Silver Creek, NE Area Cold Cases

Name

Adrian Reuwsaat

Age

69

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Adrian charles reuwsaat, 69, was reported missing to the sioux city police department in sioux city, iowa, on november 3, 2002, and foul play has long been suspected in his disappearance.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Alicia Hummel

Age

29

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Alicia marie hummel, a 29-year-old preschool teacher from sioux city, iowa, was found dead in the missouri river monday afternoon, june 1, 2015, near the shore at a boat dock in myron grove, south dakota. The area — also known as the highline area — is about seven miles west of vermillion.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Allen Shoemaker

Age

36

Cause of Death

Hit And Run

Info

Allen f. Shoemaker — a police officer with the chicago and northwestern railroad police — was shot and killed on sunday, may 17, 1925, while conducting a railroad check in missouri valley, iowa.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Anthony Evans

Age

5

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Five-year-old anthony evans was struck by a hit-and-run driver in the 1000 block of 21st street in sioux city, iowa, on june 20, 2000.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Elizabeth Swetnam

Age

73

Cause of Death

Stabbing

Info

Betty swetnam, a 73-year-old grandmother who operated a massage business out of her 1610 west 19th st. Sioux city home’s basement, was brutally stabbed to death on friday december 31, 1993.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Brianne Smith

Age

25

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Brianne smith, a 25-year-old mother of three, disappeared from omaha, neb., in april 2006. Her body was discovered in a mills county, iowa, roadside ditch west of glenwood on june 10, 2006. Mills county in iowa mills county in iowa glenwood in mills countyglenwood in mills county the mills county sheriff’s office and the iowa division of criminal investigation (dci) reported on july 18, 2006 that the human remains found were smith’s.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Dale Robinson

Age

84

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

The moville police department is asking the public for help in locating dale robinson, who was reported missing on saturday, august 3, 2013. He was 84 years old at the time he disappeared. He was last seen aug. 3 while getting gas in moville at the 4-way stop shop. He left the service station driving his maroon and gray 2000 ford f-150 single cab pickup — iowa license plate number 870zcf, expiry date may 2014 — heading westbound on u.S. Highway 20 toward sioux city, and may have been en route to santa ana or paramount, california, or st. Joseph, missouri, according to initial reports. Robinson, described as 5-foot-6 and weighing between 90 and 116 pounds, suffered from early onset alzheimer’s. Dozens of people searched for the well-known robinson, a retired welder and fabricator who’d operated r&r sheet metal in moville for about 30 years. After retiring from the sheet metal business, robinson did voluntarily jobs all over the siouxland area, including mowing the grass at the woodbury county fairgrounds in moville and giving others rides to doctor appointments. Moville in woodbury county, ia moville in woodbury county, ia

Agency

Iowa

Name

Daniel Harden

Age

61

Cause of Death

Trauma

Info

The sioux city police department is seeking information on the murder of pastor daniel harden — sometimes referred to as “preacher” by friends — whose body was discovered around 4 a.M. Dec. 1, 2020, in a park place apartment at 2601 douglas street on the city’s north side. Harden had been dead for about a week and his body showed signs of blunt force trauma.

Agency

Iowa

Name

David Redowl Sr

Age

27

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

At approximately 2:00 a.M. On april 26, 1997, 27-year-old david redowl and his 24-year-old sister, sonja, had a physical altercation in the back yard of their mother’s residence at 610 west 3rd street in sioux city, iowa. Both redowl and his sister listed

Agency

Iowa

Name

Debra Barajas

Age

44

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Debra (debbie) ann barajas was last seen on thursday afternoon, may 25, 2006, heading to the omaha vicinity of park avenue and leavenworth in omaha, neb. When she didn’t arrive, she was reported missing to the nebraska missing persons information clearinghouse. Mills county in iowa mills county in iowa glenwood in mills countyglenwood in mills county nearly six months later on tuesday, november 14, 2006, barajas’ remains were discovered in a pacific junction ravine northwest of glenwood, iowa, near the 54300 block of 195th street in mills county, iowa. The rural community’s population barely topped 500 people.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Dennis Addlesberger

Age

46

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Dennis ray addlesberger, 46, was reported missing to the pottawattamie county sheriff’s office in council bluffs, iowa, on march 16, 1999. At the time of his disappearance, dennis was described as a 5-foot-7 white male weighing 165 pounds. His eyes are hazel, and he may have been completely bald. Officials have classified his case as “endangered / physical,” which refers to a person of any age who is missing under circumstances indicating his/her physical safety is in danger.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Donna Davis

