Taopi, MN Area Cold Cases

Name

Ethan Kazmerzak

Age

22

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Ethan kazmerzak, 22, was reported missing to the hampton police department in hampton, iowa, on sept. 15, 2013. Hampton in franklin county hampton in franklin county franklin county in iowa franklin county in iowa he was last seen in rural hampton around 12 a.M. Sunday, sept. 15, 2013, and wore a teal/white printed shirt and peach/orange shorts. According to findethan.Com, kazmerzak was seen in several area pubs on sept. 14, including pit row and the red moose in hampton as well as duck’s in aredale. He reportedly was last seen at a party at a gravel pit pond located behind a house in the 1400 block of 190th street. Police say kazmerzak’s cell phone was last used around 12:30 a.M. On sept. 15 at the intersection of 190th street and olive avenue, and that his atm card has reportedly not been used since sept. 14.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Julie Benning

Age

18

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

She had a quick smile and a zany laugh. She was bright, beautiful, spunky, and ambitious. She loved getting out to meet people and making things happen. She loved live music and the weekly top 100 countdown. Her creativity spilled over into every aspect of her life; she not only designed and sewed her own dresses, but painted landscapes and portraits of all things closest to her heart.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Roberta Crawford

Age

53

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Roberta “bobbi” crawford was a fireball. She worked as the registrar at ellsworth community college and raised her son as a single mom. The 53-year-old also loved racquetball, skydiving, and being a grandmother. To her son, lee, she was more than a mother — she was a friend.All that disappeared in an instant when, sometime between late tuesday night, november 16, 1999, and early wednesday morning, november 17, bobbi crawford was murdered inside the small hampton, iowa home where she lived alone. Police found crawford’s body wednesday after co-workers contacted authorities when she failed to show up for work. Crawford had worked as an administrative assistant at the college for nearly 25 years.Someone had cut what they thought were the phone lines and then broke in, killing her in her bedroom. Burglary didn’t seem to be the motive. Nor had crawford been sexually assaulted.On nov. 30, franklin county medical examiner keith hansen said crawford died from blunt trauma to the head. Roberta “bobbi” crawford’s trauma to the head led to hemorrhaging and death, he said.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Tammy Nitcher

Age

2

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

First, it was 2-1/2-month-old tammy in january 1972. Two months later in march, 2-year-old sarah. Fast forward four years — and to another state — to 3-month-old crystal. And finally, almost a year to the day after crystal’s death, the youngest of them all — misti, just 5 weeks old.One by one, helen nitcher’s daughters all died under mysterious circumstances.Patterns got missed. Medical examiners struggled with inconclusive autopsy reports. But helen c. (née tenery) nitcher, later known as crystal price, had two dead daughters within 2-1/2 months — in iowa, that is — until nitcher relocated and the pattern repeated in abilene, texas.Two more dead infant daughters followed.News reports on the four girls’ successive deaths also had a strikingly familiar ring; officials reported all three infants, as well as the 2-year-old, dead on arrival.The mother’s explanations for the short-lived lives were conflicting at best; the stories varied depending on the city and state where the obituaries appeared, leaving astute readers as mystified as iowa and texas medical examiners, who never could quite pinpoint exact causes or manners of death.Iowa coroners had no way of knowing nitcher left iowa after her first two daughters’ deaths, only to have two more infants die in texas. And texas officials apparently were unaware of the two previous iowa deaths.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Sarah Marie Nitcher

Age

2

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

First, it was 2-1/2-month-old tammy in january 1972. Two months later in march, 2-year-old sarah. Fast forward four years — and to another state — to 3-month-old crystal. And finally, almost a year to the day after crystal’s death, the youngest of them all — misti, just 5 weeks old.One by one, helen nitcher’s daughters all died under mysterious circumstances.Patterns got missed. Medical examiners struggled with inconclusive autopsy reports. But helen c. (née tenery) nitcher, later known as crystal price, had two dead daughters within 2-1/2 months — in iowa, that is — until nitcher relocated and the pattern repeated in abilene, texas.Two more dead infant daughters followed.News reports on the four girls’ successive deaths also had a strikingly familiar ring; officials reported all three infants, as well as the 2-year-old, dead on arrival.The mother’s explanations for the short-lived lives were conflicting at best; the stories varied depending on the city and state where the obituaries appeared, leaving astute readers as mystified as iowa and texas medical examiners, who never could quite pinpoint exact causes or manners of death.Iowa coroners had no way of knowing nitcher left iowa after her first two daughters’ deaths, only to have two more infants die in texas. And texas officials apparently were unaware of the two previous iowa deaths.

