“Bless . . . the children, for in this world they have no voice, they have no choice.”

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.

Today is the anniversary of the murder of Amber Marie Hayes, a seven-and-a-half-month-old girl left in the care of her mother’s boyfriend on June 8, 1988 whose dismembered body was found the next day with her blanket and pink diaper bag in a remote area near Lake Odessa in Muscatine County, Iowa.

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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On July 10, 1955, Donna Sue Davis, 22 months, was abducted from her home in Sioux City, Iowa, and then sexually abused, tortured, beaten, and dumped in a corn field across the Missouri River in Nebraska. Iowa Cold Cases Co-Administrator Jody Ewing has written a book about this beautiful little girl — The Darling of the Neighborhood.
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Two sisters –- Victoria Lynn Martin, 4, and Sherry Lee Martin, 8 -– died in an arson fire on March 6, 1965 in their Dubuque, Iowa, home.
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On July 10, 1969, 8-year-old Patricia Ann Veach was found sexually molested and strangled in her own bed in Des Moines, Iowa.
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Elna Maria “Valerie” Peterson, 8, was struck and killed by a pickup that did not stop on May 6, 1971 in Manson, Iowa.
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“Baby Girl Lambert” was found dead in the 2700 block of West 72nd Street in Davenport, Iowa, on August 26, 1980.
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A newborn baby was discarded on a rural road in Story County, Iowa, on March 13, 1983.
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On October 10, 1987, the body of 14-year-old Kenny Joe Johnson was found in an isolated park near Dubuque, Iowa. He had been given alcohol, sexually molested, and strangled.
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An unidentified infant was discovered by Iowa City, Iowa, landfill workers on December 21, 1991.
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On November 10, 1996, Baby Jane Doe Lincoln was found in a garbage bag in a barn at Lisbon, Iowa.
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Two-year-old Ricky Neal Morehouse, III, burned to death in an arson fire in his Kent, Iowa, home on March 3, 2001.
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Jaymie Grahlman, 6, died from injuries suffered in a late-night fire set at her Cedar Rapids home on Saturday, April 5, 2003.
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On May 3, 2005, four-year-old Josh Yoder was struck by a hit-and-run driver in the 500 block of South 9th Street in Clinton, Iowa, and died the following day.
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Five-year-old Evelyn Miller was reported missing from her Floyd, Iowa, home in the early morning hours of July 1, 2005, and her body was found five days later in the Cedar River.
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This litany of terrible deaths is difficult to read and nearly impossible to comprehend.
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How do we safeguard those who have no voice, who have no choice?
Adults can do simple things like teaching children basic rules about safety and “stranger danger,” always knowing where they are, and providing a secure home environment.

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.

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