The NBC affiliate’s Aaron Brilbeck crossed the state to interview victims’ family members as well as law enforcement officials who have dedicated countless hours in search of justice for victims and families alike.

For those who may have missed any of the episodes, a recap — including the videos — is listed below.

The first in the series aired July 1 and covered the five-year anniversary of the unsolved murder of 5-year-old Evelyn Miller of Floyd, Iowa, who was reported missing in the early morning hours of July 1, 2005, and whose body was discovered five days later in the Cedar River about two miles from Evelyn’s home.

The second installment aired July 8 and featured the unsolved disappearance of 13-year-old Eugene Martin, a Des Moines Register paperboy who disappeared without a trace on August 12, 1984.

The July 15 episode focused on the unsolved murder of 23-year-old Lisa Ann McCuddin of Fort Dodge, a mother of two young children who was shot while sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle on its way to a Fort Dodge motel where Lisa and a friend intended to have breakfast. Lisa’s mother, Becky McCuddin, also of Fort Dodge, is now raising Lisa’s young son and daughter.

The fourth in the series addressed the unsolved murder of 36-year-old Frank Goff of Des Moines, who was shot and killed — allegedly by one of his own brothers — inside their parents’ Des Moines home on September 23, 1977.

The series concludes on July 29 with a story on Earl Thelander of Onawa — an active 80-year-old family man and father of five children, six stepchildren, 22 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren — who lost his life in 2007 at the hands of copper thieves a few months prior to the 25th wedding anniversary he and his wife would have celebrated. Earl became the nation’s first innocent fatality in the growing copper theft epidemic.

The Iowa Cold Cases group would like to thank Aaron Brilbeck and the WHO-TV producers and staff for the time and hard work they invested in this project, and for the exceptional reporting on lives cut short but remembered by so many.

If murder is the most unacceptable act in our society, then surely the murder of a child — who is totally defenseless — is the most horrific of all.

Amber Marie Hayes

Amber is only one of Iowa’s murdered children.
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On Tuesday, August 31, 1954, eight-year-old Jimmy Bremmers, a boy with a speech impediment and whose only friend was his black and white dog, was abducted in Sioux City, Iowa, and murdered.
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Donna Sue Davis

Patricia Veach

Valerie Peterson

Kenny Joe Johnson

Ricky Morehouse, III

Jaymie Grahlman

Josh Yoder

Evelyn Miller

And — most importantly — parents can protect their children from unsafe situations and individuals by making wise relationship choices and refraining from substance abuse.

Unfortunately, a child is often abused or murdered by someone they know –- the very people who should be their voice and make the right choice for them.

If you know of an endangered child, contact the Iowa Department of Human Services.

If you have information on any of the child murders on this site, please contact Iowa Cold Cases or the appropriate law enforcement jurisdiction.

John Jeffery, murdered 20 years ago today

Homicides do not claim just one victim. They’re like the proverbial stone plunked into the pond—the effects of murder ripple ever outward from the violent act.

John Wayne Jeffery was murdered on May 30, 1990. Twenty years later, his family and three children still feel the consequences.

His first wife, Pamela, has observed first-hand and shared with Iowa Cold Cases the impact of John’s death on family members who have struggled since the murder, which was life-changing for them. To read about these problems is heartbreaking.

When we remember our victims, we also remember those left behind who must come to terms with what has happened to their loved ones.

Memorial Day is an appropriate time to reflect on all of homicide’s victims.

Ruth Pohlmeier-Kingery

Most families are fortunate not to be touched by violence or murder and some seem to have more than their share. Ruthie’s brother Samuel John Kingery was murdered in Ames, Iowa, in 1999.

Her brother’s killer was convicted and sent to prison. Now it’s Ruth’s time for justice.

There is a $3,000 reward for information leading to an arrest or conviction in Ruth Pohlmeier-Kingery’s unsolved murder. If you have information, call Crime Stoppers at 515-223-1400 or click here to contact the Des Moines Police Department or call 515-283-4869.

George Geary, 40, was shot to death about 1:30 a.m. on January 13, 1963, during a robbery at his M & H service station at Keosauqua Way and Crocker St. in Des Moines. A total of $252.15 had been stolen from the filling station’s cash register.

Angela Hennes

Angela Marie Hennes, a 41-year-old mother of two sons, went missing for 10 days in January 2007 before her badly burned body was found face down in the fetal position in a farm field off Seven Sisters Road in rural Scott County about 4 p.m. January 13.

Pathology reports indicated Hennes had been dead two to three days, and toxicology reports showed no drugs or alcohol in her system.

Hennes’ cell phone went off January 3, 2007 — the day she disappeared.

A $5,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Hennes’ murder.

I’ve been dealing with that problem with one of today’s cold case anniversaries — that of Becky Palmer — killed 19 years ago (Nov. 16, 1990) at 1300 E. 25th Ct. in Des Moines. I’ve got the case number, too (1990-40843), but searches under Becky Palmer and Rebecca Palmer have turned up nothing under “this” specific Becky Palmer.

A few months ago, Lt. Moran of the Des Moines Police Dept. was kind enough to send me a list of the city’s open homicides, but they’ve got a lot of them (79) dating back to 1951, and a lot of time and resources would have gone into sending along case description summaries and photos for all 79 victims. The list he sent, however, ensured I had a complete — and equally as important, accurate — list for the state’s biggest city, and his goodwill already has saved me countless hours of uncovering all those names. For that I am grateful.

