Murder of James Clark Nicoll

 In 1871 James and Amelia Nicoll would come over to America from Scotland. The couple had 7 children in total 2 of which were born in Iowa where they settled. He would then establish the first baker in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It was located on the north side of Broadway across from Ogden Hotel. The family would live above the bakery. By 1884 the business would thrive allowing them to build one at 130 West Broadway, where he moved his home and business.

Around 8 pm on March 16, 1885, 52-year-old James would leave his home. at 10 the next day James body was found in a ditch that led to Indian Creek on Tenth Ave by a man passing by. He was frozen in the 15 inches of water. His hand and one shoulder were the only things seen above the ice. He was weirdly enough not wearing his hat, shoes, or stockings. It was unknown how or why he had died, but it was suspicious. 

SOURCES:

Iowa Cold Cases

Find a Grave

June 11, 1952 Tama County, Iowa Baby John Doe

On June 11, 1952. road construction was happening along the route of U.S. Highway 30, about four miles west of Tama, Iowa. A construction worker discovered a box 350 feet east of the Raven Creek bridge on the south side of the roadway. The box was a Wilson Packing Company box marked “chili.” and was wrapped with a cord.

The worker would open the box to find something horrifying. Inside the box were two packages wrapped with newspapers and tea towels. Inside the packages was the horrifying sight of the body of a baby boy. The other package was the afterbirth. It was found that the baby had blunt force trauma to the head and the baby was alive for 2 and a half to 3 hours.

They were the April 17 and May 8 issues of The Marshalltown Times-Republican. The newspapers had no mailing address attached, but two “stars” were discovered in the newspapers. This indicated they had been delivered on a Marshalltown city route. One tea towel had the embroidery of a lamb in one corner and the other had the numeral 49 in black.

John Doe was a white male newborn. He was fully developed. He weighed 8 lbs and had blonde hair.

SOURCES:
Iowa Cold Cases

Suspicious Death of Henry Hults

At about 6:30 am on March 22, 1963, 62-year-old Henry Hults was found dead in his backyard about 15 feet from his house in Oxford Junction, Iowa. He had been badly burned and there were several patches of burned ground near him. It's possible this was from him trying to stop the flames. The fire had caused his death. 

It's not stated why they think it is a murder and not an accident. That is why I titled it a suspicious death. 

SOURCES:
Iowa Cold Cases
Find a Grave

Disappearance of William "Bill" LeRoy Douglas Sr.

Around 10:30 am on February 4, 2004, 63-year-old William "Bill" Douglas was at his cattle farm in the vicinity of the 3000 block of Pacific Street in Woodburn, Iowa. He spoke to his mother on the phone but had to hang up because someone was at the door. He was never heard from again. 

There were no signs of a struggle in his home. His family though stated it was out of character for him to leave like this without warning. It's not stated if it was known if it was known who had was at the door. 

He would be declared legally dead in 2009.

William is a white male and was 63-years-old at the time. He was 145 lbs and 5'8". He has greying hair and brown eyes. He has the tattoos of the names Billy LeRoy, Rhonda Lee, and Pamala Sue on right forearm, a tattoo of an eagle and an anchor on his forearm. He had prevousily fractured his pelvis, ribs,and fingers.

SOURCES:

NamUs

Iowa Department of Public Saftey

Iowa Cold Cases

Charley Project

Murder of Nels Pedersen Louvring

 

At 11 p.m. on July 29, 1933, 51-year-old Nels Louvring left his filling station at Dixie Oil Co. or also known as Nels Louvring Filing Station. He would arrive at his family's home on 315 Water St. in Fayette, Iowa. When he left his garage he was shot. The bullet would hit him on the left side right above his waste and exited his shoulder. He would then stagger through the yard towards the kitchen door where he collapsed.

His wife and stepdaughter's family would find him collapsed at the kitchen door. When he collapsed he dropped the cigar box of cash and receipts and his keys. He was dead by the time the family got to him. 

A .38 caliber gun was used, and from the angle of the shot the killer had to of been kneeling or laying down when he shot. Meaning that they waited to ambush Nels to kill him. It doesn't seem like robbery was the crime as the killer did not try to take the cash box from Nels right after shooting him. 

Bloodhounds were used and they brought officers to the Volga River, but that brought nothing up. 