Age

21

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Donna sue davis hadn’t yet reached her second birthday. The 21-month-old 21-pound blue-eyed girl with the mass of dark blond curly hair was the youngest of james (“don”) and mary davis’s three children, and her three prized possessions included her teddy bear, a rubber doll and a red purse. Eleven-year-old mary claire, the eldest of the siblings, had friends who resided in the same west side neighborhood in sioux city, ia, and they often could be seen pushing strollers and buggies around the block with donna sue and the other girls’ young siblings in tow. Timothy, 7, also had ample playmates within safe walking distance from the family’s 715 isabella street home. Everyone knew and loved donna sue, though seldom used her name. To them, she was simply “the darling of the neighborhood.”

Agency

Iowa

Name

Dung Truong

Age

37

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On monday, sept. 22, 1997, dung kim truong, a 37-year-old female vietnamese legal alien authorized to work in the united states, left the omaha home she shared with her boyfriend and went to the recently opened ameristar riverboat casino across the missouri river in council bluffs, iowa.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Earl Thelander

Age

25

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

The thieves had stripped propane gas lines from a country home — a house formerly owned by my grandparents — where earl and my mother, hope thelander, had been working and readying for a renter. Earl was life-flighted to the clarkson burn center at the university of nebraska hospital in omaha, where he died four days later on september 1. He and my mother would have celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary four months later on december 30. Also left behind were earl’s six children and five stepchildren, 22 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, four sisters and three brothers, and countless in-laws, loved ones and friends.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Edward Hickson

Age

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On february 15, 1978 at 4:14 a.M., council bluffs police department officers responded to a fire call in the 1500 block of south 6th street, where the fire department advised them there was an unresponsive person inside the rock island bunkhouse #27. The unresponsive male was taken by ambulance to mercy hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival and identified as edward leroy hickson. A witness to the incident advised police that on the same night as the fire at 4:05 a.M., he had observed a white male, 6’3 to 6’4 and wearing a brown stocking hat and black jacket, enter the rock island bunkhouse #27. The witness said the individual immediately came back out and went to a 1975 or 1976 buick or monte carlo, burgundy over white in color, removed something from inside the vehicle and then re-entered the building. The witness said he saw a green shirt hanging inside the car, and that a few minutes later the man exited the building and left in the same vehicle.

Agency

Iowa

Name

George Massouris

Age

30

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

George james massouris, a 30-year-old union pacific railroad carman who worked part-time as a taxicab driver, was found dead in a ditch on the old orchard road two miles east of council bluffs, iowa, on sunday morning, nov. 19, 1950. He’d been shot three times at the base of his skull with a .22 caliber automatic pistol.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Gloria Slump

Age

24

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On monday, march 6, 1967, burlington railroad employees found the frozen body of 24-year-old gloria fay slump under a trestle over pony creek three miles south of council bluffs, iowa. Pottawattamie county in iowa pottawattamie county in iowa council bluffs in pottawattamie countycouncil bluffs in pottawattamie county a trail of blood showed she was dragged to the site from a county road 150 yards away.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Humberto Cortez

Age

31

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On june 21, 1996, a partially decomposed male body was discovered in a rail car by a paxton & vierling steel co. Employee. The body was identified in december 2009 as that of humberto cortez.

Agency

Iowa

Name

James Nicoll

Age

52

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

James clark nicoll, a 52-year-old baker from perth, scotland, who emigrated to council bluffs, iowa with his wife and five children in 1871, was found dead tuesday morning, march 17, 1885, lying frozen in about 15 inches of water in a tenth avenue council bluffs ditch that led into indian creek. A successful businessman, nicoll was known as a well respected community member.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Jimmy Bremmers

Age

8

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

After dinner on tuesday, august 31, 1954, 8-year-old jimmy bremmers went to his friend joey hamel’s house two doors down from the bremmers home on sioux city’s west side. Jimmy’s parents had gone to lay brick for the basement of their new home, and though jimmy usually helped, this night he’d stayed behind to go visit his friend.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Joseph Floyd

Age

42

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

World war ii veteran joseph j. Floyd jr., 42, was shot in the head in the early morning hours on saturday, july 1, 1967, in council bluffs, iowa. Union pacific railroad switchman edward l. Stephen, 1000 cathy lane, contacted authorities around 10:30 a.M. Saturday after finding the body

