Middle Amana, 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

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

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

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

Anthony Posley

Age

22

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Anthony “fat boy” posley, 22, of 333 pioneer ave. Se in cedar rapids, iowa, was shot in the 1600 block of sixth avenue se about 2:27 a.M. On sunday, july 23, 2006. He was taken by ambulance to mercy medical center and pronounced dead a short time later. According to cedar rapids police lt. Kenneth washburn, who investigated the case, those who spoke to the police indicated that posley was shot in self-defense.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Aubrey Young

Age

35

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Aubrey young, 35, was shot to death near redmond park in cedar rapids at 2 a.M. On sunday, june 15, 2008. Investigators found his body, lying face down on the ground, between two parked cars in the 200 block of 16th street se. Young had been shot once in the head.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Barbara Elms

Age

50

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Barbara lee elms was reported missing to the cedar rapids police department on august 25, 1993. She was last seen heading toward first avenue east, wearing white shorts, a multicolored blouse, black hose, hi-top sneakers, and a walkman with earphones.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Charles Gearhart

Age

89

Cause of Death

Stabbing

Info

Charles rufus gearhart, an 89-year-old rock island railroad retiree, was stabbed to death in his cedar rapids apartment on wednesday, may 13, 1970, the victim of an apparent robbery. Gearhart, the landlord of an apartment building located at 422 first street sw, was discovered the following day by tenants charles frondle and willie harvey, who’d come to gearhart’s apartment to complain they had no water or heat; the apartment building’s basement had flooded, extinguishing the furnace’s pilot light. According to a cedar rapids gazette article dated may 15, 1970, frondle and harvey said they’d gone to gearhart’s apartment at approximately 6:35 p.M. Gearhart was found between the kitchen and bedroom lying in a hallway. Cedar rapids police told the gazette the suspect had broken the apartment’s rear door in order to gain entrance. A search of gearhart’s apartment failed to turn up the murder weapon. Tenants told police the elderly gearhart often flashed large sums of cash, though police were unable to locate any money in gearhart’s apartment or in his clothing.

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

Danny Baker

Age

28

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Danny baker, a 28-year-old father of four, was shot in the back monday night, nov. 28, 1983, in the driveway of his brother-in-law’s southwest cedar rapids home after an argument with another guest over a boxing match they’d been watching on television. Police said baker and willie b. Barney, 40, were inside paul galbreath’s 617 18th ave. Sw residence with several others — including baker’s 9-year-old son donyeal — prior to the shooting. The men had been drinking while watching the boxing match, and when baker and barney began arguing, baker went out the front door sometime before 8 p.M. And barney followed.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Denise Fraley

Age

30

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Denise fraley was last seen alive in cedar rapids, iowa, in the early morning hours on sunday, september 12, 1982. Denise and her husband, david fraley, had played in a band saturday night at a private cedar rapids party. Once the couple left the event, denise was never seen alive again and foul play is suspected in her disappearance. David fraley never reported his wife as missing. And, for more than a month, he deterred his wife’s family from filing any missing persons report.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Dennis Chaffee

Age

33

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Dennis chaffee of cedar rapids, iowa, spent the weekend of july 16 – 17, 1983, at home with his 1-1/2-year-old twins — son adam and daughter maria — and on monday, july 18, was to return them to their mother, mary hernandez, who resided in marion, iowa. When monday arrived, chaffee didn’t answer his phone when hernandez called, nor did he show up for work at wilson foods in cedar rapids where he’d been employed for the past 15 years. Concerned, hernandez called chaffee’s parents, harlon and betty chaffee, also of cedar rapids.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Dennis Stastny

Age

30

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On tuesday, august 9, 1977, mary white of cedar rapids, iowa, filed a missing persons report with the cedar rapids police department regarding the disappearance of her son, dennis stastny, 30. Two days later, stastny’s body was pulled from the cedar river near downtown cedar rapids after two young fishermen, steve halsor, 16, and john braumann, 15, discovered the body in the west spillway near the f avenue bridge about 11 a.M. According to an autopsy report by linn county medical examiner dr. Percy harris, stastny — a navy veteran who worked part-time as a shoe salesman — died from a “stab wound to the heart.”

