South English, IA Area Cold Cases
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Name
Denease LathamAge
24Cause of Death
SuspiciousInfo
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
Douglas Shondel IIAge
21Cause of Death
UndeterminedInfo
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
Frank SearwayAge
43Cause of Death
MurderInfo
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 BurkertAge
22Cause of Death
HomicideInfo
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 AtkisonAge
32Cause of Death
HomicideInfo
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 RogersAge
46Cause of Death
MissingInfo
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 JellisonAge
74Cause of Death
HomicideInfo
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 PlucarAge
74Cause of Death
ShootingInfo
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
Steven BabkaAge
58Cause of Death
MissingInfo
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