Agency

Iowa

Name

John Adams Jr

Age

23

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

John p. Adams, jr., 23, of omaha died from a single gunshot to the head on july 11, 1982, after an altercation in council bluffs, iowa, with two men riding motorcycles. A witness told police the fight started in omaha after a traffic confrontation. Witnesses said the two motorcyclists had been arguing in the street by 25th and west broadway and that when the victim approached one of the two men, the offender shot the victim in the face. Adams fell to the ground in the 2400 block of west broadway street

Agency

Iowa

Name

John Conaway

Age

36

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

John steven “steve” conaway, 36, of council bluffs, iowa, went missing sometime on monday night, february 9, 1998. He was reported missing to the council bluffs police department on february 11, 1998. Conaway was last seen between 10 and 10:30 p.M. On feb. 9 at buffalo joe’s food & spirits, located near rosenblatt stadium in downtown omaha, nebraska. Conaway had gone there with a friend and had a few beers, and seemed to be in good spirits at the time

Agency

Iowa

Name

John Erickson

Age

48

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

On wednesday, april 30, 1997, vietnam veteran john lee erickson, 48, of council bluffs was shot in the head near mondamin, iowa, in harrison county. His killer or killers then dumped his body in a ditch off I-29 south of onawa in monona county

Agency

Iowa

Name

Johnny Shields

Age

32

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Johnny joe shields, who lived with his mother in carter lake, iowa, was heard leaving the residence at 2 a.M. On thursday, december 15, 1988, and has never returned to his residence nor contacted his family. The 32-year-old left personal belongings and his pickup truck behind, and was reported missing to the carter lake police department on friday, december 16, 1988

Agency

Iowa

Name

Judith Pleas

Age

17

Cause of Death

Strangulation

Info

Judith kaylene pleas, 17, was reported missing to the council bluffs police department in council bluffs, iowa, on august 10, 1973. On october 14, 1973, a farmer located the remains of a female in a cornfield outside council bluffs’ city limits and contacted the pottawattamie county sheriff’s office, who in turn notified the council bluffs police department

Agency

Iowa

Name

Kenneth Harker

Age

34

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Jim hathaway, jr. Vividly remembers his going away party the fall of ’96. The 34-year-old sioux cityan was heading out to phoenix, ariz., for classes to become a motorcycle mechanic. He’d invited his closest friends, all of whom shared his passion for harley-davidson bikes

Agency

Iowa

Name

Kevin Clark

Age

26

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Kevin earl clark, 26, formerly of riverside, calif., was shot just after 5 a.M. Sunday, december 8, 1991, after leaving a party in sioux city, iowa. According to the sioux city police department, clark and a group of friends had just left a party at 1514 villa avenue, and clark climbed into the back right passenger seat of a friend’s 1981 tan and brown chevy citation, which had been parked outside the villa avenue home

Agency

Iowa

Name

Kimberly Ratliff

Age

22

Cause of Death

Murder

Info

Council bluffs, iowa (wowt) – a pottawattamie county jury has found matt kennedy not guilty of the 1999 murder of kim ratliff. The week-long trial has been plagued by time. Ratliff was 22 years old when she was found murdered and put into her car 22 years ago. The 52-year-old broke down in tears after hearing he had been cleared of first-degree murder. Kennedy was accused of killing his step-sister kimberly ratliff. She was killed in 1999, her throat had been slashed. The prosecution tried to link small samples of kennedy’s dna, which was found on kimberly’s clothing, and said he was the last known person to see her alive.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Linda Mayfield

Age

21

Cause of Death

Stabbing

Info

On april 9, 1982 at 2:18 a.M., officers were called to the starlite motel at 3320 west broadway in council bluffs, iowa, regarding a disturbance involving a man with a knife. When officers arrived at the scene, linda mayfield, 21, was found lying face down by the north office door. The responding officer said the victim had several stab wounds to her face, chest, stomach, hand and foot.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Linn Snyder

Age

44

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Linn allen snyder, 44, was reported missing to the pottawattamie county sheriff’s office in council bluffs, iowa, on september 9, 2006. He is described as a 6’0″ white male weighing approximately 280 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes, and may have a beard or mustache. He has an unknown tattoo on his shoulder.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Manuel Ramirez

