Randalia, IA Area Cold Cases

Name

Ashley Downing

Age

77

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Barely a year after his wife’s death, ashley downing, a 77-year-old chicken farmer, was shot and killed wednesday, jan. 4, 1933, inside his rural westgate home. Downing lived alone on a 240-acre farm about eight miles northwest of oelwein. He owned a total of about 800 acres in fayette county, and also owned around 800 acres in minnesota.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Nels Louvring

Age

51

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Sometime between 11 and 11:30 p.M. On saturday, july 29, 1933, nels pedersen louvring, 51, was shot at his fayette, iowa home shortly after arriving home from work. Louvring, owner of dixie oil co. (aka nels louvring filling station), left the filling station at approximately 11 p.M. He parked his car in the family’s 315 water street garage, and was shot just as he was leaving the garage. A .38 caliber bullet — which entered louvring’s left side just above his waist and exited near his right shoulder — indicated the perpetrator had been kneeling and/or sitting low in wait to ambush louvring. Louvring staggered from the yard towards his home’s kitchen door, where he finally collapsed.Officials found him dead in a pool of blood, the cigar cash box and keys still near the victim’s hands. A .38 caliber shell casing was found embedded in the wood near the garage door.Louvring’s [second] Wife amy, and his stepdaughter’s family found him collapsed over the kitchen threshold — cash and receipts scattered around him — shortly after they heard the shot. The entire family — including louvring’s wife, his stepdaughter, stepson, and their respective spouses — had been at the store that night and departed the main st. Business just half an hour before louvring left the business to return home.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Pitt Doxsie

Age

34

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

On tuesday, october 26, 1897, patrolman pitt mcclellan doxsie, 34, was shot and killed in independence, iowa during a gunfight with two thieves. Patrolman doxsie had been patrolling the city’s downtown area on horseback when he stumbled on a burglary in progress.His body was discovered in an alley, and neither of the two thieves were ever apprehended.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Valerie Klossowsky

Age

14

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On tuesday morning, june 15, 1971, the partially clad body of 14-year-old valerie lynn klossowsky of waverly, iowa, was found on a creek bank under a bridge on a lonely country road three miles west of denver and about 10 miles southeast of waverly. An autopsy indicated the waverly-shell rock junior high school student had been strangled sometime late sunday or early monday.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Harold Doerring

Age

66

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Sixty-six-year-old harold doerring was reported missing to the winneshiek county sheriff’s office in decorah, iowa, on february 16, 1997. Authorities found harold doerring’s truck abandoned on highway 218 south of mount pleasant in henry county on february 23, 1997. When they tried to contact him about the vehicle but could not find him, they discovered no one had seen doerring since february 16 in cedar falls, iowa.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Rhonda Knutson

Age

22

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Early on monday, september 7, 1992, rhonda anette knutson was murdered while working the 9 p.M. To 5 a.M. Shift at the phillips 66 convenience store in williamstown, iowa, in chickasaw county.The store manager found knutson’s body monday morning around 4:45 a.M. In a room near the back of the store.The williamstown store was open 24 hours a day and located six miles south of new hampton on u.S. Highway 63 and one-quarter mile north of highway junctions 63, 18, and 346.An autopsy concluded knutson died after being bludgeoned to death, and there were no signs of sexual assault.

Agency

Iowa