Mount Carmel, IA Area Cold Cases

Name

Angela Altman

Age

22

Cause of Death

Stabbing

Info

Four-year-old jessica marie altman found her mother’s dead body saturday afternoon, jan. 24, 1981, in the fort dodge apartment where the two lived together. Angela marie altman, 22, lay partially nude on the kitchen floor — stabbed and strangled.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Bertha Foy

Age

18

Cause of Death

Murder

Info

Bertha mae foy was killed in fort dodge, iowa, on august 9, 1987. The young mother left behind three small children, ages 3, 2, and a 9-month-old baby. Two men were questioned in foy’s murder but no one was ever charged.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Dawn Allen

Age

50

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Dawn marlene allen, 50, was reported missing to the carroll police department in carroll, iowa, on may 4, 2011, after she failed to show up for work as a manager for a local subway. Carroll county in iowa carroll county in iowa carroll in carroll countycarroll in carroll county allen’s boss said she had worked at the carroll subway for 21 years and had never been late or missed work.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Douglas Nielsen

Age

17

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

In the early morning hours on friday, october 18, 1974, douglas a. Nielsen was shot and killed during a house party at the home of mr. And mrs. Earl garrison in humboldt, iowa. Nielsen, 17, was shot in the kidney area of the lower back with a .22-caliber firearm. Nielsen’s body was found at approximately 1 a.M. In the garrison’s basement game room, where investigators said they also seized several other weapons.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Gregory Howell

Age

44

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

But his family says he never deserved what he got. “we used to snowmobile race. We used to go to minnesota every sunday. Race drag sleds. I mean we just had a blast,” says greg’s brother frank. Frank howell remembers the good times. But he knows his brother had a dark side, the drugs that played jekyll and hyde with his personality, and probably led to his death. “I told him, I said you need to slow down,” frank says. “you got a family. You got a good family. You need to grow up. He wanted to be a kid. He lived a fast life.”

Agency

Iowa

Name

Lisa McCuddin

Age

23

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

On october 2, 2004 — just four days before her 24th birthday — lisa ann mccuddin was shot while riding with a friend on the way to breakfast at the holiday inn in fort dodge, iowa. Webster county in iowa webster county in iowa fort dodge in webster countyfort dodge in webster county officers initially responded to a call from trinity regional medical center, also in fort dodge, where a man had gone after suffering a gunshot wound at the holiday inn. When police went to the hotel to investigate the shooting, another car pulled into the parking lot, driven by a man who said he and a female passenger had just been shot while driving to the hotel.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Lorri Alexander

Age

50

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Lorri lynn alexander, 50, of fort dodge, iowa, was found deceased in the early morning hours on thursday, dec. 29, 2016, inside an empty apartment at the cadwell building in fort dodge. Fort dodge police and medical personnel found alexander’s remains after a report of an unresponsive woman was called in to the webster county law enforcement center. Webster county in iowa webster county in iowa fort dodge in webster countyfort dodge in webster county officials determined alexander had died before their arrival.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Mamie Sime

Age

74

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Shortly after 4 a.M. On tuesday, march 31, 1981, a fire broke out in the home of mamie sime on the outskirts of rolfe, iowa. Firemen answered the alarm at 4:30 a.M., and arrived to find the house fully engulfed in flames.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Marvin Brandland

Age

69

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Marvin brandland, 69, and his wife, ethel, had spent saturday evening, oct. 30, 1982, handing out candy to trick-or-treaters when another person knocked on their fort dodge home’s door. Someone wearing a pillowcase with holes cut out for eyes stood outside.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Pamela Shadle

Age

48

Cause of Death

Suicide/Murder

Info

For two years prior to her death, pamela shadle insisted someone was trying to kill her. She told her family she “knew too much” about local political corruption, and said if she ended up dead or shot, it wouldn’t be because she’d taken her own life. Under normal circumstances, it may have seemed odd talk for the dakota city, iowa, wife and mother of two who enjoyed caring for her pets, attending garage sales and auctions, or visiting with friends and enjoying music. But in the seven years before her death – particularly the last two – pamela shadle’s life had become anything but normal.Shortly after graduating from ft. Dodge high school in 1978, pam married her “best friend,” dorman “dean” shadle, and the couple had made their home in the thor and bode areas before moving to dakota city. For many years pam was employed in the chantland’s south plant, and later worked for casey’s general store in dakota city.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Roger Brown