Age

6

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On monday night, march 7, 2011, sioux city police responded to a 911 call from 1417 virginia street, where they found 6-year-old manuel ramirez dead in the bathtub. Officers administered cpr but were unable to revive the irving elementary school first-grader. Manuel’s stepmother, maria miranda, told investigators she was watching television with other children downstairs while manuel was bathing alone upstairs.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Matthew Rice

Age

17

Cause of Death

Injury

Info

Matthew joel rice, a 17-year-old senior at westwood high school in sloan, iowa, died from injuries sustained after being struck by a vehicle during a hit-and-run on saturday, sept. 21, 2002.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Maurice Kneifl

Age

58

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

On february 16, 1983, 58-year-old maurice kneifl was reported missing to the sioux city police department by kneifl’s girlfriend, joyce fish — whom he’d been dating for many years — and her daughter, lori. 1981-dark-brown-fleetwood-cadillac-maurice-kneiflcourtesy pinterest maurice kneifl was last seen driving a 1981 dark brown or black fleetwood cadillac similar to the one shown above. The vehicle also remains missing. Maurice reportedly was last seen on february 14, 1983, driving his 1981 dark brown fleetwood cadillac, iowa license plate, hiz379.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Mohama Baba

Age

22

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Mohama samsoudina baba, 22, was reported missing to the council bluffs police department on december 3, 2005. Mohama was last seen wearing a gray sweater and pants at approximately 3:00 a.M. At his residence in the vicinity of the 800 block of n. 35th st. In council bluffs, iowa. All personal belongings were left behind.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Patricia Jauron

Age

45

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On tuesday morning, may 26, 1998, sometime between 9 and 9:45 a.M., patricia anne “pat” jauron, 45, was viciously stabbed several times in the rural sioux city home she and her husband, eugene “gene” jauron, had vacated six months earlier. The couple had just moved out of one home at 1516 old highway 141 and into another across the road at 1541 old highway 141, and had been selling off the last few items from the former home.According to gene jauron — who spent more than 40 years as a meter reader for midamerican energy — the couple had held an earlier yard sale and a person who’d attended the yard sale allegedly called several times afterward inquiring about purchasing the waterbed and setting up a time to meet.Patricia, who’d just retired from the sergeant bluff middle school, went across the road at the scheduled appointment time, and, according to her husband, was “supposed to be gone only for a few moments.”

Agency

Iowa

Name

Paul Brule

Age

30

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Paul michael brule, a 30-year-old council bluffs, iowa man who received $10,000 weekly payouts from lottery winnings, was slain in his sixth avenue home in the early morning hours on saturday, july 25, 1998, and his death poorly staged to mimic a suicide. Brule’s father, michael brule, and sisters michelle (brule) stephens and jamie brule discovered his lifeless body behind the 2118 sixth avenue home after finding his motorcycle out front on its side.The three found brule’s body slumped against a tree — his knees touching the ground — with a nylon clothesline rope tied around his neck.Brule wasn’t breathing when council bluffs police arrived, and officials determined time of death as sometime between 1:45 and 7 a.M.

Agency

Iowa

Name

John Stephens

Age

32

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Council bluffs police officer john l. Stephens, 32, and paul j. Rayer, 51, were shot and killed on tuesday, december 5, 1967, during a robbery of “club 64,” an upscale steakhouse about a half-mile east of council bluffs’ city limits where stephens moonlighted as a plain-clothes security guard. Robbery appeared to be the motive. Officer stephens was to accompany rayer, the restaurant’s manager, to the council bluffs savings bank at about 2 a.M. After the business closed and daily receipts counted. Both men’s bodies were found dead in the restaurant’s office about five hours later when a club employee arrived for regular clean up work. Wichael also said there may have been more bullets fired.“we think they were fired from two different guns — one probably a .25-caliber and the other a .38 — indicating we think that there were two men doing the shooting,” wichael is quoted as saying in the article.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Paul Rayer

Age

51

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Council bluffs police officer john l. Stephens, 32, and paul j. Rayer, 51, were shot and killed on tuesday, december 5, 1967, during a robbery of “club 64,” an upscale steakhouse about a half-mile east of council bluffs’ city limits where stephens moonlighted as a plain-clothes security guard. Robbery appeared to be the motive. Officer stephens was to accompany rayer, the restaurant’s manager, to the council bluffs savings bank at about 2 a.M. After the business closed and daily receipts counted. Both men’s bodies were found dead in the restaurant’s office about five hours later when a club employee arrived for regular clean up work. Wichael also said there may have been more bullets fired.“we think they were fired from two different guns — one probably a .25-caliber and the other a .38 — indicating we think that there were two men doing the shooting,” wichael is quoted as saying in the article.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Robert Bates III