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

William Meadows

Age

36

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Town marshal william lawrence meadows, 36, was shot and killed on monday, january 23, 1961, while investigating a burglary in progress at the hartmann packing plant in plainfield, iowa.Meadows, who’d worked his family’s farm for years and also volunteered as a scoutmaster, had barely stepped through the packing plant’s front entrance just after 2:15 a.M. Before being shot through the heart by what authorities believed to be a high-powered 30-30-caliber deer rifle. Meadows died instantly.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Andrew Hatges

Age

75

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Andrew “andy” hatges, 75, owner of the former west vu market located at 2601 fourth st. S.W. In mason city, was found dead in his home on friday, march 8, 1968, after he didn’t open the store that morning.

Agency

Iowa

Name

William Pruin

Age

43

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

William thomas “billy” pruin, 43, was shot at his rural mason city, iowa, home on tuesday, april 4, 1995. Cerro gordo county in iowa cerro gordo county in iowa mason city in cerro gordo countymason city in cerro gordo county two days before his death, he’d proposed to his girlfriend, gretchen tusler. Officials initially ruled his death a suicide, but later changed the status to undetermined.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Brian Blachut

Age

30

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Brian richard blachut, 30, of lake mills, iowa, disappeared after leaving the blue moon saloon in scarville, iowa, about 2 a.M. On sunday, november 21, 1993. At approximately 10 a.M., blachut’s four-wheel drive datsun 1981 pickup truck was found partially submerged in a drainage ditch on the west side of winnebago county road a-16, about two miles east of scarville. Tracks indicated the vehicle had gone down into the ditch on the road’s east side, circled in the field, crossed back over the blacktop road and then gone back into the ditch on the road’s west side.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Gary Lack

Age

58

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Cause of death: drowning (in own blood) after a hospice nurse illegally administered a fatal dosage of an unprescribed drug she’d stolen from another client original investigating agency: medicare, iowa board of nursing, and iowa department of inspection and appea

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

Jodi Huisentruit

Age

27

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Today marks the 25th anniversary of jodi huisentruit’s disappearance in mason city. We pause today to stand with jodi’s family as they remember her and remain hopeful for answers about her disappearance. The investigation into her disappearance continues and is an active case being worked by the mason city police department and the iowa division of criminal investigation. We appreciate the work the media has done to keep jodi’s story in the public eye in support of our investigative efforts

Agency

Iowa

Name

Lowell Stumo

Age

48

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Lowell stumo, 48, a former u.S. Army sgt. Who served in vietnam, was shot to death sometime on sunday, december 7, 1997, near his farmhouse southwest of northwood, iowa.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Lucille DeVries

Age

22

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Lucille elaine devries, a 22-year-old insurance firm secretary and restaurant waitress, was found dead early wednesday, oct. 10, 1962, in the back seat of her fire-gutted auto outside her mason city, iowa home.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Mildred Clemenson

Age

81

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Mildred adaline “millie” clemenson, 81, was brutally slain on monday, nov. 9, 1998, inside her rural kensett, iowa, mobile home — a home about seven miles west of kensett and directly attached to the family farmhouse clemenson owned at 3926 ironwood avenue.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Norma Horgen

Age

18

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Around 8:15 p.M. On saturday, september 10, 1966, a fisherman found 18-year-old norma jean horgen’s body near clear lake’s northwest shore. The st. Ansgar teen — a student at the mason city school of cosmetology — was discovered in about four feet of water. Officials determined cause of death as drowning, though did not rule out foul play.Dr. A.J. Kerlitzka, the county medical examiner, said alcohol was found in the teen’s blood, but said the alcoholic content did not indicate intoxication and that horgen had not consumed an excessive amount.In an austin (mn) daily herald news article dated saturday, sept. 17, 1966, cerro gordo county attorney b. Michael dunn said 75 to 80 people had been questioned in the case and would be reinterviewed in efforts to clarify some discrepancies — particularly the time element in horgen’s death.

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

Name

Rodney Olsen

Age

32

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Rodney olsen, a 32-year-old rural mason city farmer, left his farm around 1 a.M. Saturday, oct. 18, 1986, with intentions of visiting someone and was never seen alive again. Olsen had a young son and farmed northeast of mason city. He had moved from his native britt area not too long before he disappeared.He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a brown shirt, and is described as a 6-foot white male with brown hair, brown eyes, and weighing about 210 pounds. He has dark shoulder-length curly hair and usually is clean shaven.Several months later, olsen’s car, a black 1978 pontiac sunbird, was found in a forest city trailer park. No clues were found to indicate what happened to olsen, according to reports at that time.Myrlen olsen said he keeps in contact with the cerro gordo county sheriff’s department, in hopes new information about the case can be developed.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Roger Joynt

Age

26

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

On friday, september 29, 1978, the body of roger joynt, 26, was found in a ditch 2.5 miles east of interstate-35 on county road b-20 around the mason city area in cerro gordo county, iowa.Joynt, who resided at 509 n. Jefferson avenue in mason city, had been shot eight times with a small-caliber weapon.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