And yes, I also must admit I tend to thrive on research, so take my grumblings about the AWOL Becky Palmer articles with a grain of salt… (smile)

Of course if you’re reading this and just “happen” to have some of those articles or a Becky Palmer photo lying around you’d like to share, don’t let my explorations come between your keyboard and my inbox.

To contact the Des Moines police with information about this case, please call (515) 283-4864.

Charles Elmquist

Charles Elmquist

Today’s other cold case anniversary involves missing person Charles Elmquist, who disappeared from Iowa City in 1979.

Elmquist’s 1961 blue GMC van was located on November 17, 1979, parked in the Univ. of Iowa Hydraulics Laboratory storage lot.

Elmquist was 34 when he disappeared; today he would be 64.

If you have any information about Charles Elmquist’s case please call the Iowa City Police Department at (319) 356-5275 or the Missing Person Information Clearinghouse / Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation at 1-800-346-5507.

Tomorrow’s Anniversary

Roberta “Bobbi” Crawford

Bobbi Crawford

Roberta “Bobbi” Crawford, 53, was found murdered inside her Hampton, Iowa, home on November 17, 1999. Authorities said she died of blunt trauma to the head.

Crawford’s body was found after co-workers at Ellsworth Community College, Iowa Falls, reported her missing.

If you have any information about Bobbi Crawford’s murder, contact the Hampton Police Dept. at (515) 456-2529.

Yours in hope,

Jody

Brief overviews of each case follow, with links to the individual victim pages.

Missing Person:
Naomi Wilson
Age at Report: 32 YOA
Missing From: Cedar Rapids, IA (Linn County)
Missing Since: April 12, 1981

Naomi Wilson was reported missing to the Cedar Rapids Police Department in Cedar Rapids on April 12, 1981. If you have information regarding her disappearance, please contact the Missing Person Information Clearinghouse/Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation at 1-800-346-5507.
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Homicide:
Leota Camp
25 YOA
3213 Flemming Ave.
Des Moines, IA (Polk County)
July 10, 1967

Just after 12:00 noon on Monday, July 10, 1967, Mrs. Raymond (Leota) Camp, 25, was discovered “bleeding” in her home’s front bedroom by her son Kevin, 4, and daughter Brenda, 3, who immediately went crying to neighbors. Neighbors then found the young mother lying face down on the bed, her arms crossed and tied behind her back with a necktie. Neckties also bound Camp’s neck and ankles, and a necktie was stuffed in her mouth as a gag. She had been stabbed four times in the back while her two older children played outside and her three-month-old daughter Christine lay on a white blanket on the living room floor, nursing a warm bottle of milk.
____________________________________________

Homicide:
David Redowl
27 YOA
610 West 3rd St.
Sioux City, Iowa (Woodbury County)
April 26, 1997

At approx. 2:00 a.m., Redowl and his 24-year-old sister, Sonja, had a physical altercation in the back yard of their mother’s Sioux City residence, which both Redowl and his sister listed as their home. The SCPD and medical personnel were called at 2:07 a.m. Upon arrival they found Redowl unconscious and he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at Mercy Medical Center. Cause of death was a stab wound to the chest. Because of conflicting witness statements and inconsistencies, no charges were ever filed.
____________________________________________

Homicide:
Wilbur Brown
47 YOA
603 West 5th St.
Sioux City, Iowa (Woodbury County)
Sept. 14, 1997

An area resident returning home at approx. 5:30 a.m. noticed Brown lying on the ground between a curb and the sidewalk. After calling Sioux City Police, Brown was transported to a hospital and died shortly thereafter. An autopsy revealed he’d been beaten about the head and body and died as a result of those injuries. Brown had recently received and cashed his paycheck, though no money was found on his person. Police interviewed numerous people but no suspects were arrested.
____________________________________________

Homicide:
Betty Swetnam
73 YOA
1610 West 19th St.
Sioux City, Iowa (Woodbury County)
January 1, 1994

When Swetnam’s family couldn’t contact her by phone, they sent her grandson and granddaughter’s husband to check on her welfare. The grandson found his grandmother dead at the bottom of the basement steps. She had received multiple stab wounds. Sioux City police observed that the house had been ransacked, with drawers dumped out of dressers. The victim had operated a massage business out of her home, and though investigators interviewed every client named in Swetnam’s book as well as all relatives and associates, no viable suspects were developed.
____________________________________________

Missing Person:
Barbara L. Elms
50 YOA
Missing From: Cedar Rapids (Linn County)
Date Reported Missing: August 25, 1993

Barbara Elms was reported missing to the Cedar Rapids Police Department on August 25, 1993.

Eugene’s disappearance came almost two years after that of 12-year-old Register paperboy Johnny Gosch on Sept. 5, 1982, and many still believe the two cases are connected. At one time, a $94,000 reward was offered — $25,000 of that by the Des Moines Register — for information leading to the recovery of either Johnny or Eugene. Both boys remain officially missing.

The ICC Cases text only page now lists over 90 names of unsolved homicides and missing persons cases. If the name does not contain an active hyperlink, we are still working to collect information and photos for that case. We’ve got a long way to go; Iowa currently has just over 150 unsolved homicides and almost 50 long-time missing persons cases like that of Johnny Gosch, Eugene Martin and Jodi Huisentruit. Somewhere, someone knows something.

Can you help? If you have any information (news articles, photos, details) please send them along. Yes, this information will be shared with Iowa’s new Cold Cases Unit. Anonymous tips are acceptable and may be sent via the Contact page. (Just enter “Anonymous” in the name field.)

And, stay tuned for upcoming new developments with the Iowa Cold Cases website.

Yours in hope,

Jody