Age

55

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Roger alan brown, 55, was found dead inside his trailer in the 200 block of eighth street sw in dayton, iowa, on wednesday morning, september 30, 2015. A news release from the iowa department of public safety said the man appeared to have died from a gunshot wound, but did not initially classify his death as a homicide.The body was sent to the iowa office of the state medical examiner in ankeny that same day, and the iowa division of criminal investigation (dci) called in to assist in the investigation.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Sandra Vanderhoef

Age

42

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Sandra vanderhoef was reported missing to the webster county sheriff’s office in fort dodge, iowa, on september 22, 1986.She wears glasses, has a scar on her abdomen, scars on both knees and a mole on her back.She is described as an american indian or alaskan native, 5’07” and weighing approximately 210 pounds.The iowa department of public safety classifies vanderhoef’s disappearance as “endangered / physical,” which includes a person of any age who is missing under circumstances indicating his/her physical safety is in danger.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Elna Peterson

Age

8

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On thursday, may 6, 1971, 8-year-old valerie peterson was killed by a hit-and-run driver around 4 p.M. While riding her bicycle off the side of the road in front of the manson augustana lutheran church. One other girl — the friend with whom valerie was riding bikes — was riding up ahead of valerie and said she saw a blue-green pickup truck with two or three men inside traveling north at a high rate of speed. They appeared to have long hair, and the girl believed the truck had some sort of equipment in the flatbed.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Virgil Untied

Age

33

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Town marshal virgil untied was shot five times thursday, july 23, 1931, by three assailants in minburn, iowa, who were looting a local grocery store.The 33-year-old marshal — married and a father of three daughters — was summoned to the gootschalk grocery around 3:30 a.M. When the thieves awakened miss lena west, a telephone operator, as they tried breaking into the safe.Untied and two other men located the trio in the shaw grocery store, but the robbers opened fire as the marshal crossed the railroad tracks. While his companions returned fire, untied crawled to the station platform where he collapsed, the the daily iowan reported on friday, july 24, 1931.More than 10 shots were exchanged in the gunfire, with five slugs hitting untied and one of the bullets piercing his eye and lodging in his brain.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Wendel Clark

Age

30

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Wendel clark, 30, of fort dodge, iowa, died wednesday, oct. 7, 2015, of two gunshot wounds after being shot in the driver’s seat of his car about a block from his home.The state medical examiner’s office ruled his death a homicide.The following stories and reports detail the information about this unsolved murder.

Agency

Iowa

Name

William Freimuth

Age

71

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

William h. Freimuth, a 71-year-old fort dodge service station attendant, was shot in the back of the head around 9 p.M. On thursday, february 16, 1961, by a gunman who took $140 from the cash register.The elderly freimuth had been working alone in the fawkes standard service station — located on highway 20 about six blocks east of the fort dodge business district — while another employee was away from the station for between 10 and 15 minutes.After the second employee returned to the gas station around 9:10 p.M., he found freimuth on the floor in the station’s grease rack and notified police.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Alonzo Beghtel

Age

81

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Alonzo “lon” beghtel, an 81-year-old retired farmer, was found beaten to death near his guthrie center, iowa, home on wednesday, january 18, 1950.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Floyd Alborn

Age

76

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Floyd william alborn, a 76-year-old bachelor, was found shot to death in his rural panora, iowa, home on friday evening, november 8, 1974. Alborn lived alone at his farm on the guthrie and dallas county line one-fourth mile north of highway 44. His sister and brother-in-law, freda and lawrence mills, discovered his body, the guthrian reported on monday, november 25, 1974.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Gregg Nimmo

Age

44

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Gregg andrew nimmo, 44, of adel, iowa, was found with severe head injuries on a gravel road in dexter, iowa, on sunday, aug. 28, 2011. Nimmo lay bleeding from head wounds on a gravel road just outside beaver lake campground in dallas county. Several individuals allegedly witnessed the manner in which a known female killed nimmo. Tire tracks ran up and down both ditch sides as the driver attempted to throw nimmo from the truck and then deliberately ran him over.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Myrtle Cumpston