SOURCES:

Iowa Cold Cases

Murder of Harland Shuey

On January 11, 2001, 78-year-old Harland Shuey would receive news that his wife who had dementia would not return home. He would call 911 for an injury twice. He was found stabbed in his home at 3310 E. 42nd St. in des Moines, Iowa. He would pass away from his wounds. It was initially thought that it may have been suicide, but the weapon wasn't found in the home. A pair of scissors was found near him and all the knives in the home were tested. None of them matched his wound though.

SOURCES:

Iowa Cold Cases

Find a Grave

Des Moines Register April 7, 2001

Des Moines Register July 1, 2001

Murder of Jovontia "Jovi" Jones

Around 6:55 p.m. on May 19, 2018, 16-year-old Jovontia "Jovi" Jones was in the parking lot at the Hilltop Liquor Store on Harrison St. in Davenport, Iowa. A drive-by shooting would happen and Jovi was struck. He would be taken to the hospital and died from his wounds the next day. Even though there were witnesses this is a case no one came forward with information. 

SOURCES:

Iowa Cold Cases

WQAD8

KWQC

The Dispatch Argus

END OF WATCH: Murder of Officer Pitt McClellan Doxsie

 On October 26, 1897, 34-year-old Patrolman Pitt McClellan Doxsie was patrolling on horseback in the downtown area of Independence, Iowa. He would stumble upon a burglary in progress. He would get into a gunfight with the two thieves. He would be shot and killed, his body would be discovered in an alley.

His case will remain unsolved. 

SOURCES:

Iowa Cold Cases

Officer Down Memorial Page

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

Disappearance of Derald Arthur Luse

 Sometime in 1930 19-year-old Derald Luse was last seen in Sioux City, Iowa. There is little information in this case.

Derald is a white male and was 19-years-old at the time. He is 6 ft and 180 lbs. He has brown hair and brown eyes.

SOURCES:

Iowa Cold Cases

National Missing Person Directory

January 1, 1924 Des Moines, Iowa John Doe

 On January 1, 1924, the burned/charred remains of a man were found in Des Moines, Iowa. His cause of death is not stated and there is little information in this case. 

He was a white adult male pre-40-years-old. He had long black hair. The lower part of a pair of hip boots was found on the body. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Unidentified Wiki

Doe Network

Murder of Thecla M. Gerken

In 1919 23-year-old Thecla Gerken who was a school teacher from Woonsocket, South Dakota, and was staying at the home of Dr. H.H. Hagedorn at 1017 Jones St. She was friends with H.H Hagedorn's wife and was taking her vacation here. On the night of June 27, 1919, Thecla and another girl, Mable Houlihan, who she also knew went on a walk.

The girls would say their goodbyes as they neared 8th st. Mable would walk towards her home on 9th st. and Thecla would cross the intersection of 9th and Jones st. diagonally. Mable was almost to the alley when she heard Thelca scream "Mabel, come back!" which was followed by a gunshot. 

Mable would rush to her friend. She said there were people on the street who pointed towards her friend who was now laying on the ground. She had blood coming from her mouth and had been shot in the chest.

All that was known was that Thecla had been shot by a young man. She was seen talking to the young man and the witness claimed they heard her say "George, why did you do that?" They were too far away to hear anything else of the conversation. He had shot her with a .38 caliber gun and fled down an alleyway. One article stated that someone chased after him, but could not catch up to him and lost him. 

Thecla was new to town and only knew very few people let alone have enemies. The two girls did meet a couple of young men the day before and set a date for that day but did not show up to it. It's unknown if her killer was one of these men. 

It's suspected that the man who Thecla was talking to for a brief moment before her death was a poorly dressed man that she and Mable had passed by earlier. Police believe it could have been possible that it was a woman disguised as a man. The man or woman was never found and Mabel's case will remain unsolved. 

SOURCES:

Iowa Cold Cases

April 11, 1975 Clinton County, Iowa Pregnant Jane Doe

 On April 11, 1975, the body of a woman was found floating near a mud bar in the Mississippi River in Clinton County, Iowa. She had died earlier that year from being shot. She was 10 weeks pregnant. 

She was a black female and was between 12 to 23-years-old. She was 5'2" to 5'4" and 100 to 120 lbs and described as having a medium build. She had black hair. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Doe Network

September 5, 1922 Kearney, Missouri John Doe

 On September 5, 1922, a man had robbed a post office in Kearney Missouri. He had been shot by the city marshall Frank Milbourn. his identity is unknown and he had broken into several buildings in town. 

