2 months old, was reported missing by her mother, mary hayes, at 1:30 a.M. On thursday, june 9, 1988. Four days later, parts of the infant’s body, her pink diaper bag and a blanket were discovered in a remote area near lake odessa by two boys riding all-terrain vehicles.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Arthur Ransford

Age

36

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Arthur leon ransford, a 36-year-old vietnam veteran, went missing from his keokuk, iowa home in lee county on tuesday, november 22, 1983. His wife reported him missing thanksgiving day. Montrose in lee county montrose in lee county on sunday, may 13, 1984, ransford’s body was found about two miles south of montrose, enclosed in a large yellow bag and buried under cement blocks in a wooded area overlooking the mississippi river. The father of two had been shot in the head before being bagged and buried on the river bluff.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Brandy Shepherd

Age

29

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Brandy mae shepherd-margita, 29, of anamosa, iowa, was found dead in a henry county farm field west of wayland near highway 78 on friday, august 9, 2019. Wayland in henry county (wikipedia) the mother of four young children had been missing since august 2. The henry county sheriff’s office said a farmhand found her body around noon while checking on livestock and the property’s fence line.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Cecil Paris

Age

31

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Police believed cecil was shot when he ordered someone off the premises. His own .32 caliber revolver was missing and believed stolen. Money had also been removed but a cheap watch was untouched. Three charcoal tablets had been wrapped in a paper that they think the murderer mistook for a bill and were found on the ground along with the paper.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Charles Netherland

Age

25

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Charles william “binx” netherland, 25, was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head at 801 mulberry ave. In muscatine, iowa, on saturday, august 18, 2012.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Dolores Hornung

Age

48

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Dolores a. “toni” (martinez) hornung, 48, was shot to death in her keokuk, iowa home with a 30-30 rifle early sunday morning on valentine’s day, 1999. Lee county in iowa lee county in iowa keokuk in lee countykeokuk in lee county hornung’s daughter called emergency officials about 5:25 p.M. Saying she could not wake her mother, police said in a statement released monday, february 15, 1999. Investigators determined hornung hadn’t died of natural causes and scheduled an autopsy for the following day.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Dorothy Miller

Age

48

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Dorothy h. Miller, a 48-year-old bolick realty saleswoman and grandmother of two, was killed on monday evening, august 18, 1969, in an unoccupied, two-story frame house at 118 grand street in burlington, iowa. Des moines county in iowa des moines county in iowa burlington in des moines countyburlington in des moines county dorothy reportedly had an appointment to show a house in burlington that day to a man who identified himself as robert clark. When she didn’t return home that evening, her husband reported her missing the following morning

Agency

Iowa

Name

Eric Redinbo

Age

18

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Eric scott redinbo, 18, died friday night, february 12, 1999, from a single blast to the head from a 12-gauge shotgun at a keokuk, iowa home. Officers said they were called to susan anderson’s house on keokuk’s west side around 8:40 p.M. Friday, where they found redinbo’s body. Police said the 12 gauge had accidentally gone off inside the home, hitting redinbo once in the head.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Eugenio Garcia

Age

36

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

The body of eugenio garcia, 36, was found near the dougherty bridge on county road f-70 about seven miles northwest of muscatine, iowa at 7 a.M. On father’s day, june 21, 1992. Sgt. Greg orr of the muscatine county sheriff’s department reported garcia had been strangled.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Felicitas Terrill

Age

73

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Seventy-three-year-old felicitas terrill was found dead in her muscatine, iowa home monday morning, april 14, 1986, with four gunshot wounds to the head. Felicitas terrill article courtesy the cedar rapids gazette, tuesday, april 15, 1986 sharon renfro — the victim’s daughter — said when she tried to contact her mother and couldn’t reach her, she called police and asked them to do a welfare check.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Isidro Gomez Jr

Age

27

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Isidro gomez, jr., of muscatine, iowa, was reported missing to the muscatine police department on december 17, 2007, by jessica ridinger of muscatine, gomez’s girlfriend of eight years. Muscatine county in iowa muscatine county in iowa muscatine in muscatine countymuscatine in muscatine county ridinger said gomez left their muscatine home early that morning and promised to be back before breakfast. When he didn’t come home, ridinger said she knew something was wrong and alerted authorities.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Jackie Douthart