Agency

Iowa

Name

Dominique Mosby

Age

22

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Twenty-two-year-old dominique mosby was shot in the head on friday, june 26, 2009 as he sat outside on an apartment deck playing dice for money with a group of men. According to witnesses, mosby and several other men were playing dice on the patio of cedarwood hills apartment number 105 in cedar rapids at 2030 glass rd. Ne when an unknown assailant walked up to mosby and shot him several times. The shooter then walked away. Police responded to shots fired at the complex at approximately 6:35 p.M., where they found mosby lying on the ground outside the ground floor apartment. Emergency medical technicians performed cpr on mosby before taking him to st. Luke’s hospital, where the victim died.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Dorothy Rose

Age

43

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Dorothy j. Rose, 43, was found dead in her 206 12th st. Se cedar rapids, iowa apartment on tuesday night, november 28, 2006. The building’s landlord — who’d gone to check on rose — discovered her body and called police.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Erin Pospisil

Age

15

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Erin pospisil was reported missing to the cedar rapids police department on june 3, 2001. The [then] 15-year-old was last seen leaving her home with curtis padgett and hasn’t been seen since. According to padgett — a friend of erin’s older brother — he was leaving the pospisil home at the same time as erin and agreed to give her a ride to her friend brit’s home, where erin and brit planned to watch movies or go to the movie theater. Padgett later told officials that when they arrived at brit’s home in the 1500 block of second avenue se late sunday, june 3, 2001, that erin went up to the door and knocked but no one answered.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Frederick Coste

Age

47

Cause of Death

Stabbing

Info

Frederick “fred” leonard coste, the 47-year-old manager of the family finance corporation in cedar rapids, iowa, was stabbed to death inside his loan interview cubicle on thursday morning, oct. 15, 1959. Two customers found coste — lying on his back in a pool of blood — shortly before noon at the 312-1/2 second ave. Se cedar rapids business.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Jamar Magett

Age

19

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Jamar magett, 19, of chicago, ill., was shot in the forehead and chest while standing in the 1400 block of fifth avenue se in cedar rapids, iowa, on may 10, 1999. Paul gilbert, 18, of cedar rapids — the younger brother of cold case victim tyrone gilbert — was arrested and charged in magett’s murder. Des moines defense attorneys matthew boles and robert montgomery said no physical evidence linked gilbert to the crime. Cedar rapids pathologist dr. Peter stephens testified wednesday, sept. 22, 1999, that magett suffered two bullet wounds, each of which could have been fatal.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Jay Grahlman

Age

38

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Jay grahlman, 38, and his 6-year-old daughter, jaymie, died from injuries suffered in a late-night fire set at their cedar rapids home on saturday, april 5, 2003. Jaymie — whose autopsy report included a number of pathologic diagnoses — died sunday, april 6, after being removed from life support. Jay died the following wednesday, april 9, from complications due to burns he sustained in the fire.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Jaymie Grahlman

Age

6

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Jay grahlman, 38, and his 6-year-old daughter, jaymie, died from injuries suffered in a late-night fire set at their cedar rapids home on saturday, april 5, 2003. Jaymie — whose autopsy report included a number of pathologic diagnoses — died sunday, april 6, after being removed from life support. Jay died the following wednesday, april 9, from complications due to burns he sustained in the fire.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Joshua Wellman

Age

35

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Joshua r. Wellman, a 35-year-old vinton native, was reported missing to the cedar rapids police department on monday, november 16, 2015. His mother, teresa walton, and sister, shawna hunziker, last saw him around 11 a.M. Thursday, november 12, 2015, when they dropped him off at the cedar rapids area substance abuse center