He was a white male and was around 20-years-old. His hat had an Iowa town mark and a picture of a woman and child photographed in Clinton, Illinois. 

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wikipedia

Find a Grave

Missouri Digital Heritage: Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1970

Murder of Mary Beth "Pixie" Grismore

On Feb. 22, 1978, 26-year-old Mary Beth "Pixie" Grismore was reported missing from her home in Marshall, Indiana.  She had recently married and went back to her home in Indiana to gather the rest of her stuff for the final move. She and her husband lived in Iowa at the time.

On Feb. 21 she was hanging out with friends and her sister in Terre Haute. They watched a movie "Looking For Mr. Goodbar.". They went to red lobster and ended their night at the Bo Disco. They dropped off Pixie at her home around 1:30 a.m. They tried calling her the next morning, but there was no response. They went to check up on her, but she and her car were gone. The stuff she came to get though was

On May 3rd police in Whitehall, Ohio was investigating an abandoned car at the Holiday Inn. Her death may have happened shortly after her disappearance. She had been strangled to death. Several leads were established, but there isn't enough information.

SOURCES:
Indiana State Police

Ohio Attorney General 

Find a Grave  

Advance Indiana (recommend reading it has lots of information and is better written than my article)

Murder of Anna "Annie" Wiese

On Aug. 26, 1893, around 10 p.m. 20-year-old Anna "Annie" Wiese left a friends home in Vienna Township in Marshall County, Iowa. She was walking home in the moonlight when she was attacked. Someone had clubbed her around the head, stabbed her several times in the breast and back, and cut her throat ear to ear. A brutal end to a young woman.

There were a few suspects that included her former boyfriend, a would-be boyfriend that she spurned, and Emily Bennet, a neighbor, claimed that Annie was flirting with her husband and son. She was even exhumed several times, but nothing came of it.

It was believed that Emily had attacked her with either the help of her husband Cyrus or son Arthur. She was taken to trial but was acquitted. It's said that if the science was better the crime would have probably convicted Emily. 

SOURCES:
Iowa Cold Cases

Find A Grave

Murder of Reverend George C. Haddock

In 1882 a law was passed in Iowa called the "Clark Law" making Liquor illegal. The frontier city of Sioux did not take kindly to the law as they ignored it. It also turned the town from being rough straight to a lawless frontier. The town had over 75 saloons, several breweries, and gambling houses.

Many were against the law, but some were for it especially after two murders had happened in drinking establishments. There were some who wanted changes to where Sioux City would follow the law. One of these people was 56-year-old Reverend George C. Haddock.

On August 3, 1886, the Reverend was going about noting the things about liquor. That morning he was seen noting the unloading of beer from one of the brewery wagons. Fred Lerch was standing in front of his business further up the street and screamed at the Reverend that he would cut his d-d head off if he came near there.

Shortly after 10 p.m., a shot was heard on 3rd and Waters street. Reverend George Haddock had been shot and killed. The person shot him from 25 feet away. It was no secret in why he was murdered he even told someone he expected death. He was more than likely killed for his fight against liquor.

John Arensdorf was a suspect that went to trial twice. First with a hung jury and second with a not guilty. Despite there having been witnesses that night that saw John kill the Reverend. It was said that John had gone to a bar after the trial with the jurors.

Although technically unsolved it's believed that John did have something to do with

Soon after the Reverend's death liquor was completely banned from Sioux City and the businesses were moved to South Sioux City in Nebraska. But five years later Clark Law was repealed allowing liquor to be legal again.

SOURCES:
Iowa Cold Cases 

Sioux City Journal 

Sioux City History

Murder of Margaret Ellen Feige

In the morning of May 22, 2008, the body of 88-year-old Margaret Fiege was found dead in the laundry room of the home she shared with at least two other adults in Saylor Township,north of Des Moines, Iowa. It was found that Margaret was beaten to death by unknown assailants.


SOURCES:
Iowa Cold Case 
The Courier

November 12, 1953 Des Moines, Iowa Baby Doe

On November 12, 1953 the body of an infant was found in the Des Moines River. His head was struck and then he was thrown in. His race could not be determined. His body was cremated at the time and there's a low possibility of identification.