Age

24

Cause of Death

Murder

Info

Jackie leigh douthart, the mother of a small child, was reported missing to the mount pleasant police department on may 22, 2011, when she didn’t return home after a night out with friends. When last seen, jackie was wearing a zebra-striped shirt, a black vest, blue jeans and flip flops. Douthart’s disappearance, along with that of elizabeth syperda — a 22-year-old mount pleasant woman who went missing july 17, 2000 — frustrated both investigators and residents of mount pleasant, a city of about 8,700 people in southeastern iowa

Agency

Iowa

Name

Jacob Neibert

Age

53

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Muscatine police officer jacob neibert was shot on saturday, june 13, 1896, after arresting two hobos for vagrancy. The two men overpowered and shot him. Neibert was able to give other officers a description of the two men before succumbing to his wounds. Jacob neupert gravestone courtesy photo marcia fiedler, findagrave.Com jacob neupert is buried at the greenwood cemetery in muscatine two suspects were arrested but later released when officials determined they had nothing to do with the murder.

Agency

Iowa

Name

James Harsch

Age

31

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On saturday afternoon, may 13, 1978, the burlington police department received a call about a dead body in a trailer home on mill dam road north of burlington on the city-county line. The anonymous caller phoned the burlington police dispatch center at 11:42 a.M. Saturday, saying that a body would be found in the trailer

Agency

Iowa

Name

James Poggemiller

Age

62

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

James keith poggemiller, 62, was found dead friday, may 24, 2019, inside his 1127 s. 13th street home in burlington, and officials are treating his death as suspicious

Agency

Iowa

Name

Near Reservoir

Age

27

Cause of Death

Fire

Info

On labor day, september 1, 1975, two young motorcyclists discovered the charred bodies of two persons inside a scorched pickup truck near the coralville reservoir in johnson county, iowa. The victims were later identified as karen ann christensen, 27, of cedar rapids, ia, and her cousin, larry gordon wells, 25, of marathon, iowa.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Lisa Miller

Age

15

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On sunday, oct. 9, 1977, six days after her parents reported her as a runaway, lisa elaine miller, 15, was found dead in a wooded area off lower sullivan slough road near the iowa southern utilities generating station 3-1/2 miles southeast of burlington, iowa. The area, about 1-1/4 miles east of summer street road, is a popular recreation spot. The teen had been reported missing oct. 3, 1977.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Willard Woodring

Age

42

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Willard c. Woodring, the 42-year-old owner of the former hawkeye hotel in keokuk, iowa, and richard g. Buchanan, 42, of colona, illinois, were taken into the hotel’s kitchen on sunday, october 9, 1960, where they were bound, gagged, and then shot in the back of the head when they tried to flee.Keokuk police discovered the bodies that evening after someone phoned authorities to report a shooting at the well-known house of prostitution.Police chief george jones said police immediately launched a 3-state search for a youthful-looking man and woman.Witnesses described the man as about 25 years old with black hair and clad in a black leather jacket. The woman, about 22-23 years old, was described as having short red hair and wearing a lavender dress.According to the gazette, authorities said they thought the pair were armed with an automatic pistol and driving a car with illinois license plates.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Richard Buchanan

Age

49

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Willard c. Woodring, the 42-year-old owner of the former hawkeye hotel in keokuk, iowa, and richard g. Buchanan, 42, of colona, illinois, were taken into the hotel’s kitchen on sunday, october 9, 1960, where they were bound, gagged, and then shot in the back of the head when they tried to flee.Keokuk police discovered the bodies that evening after someone phoned authorities to report a shooting at the well-known house of prostitution.Police chief george jones said police immediately launched a 3-state search for a youthful-looking man and woman.Witnesses described the man as about 25 years old with black hair and clad in a black leather jacket. The woman, about 22-23 years old, was described as having short red hair and wearing a lavender dress.According to the gazette, authorities said they thought the pair were armed with an automatic pistol and driving a car with illinois license plates.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Robert Kellar