Agency

Iowa

Name

Louis Chambers Jr

Age

32

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Louis h. Chambers jr., a 32-year-old waterloo man, was shot in the stomach in the 1400 block of 5th ave se in cedar rapids in the pre-dawn hours on monday, feb. 7, 1994. He died that afternoon at a local hospital of the single shot to his belly.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Lynn Schuller

Age

25

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

When keith schuller reported his wife lynn schuller missing in august 1972, police suspected murder from the very beginning. Linn county in iowa linn county in iowa cedar rapids in linn countycedar rapids in linn county more than four decades later, they still believe schuller is responsible for her death, but don’t ever expect to find her body. Why? The suspicions surrounding her disappearance sounded so much like that of local folklore that even police were reluctant to acknowledge keith schuller could have committed such an abhorrent act.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Matthew Pusateri

Age

26

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Cab driver matt pusateri, 26, was shot in the head about 3 a.M. Saturday, nov. 12, 1988, while sitting in a cedar rapids parking lot. Pusateri, who worked for the “yellow cab” company, sat parked in the 800 block of sixth street sw when two men approached the cab. Linn county in iowa linn county in iowa cedar rapids in linn countycedar rapids in linn county police speculate the two assailants tried to rob pusateri, and then shot him after he refused to hand over any money.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Matthew Owen

Age

90

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Matthew john owen, who went by the name m. John owen, was found dead on the kitchen floor of his 107 gas light ct. Sw home in cedar rapids on friday morning, january 18, 2013. Linn county in iowa linn county in iowa cedar rapids in linn countycedar rapids in linn county police discovered the 90-year-old’s body after a neighbor called to report owen’s front door open. According to chief state medical examiner dr. Julia goodin, owen died of multiple blunt-force injuries. Police chief wayne jerman said authorities believe owen knew the person who killed him. “our investigators firmly believe that this was not a random act,” jerman said in news release issued the wednesday after owen’s death.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Michael Reed

Age

19

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Michael william reed, 19, of 43 20th ave. Sw in cedar rapids, iowa, died at st. Luke’s hospital in cedar rapids on friday, april 17, 1998. Reed’s mother, deb (peal) evans, told iowa cold cases that police believed her son’s death was a suicide, but that it is well known around [cedar rapids] What really happened to her son. Those involved, evans said, never have been brought to justice.

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

Naomi Wilson

Age

32

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Naomi wilson was reported missing to the cedar rapids police department in cedar rapids on sunday, april 12, 1981.She was last seen by her boyfriend — colbert “billy” beets — at her cedar rapids home located at 1618 13th ave. Se, about 4 p.M. The couple had been dating for about three years. Raised in birmingham, ala., wilson had moved to chicago after high school, where she married bennie wilson, colbert beets’ nephew. The couple had moved to cedar rapids in the late ’70s and divorced three years earlier, at which time wilson began dating colbert beets and got to know the rest of the beets family.According to colbert beets, wilson did not attend church that day as she usually did but otherwise behaved normally. Beets told police he went to wilson’s residence after attending the church’s noon services, and that he and wilson left her residence within minutes of each other.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Nathaniel Carnagey

Age

36

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

He moved to marion late in 1846. In early 1847, he was murdered. Nathaniel carnagy will forever be known as linn county’s first murder victim. The murder may have been the best thing that ever happened to carnagy – from a purely historical perspective, of course. Otherwise, there would be little, if anything, about his life in the local history books. One cannot tell what he might have accomplished later in life had he survived, but there are no indications that he was anything but a farmer or laborer. Probably hardworking. Quite possibly a good father. But about the only thing we know for sure about him was that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nathaniel carnagy is one of the mysteries in marion history.As with anything else of passing interest that occurred at that time, some guesses have to be made about the circumstances of carnagy’s death.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Paula Oberbroeckling

