Michael J. Booth
45 YOA
510 15th St. #21
Des Moines, IA
Polk County
April 26, 1997
In late April of 1997, residents of an apartment building at 510 15th Street in Des Moines noticed a foul odor in the structure and called maintenance man Lewis Gibson to investigate.
About 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, Gibson found a male body in apartment 21.
The man’s injuries were so extensive and decomposition so advanced, that he was unrecognizable. No distinguishing tattoos or marks were visible.
It appeared the victim was struck on the head; the weapon was later determined to be a sledgehammer.
Courtesy photo Goggle Street ViewPolice believed they knew who the victim was but were reluctant to fingerprint the body for fear of destroying or altering evidence.
After the autopsy, the body was identified as 45-year-old Michael Jerome Booth, who was last seen alive on April 20.
Des Moines Police said that Booth had a criminal history and was known to be involved in drug-trafficking. They believed he was killed for his drugs.
Neighbors described a steady stream of people coming and going at all hours from Booth’s apartment. This made singling out a suspect very difficult.
At the time of the investigation, Des Moines Police Sgt. Bruce Elrod stated:
“You can rest assured that regardless of Mr. Booth’s habits or lifestyle he did not deserve to meet his end in such a fashion as this.”
And that was true. Michael Booth had a loving, supportive family and many accomplishments in his life.
Michael Jerome Booth was born August 14, 1951 in Carroll, Iowa, to Angeline Lengel and Jerome Booth. He had a brother, Melvin Booth, and a sister, Mary Booth Bernholtz.
He attended St. Lawrence School and then graduated from Carroll High School in 1969.
Michael J. Booth
In September 1969, Michael joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany and Hawaii. He was honorably discharged in 1976.
Michael’s sister Mary believes that in Germany Michael was given — as she believes other soldiers at the time were — “drugs to help with endurance, emotional stress, and home sickness.” It was also a time when drug use was becoming more widespread in general.
Michael became addicted, particularly to cocaine.
After he left the Army, Michael returned to Carroll and opened a restaurant, Michael’s Casino Café.
He then moved to Des Moines and graduated from Des Moines Area Community College and Drake University.
Michael seemed to have everything going for him. His sister Mary said:
“He was smart, charming, and could sell anyone the Brooklyn bridge.”
However, Michael could not battle the demon of drugs and eventually became addicted to crack cocaine.
Mary, a nurse at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, and Michael’s parents tried repeatedly to help him overcome his habit; but he was never able to get free of drugs.
Despite his drug world lifestyle, Michael’s family could see that he maintained some of the strong values he grew up with.
He worried about the welfare of children in his neighborhood and urged them to stay in school and stay out of trouble.
Mary said this worry and concern was “a sharp contrast to what he was doing.”
Michael never married or had children.
At the time of his death, Michael was employed at Embassy Suites in Des Moines.
Michael’s funeral was held at Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll on May 1, 1997. He was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery with military honors provided by Maurice Dunn American Legion Post No. 7.
His parents preceded him in death. He was survived by his brother Melvin, sister Mary, and several nieces and nephews.
Questions and information about the unsolved 1997 murder of Michael Jerome Booth should be directed to the Des Moines Police Department at 515-283-4864 or to Iowa Cold Cases through the Contact form.
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