Age

39

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Robert bruce “kip” bates — a 39-year-old marine who fought in operation desert storm — was shot twice around 10 p.M. Thursday, sept. 27, 2007, at the carter lake “jump start” convenience store after stepping outside to take a break.He never should have been there.Bates’ girlfriend, tracy kaiser, expected to deliver the couple’s child within the month, and bates hadn’t been scheduled to work that night but switched schedules with another employee.Bates worked alone at the store that night, and when he went out the front door to take a break, was shot twice in about two seconds.“the shooter did walk up to the store entrance where he was met by the victim,” said pottawattamie county deputy sgt. Dwayne riche.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Robert Hatcher

Age

38

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

On march 8, 2007, robert scott hatcher, 38, was shot seven times near playland park in council bluffs, iowa, as he stood on the iowa riverfront trail beneath the interstate 480 bridge on the city’s western edge.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Ronald Zellmer

Age

31

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

At approximately 5:50 a.M. On april 6, 1985, south sioux city, neb., police located a 1984 chevy cavalier, registered to a ronald zellmer, age 31, parked on the south end of the veterans memorial bridge. The vehicle was left unattended with the motor running.Sioux city police were called to check zellmer’s residence at 1003 pierce street, apt. B-3, and found it empty with nothing unusual within the apartment.Later the following day, ronald’s mother lucille was asked to come to the sioux city police station where she filed a missing persons report.Ronald was described as a 5-foot-10 white male weighing 170 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes. He may have a mustache.According to family members, ronald zellmer was very depressed and had suffered from depression for years. A search of the missouri river proved unsuccessful in retrieving zellmer’s body.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Thecla Gerken

Age

23

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On wednesday night, june 27, 1917, thecla m. Gerken of woonsocket, south dakota, was shot and killed while out for a walk with a friend in sioux city, iowa. Gerken, 23, was accompanying miss mabel houlihan, 922 ninth street, on a walk, and the girls walked arm in arm up jones street. Gerken was staying at the home of dr. H.H. Hagedorn at 1017 jones street. As they neared eighth street, the two girls said goodbye, and then parted for night.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Wilbur Brown

Age

47

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On september 14, 1997, around 5:30 a.M., a sioux city resident returning home noticed 47-year-old wilbur brown lying on the ground between the curb and the sidewalk in front of 603 west 5th street.Brown appeared unconscious but was moaning, and the neighbor was unable to rouse him.Sioux city police were called at approximately 5:34 a.M., and brown was transported to an area hospital where he died shortly thereafter.An autopsy revealed brown had been beaten about the head and body and died as a result of those injuries.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Patricia Jauron

Age

45

Cause of Death

Knife/Stabbing

Info

Agency

Woodbury County Sheriff's Office

Name

Maurice Kneifl

Age

58

Cause of Death

Murder

Info

Was last seen on february 14, 1983 driving his 1981 dark brown fleetwood cadillac. He never arrived to pick up his girlfriend and didn't show for work the following day. Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the sioux city police department at 712-279-6440.

Agency

Sioux City Police Department

Name

Andrea Georgeson

Age

42

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Andrea georgeson was working her first overnight shift at her second job when she was murdered. She was savagely ripped from our lives, leaving a hole in our hearts. Please help us find closure for our beloved daughter, sister, and aunt.

Agency

Omaha

Name

Anthony Hollingsworth Jr

Age

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

The day we learned of anthony's tragic death was the day our world shattered into a million pieces. The void left by him is a constant ache in our souls. Every milestone, every family gathering, and every quiet moment is tinged with the absence of him. We ask for justice, not just for anthony, but for all of us who continue to carry the burden of his loss every day.

Agency

Omaha

Name

Antonio Simonds

Age

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Antonio or montez as his family called him, was a family-oriented man. He had some bumps in the road but was able to turn his life around. He started working full-time, got an apartment and focused on his 2 kids. He was taken away from his family before he could start.

Agency

Omaha

Name

Antonio Taliaferro

Age

18

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Antonio was a loving son, brother, nephew, cousin and friend who loved to play basketball. His beautiful eyes and smile were everything to his mother. He is truly missed and will live forever through everyone that he loved and loved him.

Agency

Omaha