NamUs

Murder of Paula Jean Oberbroeckling

On Feb 25, 1952 Paula Jean Oberbroekling was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Her parents hoped for a long and happy life for their daughter. In 1970 she graduated from Washington Highschool, and began to help teach developmentally disabled children at Yonkers.

On July 11, 1970 Paula had went out on a date with her boyfriend Lonnie Bell. He brought her back to her Cedar Rapids home in the early morning. The two had an argument soon after. Lonnie ended up leaving.

At this time Paula was believed to have been 1 to 2 months pregnant. She believed that Lonnie was trying to ditch her. Soon After Paula asked her room mate Debbie Kellog if she could borrow her car. Paula said she needed go and would be right back. But Paula never came back home.

The last time she was seen a friend had seen her with a man in "the loop" area. The friend believed that the man was helping Paula get her car going. It was around 1 a.m.

The following day Debbie's car was found in a no parking zone near a grocery store 2 miles away from their home. Paula was no where in sight though. Her Grandmother went door to door knocking and asking if anyone had seen Paula. The police conducted searches and asked help of media.

Police were told of Paula's past relationship with a black boy named Robert Williams, but the two had broken up some time before by her mother. Lonnie also stated that Paula had been sending letters to a black boy named John Strayhorn who lived in the Hawthorne Hills apartments. The police were told by the manager there was no tenant with that name.

For four months there was no sign of the teen. Her body was found November 29, 1970. She had likely died the day she disappeared. A man and his two sons were hiking on Otis Road when they came across the remains of someone in a light blue dress.  He body had gotten stuck on a steel pin that was probably a power pole guy wire. It would had been likely if the body hadn't gotten stuck it would had washed up on the road and been found sooner.

Her hands and feet had been tied behind her back with clothes line and another . Her cause of death is unknown, but she could had died from a soft tissue injury, poisoning, asphyxiation or a combination of these. If she had died in the position she was found she may have died from respiratory embarrassment, or exposure or the combination of the two.There were no fetal remains found.

SOURCES:
https://defrostingcoldcases.com/case-month-paula-oberbroeckling/
https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/paula-oberbroeckling/
http://www.whathappenedtopaula.com/
https://www.thedarksideofamerica.com/unsolved-paula-oberbroeckling.html

Murder of Jolene Hass

22 year old Jolene Hass grew up in Iowa. She had met A.J. Rippatoe in Ft. Dodge, Iowa. they both eventually moved to Sioux City, Iowa. This was where Jolene began to do prostitution. She was deep in drug culture and the local outlaw motorcycle gangs. She eventually became an informant that testified against many people including A.J. Rippatoe.

In 1975 Jolene was supposed to testify against several suspects in the fall of 1975. She was then moved to Sturgis where she had been beaten and raped by 3 unknown males trying to buy drugs from her. Two days after the rape they moved her to the Delroy motel in Rapid City, South Dakota. She was then going by Jolene Schutt and was working for the police department for 3 months.

On November 10, 1975 Hass was found murdered in her motel room by a a RCPD detective and DCI agent to check on their witness. She was stabbed multiple times with possibly a switchblade.The knife was not found, the  rope she was strangled with was found around her neck. The found that she eaten right before her death. They think that when she went out to eat that she may had been noticed by someone.

At first they did not reveal the nature of her death and what she had done, because they hoped someone would brag about killing a narc. At least one of the investigators believed that it was a hired killing by one of the people she was informing against.

There was one person who claimed to have murdered Hass for money, but when confronted they said they didn't. They also took a polygraph that confirmed this. Then in 1977 another suspect of this case was found buried in cornfield. He was killed by James Cowell, who was part of the El Forestos Motorcycle Gang, was prosecuted for the suspects murder along with the murder of his girlfriend and two mechanics.

 This case remains unsolved.

SOURCES:
https://www.rcgov.org/departments/police-department/investigations/unsolved-homicides-309.html
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13919791/jolene_hass_murder/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13919880/jolene_hass_murder/
http://law.justia.com/cases/iowa/supreme-court/1976/58995-0.html (Article of a case against Janice Ivory that Jolene Hass was an informant on. Case happened in 1974, but trial happened in 1976.)
http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/cold-cases-spanning-five-decades/article_12d44e06-0afd-5028-865b-fd0febca608b.html