The Cases - Homicides (1893 - 1959)
ALL YEARS: 1893 - 1959 | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000 - present
Please Note:
This list is ongoing and not yet inclusive of all Iowa cold cases,
though we continue to add individual pages for each victim as data
is made available and time permits. If you know of a case not listed
here or have information you'd like included with an existing page,
please contact us with relevant details and we'll respond to your inquiry as soon as possible.
The cases below include unsolved Iowa homicides from 1893 - 1959, and are listed in chronological order. Missing persons cases may be found on the Missing Persons page. An alphabetical list of all cases also is available.
Click on any hyperlink to view a victim's case summary page and to access additional information and/or feature stories related to that case. (Summaries are currently being written for many of these newly added cases, so please check back soon for updates.)
 Anna Weise Green Mountain 1893 |
James Chamberlain Ottumwa, Iowa Wapello County May 25, 1893 |
Andrew Hart Marshall County 1896 |
John H. Brownrigg Sioux City, Iowa Woodbury County April 24, 1896 |
Tom Jordan Marshall County June 1897 |
Charles Johnson Des Moines April 1902 |
 Double Homicide Thomas H. Peterson 13 YOA Highland Park, Lee Township, Polk County April 13, 1902 |
 Double Homicide Mary "Lena" Peterson 15 YOA Highland Park, Lee Township, Polk County April 13, 1902 |
Isaac Finkelstein Des Moines 1902 |
Maude Lambert Marshalltown, IA Marshall County June 28, 1902 |
Thomas Calahan Des Moines Fall of 1904 |
George R. Giswold Des Moines September 1905 |
Fred P. Widmann Waterloo, IA November 1908 |
Justice J.C. Leasure Iowa City, IA May 1910 |
 James, Mary, and Earl Hardy: Triple Homicide Van Cleve, IA Marshall County June 5, 1910 |
Unknown white male Monticello, IA November 1910 |
Jared Ham 56 YOA Iowa River, Iowa City Johnson County September 24, 1911 |
 Villisca Axe MurdersJosiah B. Moore 43 YOA 508 E. 2nd St., Villisca Montgomery County June 10, 1912 |
 Villisca Axe MurdersSarah Moore 39 YOA 508 E. 2nd St., Villisca Montgomery County June 10, 1912 |
 Villisca Axe MurdersHerman Moore 11 YOA 508 E. 2nd St., Villisca Montgomery County June 10, 1912 |
 Villisca Axe MurdersKatherine Moore 10 YOA 508 E. 2nd St., Villisca Montgomery County June 10, 1912 |
 Villisca Axe MurdersBoyd Moore 7 YOA 508 E. 2nd St., Villisca Montgomery County June 10, 1912 |
 Villisca Axe MurdersPaul Moore 5 YOA 508 E. 2nd St., Villisca Montgomery County June 10, 1912 |
 Villisca Axe MurdersLena Stillinger 12 YOA 508 E. 2nd St., Villisca Montgomery County June 10, 1912 |
 Villisca Axe MurdersIna Stillinger 8 YOA 508 E. 2nd St., Villisca Montgomery County June 10, 1912 |
John Schnellbacker Marshalltown, IA March 1913 |
Ben Mtkovitch Ottumwa, IA August 1914 |
Otto Samp Des Moines, IA Fall of 1917 |
Dominick Sposetti Des Moines, IA July 1919 |
Lyle Hunter Des Moines, IA December 1919 |
David Faulkner, Jr. 36 YOA 2416 E. Lyon Street Des Moines Polk County May 1, 1920 |
Angello Farrarri Des Moines 1921 |
Sister Mary Rosalita & Sister Mary Virginia (Sisters of Charity) Des Moines, IA November 1921 |
T.W. Mitchell Des Moines 1922 |
William Snyder Grinnell 1924 |
Ethel Collicott (male) Cedar Rapids, IA March 1924 |
J.H. Peck 46 YOA Cedar Rapids, IA Van Vechten Park Linn County July 17, 1931 |
 Fred Hollingsworth 38 YOA Lincoln Highway Ames, IA Story County June 13, 1933 |
Charles Englehart 70 YOA 700 blk of Main St. Davenport, IA September 23, 1935 |
Margaret Treese (The Tattooed Lady) Davenport, IA September 1947 |
 Henry W. Chavis 55 YOA Ames, IA Story County November 8, 1948 |
Alonzo Rhode Tabor, IA April 1949 |
Alonzo Beghtel Guthrie County January 1950 |
 Leon Groves, 40 SE 18th & Scott Des Moines, IA Case # 1951-9296 December 22, 1951 |
Earl McMurry Des Moines March 1953 |
 Charles Sanders 67 YOA Court Ave. River Bridge Des Moines, IA Case # 1954-33401 April 15, 1954 |
 Jimmy Bremmers8 YOA 2701 Cottage Ave. Sioux City, IA August 31, 1954 |
 Donna Sue Davis22 months of age 715 Isabella Street Sioux City, IA July 10, 1955 |
 Lucille Bacher 43 YOA Lincoln Ave. Pharmacy Davenport, IA November 29, 1955 |
 Rose Grandanette 33 YOA Windsor Heights Des Moines, IA September 14, 1958 |
 Melvin Gallagher 22 YOA Clark Super Station Waterloo, IA January 3, 1959 |
 Marlene Padfield 17 YOA Cedar Rapids, IA Linn County February 19, 1959 |
 Frederick L. Coste 47 YOA 312 Second Ave. SE Cedar Rapids, IA October 15, 1959 |
ALL YEARS: 1893 - 1959 | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000 - present