Age

20

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Robert lee kellar, 20, was last seen on feb. 12, 1990 in muscatine, iowa, right before he left on a cross-country trip. His family assumed he would be back, but they never saw him again.At the time he went missing, robert was described as a 6-foot-1 white male with brown hair, brown eyes, and weighing about 135 pounds. He sometimes went by the name of rob heuton.Family members said he wasn’t acting like himself in the months prior to his disappearance and believe he may have been using drugs. They always assumed he’d be back, and didn’t report him missing until two years after he left on his last cross-country trip.The investigation concluded he left the area voluntarily because there was no indication of foul play in his disappearance when he left. Foul play is now considered a possibility because family members don’t believe kellar would have gone more than 25 years without contacting any family members.Robert has two small scars on his left cheek, a small scar below his right eye and a small scar on his right wrist.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Roger Hill

Age

44

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Vietnam veteran roger dean hill, a 44-year-old father of three, disappeared from davenport, iowa, in mid-1997. His remains, found wrapped in a plastic tarp, were discovered tuesday, oct. 12, 1999, outside davenport’s city limits.According to hill’s obituary, he died in muscatine in muscatine county.Hill had recently been released from the veteran’s hospital in knoxville, iowa, visited a daughter in maquoketa, and allegedly had been hitchhiking back to davenport when he went missing.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Ronald Lipsius

Age

30

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Ronald f. Lipsius, a 30-year-old iowa city grocer, was shot to death on monday, may 16, 1966 as he chased a woman bandit who’d just scooped $35 from a cash register in his 812 south summit street store.According to published reports, a young woman entered the clover farm food market at about 8:30 a.M. And asked for some sliced ham. While lipsius began slicing the meat, the woman snatched the money from the cash register and then fled north on foot.Several people who’d witnessed the robbery-shooting described the female bandit as being in her early twenties, 5′ 09″ and weighing around 175 pounds. They said she wore jeans, a headscarf and horn-rimmed glasses. The woman and an unknown male got into a 1957 pontiac, white over black, shortly after the woman shot lipsius.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Sarah Ottens

Age

20

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Sarah ann ottens, a 20-year-old university of iowa student from morrison, illinois, was assaulted and suffocated in her rienow hall room in iowa city on tuesday, march 13, 1973.Student brenda simpson of waterloo discovered ottens’ body in room 429 just before midnight.Six months after the murder, university of iowa student and football player james wendall hall, 20, of toledo, ohio, was charged in ottens’ murder based on fingerprints and dna evidence found at the crime scene.In may 1974, he was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 50 years in prison at fort madison.The defense began a number of appeals, though the iowa supreme court upheld hall’s conviction and the u.S. Supreme court refused to hear the case.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Scott Tompkins

Age

23

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Scott m. Tompkins, 23, was shot by an assailant(s) on november 29, 1995, while stopped to fix his windshield wipers at the intersection of park avenue and harrison street in muscatine, iowa.Tompkins, 23, was found wounded at 9:43 p.M. Only blocks from the hardee’s restaurant where he worked as the assistant manager. He was transported to muscatine general hospital, where he was able to make a statement to police before dying.Park said tompkins had worked at the restaurant for six years but did not work the day of his murder. He said tompkins had a real good future with the restaurant and “would do anything for anybody.”tompkins lived on the city’s south side. His car was found on grand avenue a block away from his body, and reports indicated a trail of blood led from the vehicle to where his body was found.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Steven Leasure

Age

52

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Steven leasure, 52, went missing from burlington, iowa, on saturday, may 2, 2015, and was reported missing to the burlington police department.Relatives said they last saw leasure alive saturday at a house in the 1400 block of gnahn street. Others reported seeing leasure later that day at the circle k convenience store at 1012 maple street, putting air into his blue gt bicycle tires.A passerby found the bicycle at lake west on tuesday, june 9, 2015, and officials verified it as leasure’s bike via the serial number.Investigators searched the lake with a sonar-equipped boat, but found no trace of leasure.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Terry Page

Age

36

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Terry lee page, 36, of burlington, iowa, was shot and killed outside his 1205 franklin street residence on the edge of north hill in the early morning hours tuesday, june 25, 2013.

Agency

Iowa