One of the many sad things we see at Iowa Cold Cases is the death of a parent before the murder of their child has been solved. Because the parent’s horrible loss is compounded by not knowing, the situation is always heartbreaking.
Bernita DeWoody, mother of ICC victim Lance DeWoody
We saw it once again when Olin resident Bernita Lee Houston DeWoody passed away on July 17, 2009. Her obituary noted that she was preceded in death by “her beloved son Lance in 1985.”
North Liberty resident Lance Lee DeWoody was only 22 when he was shot in the head at a picnic shelter on the north side of the University of Iowa’s Oakdale campus in Coralville on August 13, 1985.
The large Oakdale campus had just become the headquarters of the Technology Innovation Center, the University’s home for new businesses using advanced life sciences technology.
Although Coralville Police believed they had a suspect, no arrests were made. Few details about the murder were released and no possible motive was advanced, leaving family and friends to wonder.
Although his mother Bernita did not live to see a resolution to her son’s murder, Lance’s father Carl Lee DeWoody and his sister Carrie DeWoody Fortin still need answers.
If you have any information concerning the 1985 death of Lance DeWoody, please contact the Coralville Police or the Iowa DPS Cold Case Unit.
Monday, May 16, 1966 seemed an ordinary day at the beginning of another work week for 30-year-old Ronald F. Lipsius. At 8:30 a.m., he opened his grocery, the Clover Farm Food Market at 812 South Summit Street in Iowa City, Iowa. He put 50 dollars in the cash register, got ready to cut meat and assist customers, and waited for his clerk to arrive at 9:00.
Ronald Lipsius's Clover Farm Food Market at 812 South Summit Street in Iowa City, Iowa
But, this was not to be an ordinary day. Not long after it started, Ronald lay dead in a yard a block away—shot while trying to prevent a robbery even though he always told his clerks to hand over the money and not resist.
Even more extraordinary was that the robber was a young woman, a statistical rarity. Although there were two men waiting for her in a car, she went alone into the store, threatened Lipsius with a .22 caliber pistol, took the 50 dollars, fled, and shot him when he pursued.
What is truly sad—but unfortunately not extraordinary in the annals of robbery/murders—is the very small amount of money that this woman killed for.
She not only took the life of Ronald Lipsius, she also changed forever the lives of his three small children and pregnant wife.
It is not too late for justice. If you have information about the unsolved murder of Ronald F. Lipsius, contact the Iowa City Police Department.
Sometimes, I must admit, it’s just downright difficult hunting down information on a specific cold case. Despite the number of online search engines and newspaper archives, some cases, it seems, are just plain elusive.
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
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
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
Recent Comments