Age

60

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Myrtle zelda cumpston, 60, was shot and killed in the display area of her rural dallas county business — c & k aqualand, incorporated — on tuesday, march 9, 1965. Cumpston co-owned the tropical fish aquarium near adel, iowa, with business partner and neighbor, mrs. Robert king.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Roscoe Harris

Age

46

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

On july 6, 1963, 46-year-old roscoe donnel harris was shot in the left chest with a single shot .22 caliber rifle.When the iowa division of criminal investigation (dci) established a cold case unit in 2009, harris’ murder was one of approximately 150 cases listed on the cold case unit’s new website as those the dci hoped to solve using latest advancements in dna technology.Although federal grant funding for the dci cold case unit was exhausted in december 2011, the dci continues to assign agents to investigate cold cases as new leads develop or as technological advances allow for additional forensic testing of original evidence.The dci remains committed to resolving iowa’s cold cases and will continue to work diligently with local law enforcement partners to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice for the victims and their families.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Brenda Dailey

Age

53

Cause of Death

Beaten

Info

Brenda dailey, 53, was badly beaten in her mapleton, iowa, home on monday, aug. 24, 2015, before being pushed down her basement stairs. According to a press release issued tuesday by the iowa department of public safety, the mapleton police department received a 911 call for an unresponsive female at 702 monona street in mapleton on monday, aug. 24, at approximately 10:30 a.M.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Connie Ruddy

Age

21

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Connie ruddy, a 21-year-old mother of two, was reported missing from her ida grove, iowa home on monday, february 10, 1997. Her 2-year-old daughter and 3-month-old son were found alone inside the residence, unharmed. Ruddy had last been seen by her sister around 11 p.M. Saturday, february 8, in ruddy’s home. About 10:30 a.M. Monday, a friend stopped by and discovered ruddy gone and her children alone. Ruddy’s car was still at the house and she hadn’t taken her purse.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Daniel Hieber

Age

58

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Aniel “dan” hieber, 58, of castana, iowa, was found unresponsive and near death at the bottom of a staircase in a mapleton residence early on sunday, sept. 20, 2015. An ambulance transported hieber to mercy medical center in sioux city, where he was pronounced dead. Mapleton police were summoned to the 823 main street home around 1:25 a.M. By the woman who owned the home, who told officers hieber had “fallen down the stairs.”

Agency

Iowa

Name

George Dean Jr

Age

55

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On wednesday evening, june 29, 1966, george earl dean, jr. Was found deceased in the street in front of his mapleton, iowa home. Dean had suffered fractured facial bones and fractured ribs on the left side, leading officials to believe he had been struck by a car. According to a 2009 report by the iowa division of criminal investigation cold case unit, the investigation into dean’s death revealed he likely had been having an affair with a woman known as “mrs. Carley,” who also resided in mapleton.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Jesse Nimajapol

Age

18

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

The denison police department is asking for the public’s help in finding 18-year-old jesse govani nimajapol, of denison, who was last seen on july 14, 2017, and reported missing to the denison police department

Agency

Iowa

Name

Joseph Riche

Age

40

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

The missing person, joseph edward riche, 40, allegedly left his residence in neola, iowa on the morning of october 12, 2012. There has been no social media presence and none of his relatives or close friends have heard from him since that date

Agency

Iowa

Name

Leo Smith

Age

56

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Early thursday, april 10, 1969, iowa highway patrol officers discovered the body of 56-year-old leo joseph smith — a veteran who served with the 749th military police battalion during world war ii — at the highway 20 rest area about 30 miles east of sioux city in woodbury county, iowa. Smith’s throat had been cut. Later that same day, two girls found an unidentified man under a truck in northeast sioux city’s industrial area. That man’s throat also had been slashed, leading authorities to first believe the two murders may be connected. The following day, however, a 35-year-old pittsburgh steel worker was arrested and charged in the unidentified man’s homicide.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Frank Eckels

Age

73

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Frank johnston eckels, 73, was shot and wounded during a holdup at his motel and café in oakland, iowa, on wednesday, december 3, 1958. Eckels died three days later on saturday, december 6, at a council bluffs hospital

Agency

Iowa