Iowa Cold Cases by County

Note: While cases are cross-referenced by city and county for easier location purposes, some cases listed on county pages may be under a city police department's jurisdiction within that respective county. Please see individual case pages for more specific information regarding the investigating agency or agencies.


The Cases


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Killed Over Copper

Earl Thelander
Earl Thelander of Onawa (Monona County, IA) died from burns sustained in an August 2007 explosion after copper thieves stripped propane gas lines from a rural residence he and his wife were preparing for a renter.

As copper theft crimes soared in the U.S. and abroad, Earl became the nation's first -- and remains the only -- innocent fatality in what's been called an international epidemic.

The amount of stolen copper that thieves exchanged for this man's life: less than $20

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