Age

18

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Paula jean oberbroeckling, 18, disappeared after leaving her 116 10th st. Nw cedar rapids residence in the early morning hours on saturday, july 11, 1970. Oberbroeckling — a recent washington high school graduate who taught a class for developmentally disabled children at younkers and shared the 10th street residence with her friend, debbie kellogg — had gone out on a date friday night with boyfriend lonnie bell. The two returned together to the 10th st. Residence, where they argued.She never returned.Mrs. Oberbroeckling told officer smith that paula had been somewhat upset because she thought she was about 1-1/2 months pregnant and felt bell was trying to ditch her.Police followed up on hundreds of leads, and four months after oberbroeckling’s disappearance, finally got a break in the case; it was not the break they’d hoped to receive.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Ronald Novak

Age

24

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

In a special kcrg-tv report on dec. 26, 2013, col. John stuelke of the linn county sheriff’s office revealed the steps his department has taken to show the latest layer in ron novak’s 30-year-old homicide investigation. Stuelke told channel 9’s chris earl:ron novak stayed home on the deadly cold night. With the gusting winds, wind chills plummeted toward 40 degrees below zero on friday, december 23, 1983. Christmas eve would arrive the following day, and novak hoped to spend some time with his large family and girlfriend.His girlfriend, along with his best friend, dale laver, were supposed to stop by later in the evening, and the 24-year-old bachelor — who usually thrived on privacy — found himself looking forward to their visit.Both knew novak rarely left his home for long, and while troubled about not being able to reach him, they felt certain that if something happened, ron would be able to fend for himself. Nicknamed “tarzan,” novak stood 6 feet tall and weighed more than 200 pounds. He also kept three guns in his home.Novak would never know why the two failed to arrive.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Rylee Gray

Age

2

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Two-year-old rylee m. Gray was taken to st. Lukes hospital in cedar rapids, iowa, at 8:48 a.M. On dec. 23, 1994, suffering from injuries to her head, buttocks, and extremities.The comatose little girl was brought in by her mother, elise gray, and gray’s boyfriend, matthew lewis. Lewis carried the child into the hospital.Doctors discovered the toddler had a subdural hematoma and brain swelling, and despite last-ditch medical surgery that removed 10 percent of her brain, died on christmas day.According to dr. Keith krewer, the pathologist who performed rylee’s autopsy, the 35-pound, 35-inch child’s head injuries were likely caused by both violent shaking and by having her head struck, smashed into something or injured when she was thrown down.

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

Name

Traci Evenson

Age

22

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Traci ann evenson, 22, was beaten and suffocated in her cedar rapids, iowa, apartment on saturday night, june 21, 1997. Evenson’s sister, jodi lynn jackson, discovered the body in evenson’s 438-1/2 ninth ave. Sw second-floor apartment the following morning at about 9 a.M. In a cedar rapids gazette article dated june 23, 1997, cedar rapids police lt. Ken washburn of the investigative unit said evenson died in the 36 hours before the discovery of her body, placing her death sometime after 9:30 saturday night.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Tyrone Gilbert

Age

28

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On thursday, june 21, 2001, tyrone gilbert, 28, of cedar rapids, iowa, was shot to death after rapping on a neighborhood porch window to seek safety. Inside the 412 15th st. Se home, an 18-year-old girl was babysitting her 11-year-old brother and his 11-year-old friend. The teen had been instructed not to open the door for any reason, and when someone frantically rapped at 1:35 a.M., she feared for both her safety and that of the two young boys entrusted to her care.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Willie Brocks

Age

49

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

About 7:15 a.M. On saturday, november 27, 1999, 49-year-old willie junior brocks was found in front of a home in the 400 block of 15th st. Se in cedar rapids. He had been shot in the head.Brocks resided at 702-1/2 l st. Sw in cedar rapids, and according to brenna griffith, the mother of six of his children, brocks had friends and relatives in southeast cedar rapids and it wouldn’t have been unusual for him to be there.Neighborhood residents described brocks, who used to live in the area, as a happy-go-lucky person popular for the unique bicycles he created and rode around the neighborhood.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Ronald Novak

Age

24

Cause of Death

Gun/Firearm

Info

Agency

Linn County Sheriff's Office