The Cases – Homicides (1960 – 1969)
BY ERA: Up through 1899 | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000 – present | Missing Persons
The cases below include unsolved Iowa homicides from 1960 – 1969, and are listed in chronological order. 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.
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.
Darlene Fitchett
608 Pleasant View Dr.
Des Moines, IA
Polk County
Case # 1960-1563
February 8, 1960
Dorothy Coon
36 YOA
Rural Chariton, IA
Lucas County
Case # 60-07871
August 27, 1960
Double Homicide
Willard Woodring
42 YOA
Keokuk, IA
Lee County
Case # 60-00902
October 9, 1960
Double Homicide
Richard Buchanan
49 YOA
Keokuk, IA
Case # 60-00902
October 9, 1960
Floyd Cramer
612 14th St.
Des Moines, IA
Case # 1960-14495
December 9, 1960
William Meadows
36 YOA
Plainfield, IA
Bremer County
Case # 61-00280
January 24, 1961
Clarence Case
62 YOA
1646 W. Locust St.
Davenport, IA
Case # 1961-00273
February 16, 1961
William Freimuth
71 YOA
Fort Dodge, IA
Webster County
Case #61-00280
February 16, 1962
Chester Louk
53 YOA
Oathout Funeral Home
336 S. Clinton St.
Iowa City, IA
April 3, 1962
Ramona Jean Cox
25 YOA
1526 Woodland Ave.
Des Moines, IA
Case # 62-00508
April 29, 1962
Earl Lambert
E. 14th St. Viaduct
Des Moines, IA
Polk County
Case # 1962-12962
October 1, 1962
Lucille DeVries
22 YOA
Mason City, IA
Cerro Gordo County
Case # 63-00204
October 10, 1962
Edward A. Kriz
43 YOA
Hamburg Inn No. 2
214 N. Linn St.
Iowa City, IA
Johnson County
November 10, 1962
Anna Marie Medici
21 YOA
Carney, IA
Polk County
Case # 62-01063
November 16, 1962
George Geary
40 YOA
Keosauqua & Crocker
Des Moines, IA
Polk County
Case # 1963-601
January 13, 1963
Henry Hults
62 YOA
Oxford Junction
Jones County, IA
Case # 63-00430
March 22, 1963
Roscoe D. Harris
46 YOA
RR Casey
Guthrie County, IA
Case # 63-00639
July 6, 1963
Francis J. Rafferty
58 YOA
Dubuque, IA
Dubuque County
Case # 64-00326
February 8, 1964
Catherine Decora
48 YOA
Sioux City, IA
Woodbury County
February 14, 1965
Double Homicide:
Sherrie Lee Martin
8 YOA
Dubuque, IA
Dubuque County
Case # 65-00461
March 6, 1965
Double Homicide:
Victoria Lynne Martin
4 YOA
Dubuque, IA
Dubuque County
Case # 65-00461
March 6, 1965
Myrtle Z. Cumpston
61 YOA
Dallas County, IA
Case # 65-00401
March 9, 1965
Janice Marie Snow
17 YOA
Des Moines, IA
Polk County
April 12, 1965
Lillian E. Randolph
57 YOA
Guthrie Center, IA
Guthrie County
Case # 1965-7249
May 2, 1965
Donald Nervig
53 YOA
Des Moines, IA
Polk County
Case # 1965-20581
December 15, 1965
Harold Holt
25 YOA
Des Moines, IA
Polk County
Case # 66-00274
January 17, 1966
Effie Corelis Bell
46 YOA
Madrid, IA
Found in Dallas County
Case # 66-00666
March 18, 1966
Ronald F. Lipsius
30 YOA
812 South Summit St.
Iowa City, IA
Johnson County
May 16, 1966
Un-ID White Male
Missouri River
Fremont County, IA
Case # 66-00724
May 26, 1966
George Earl Dean
55 YOA
Mapleton, IA
Monona County
Case # 66-00722
June 19, 1966
Norma Jean Horgen
18 YOA
Mason City, IA
Cerro Gordo County
Case # 66-01036
September 10, 1966
Fred Barton Sanders
43 YOA
Chariton, IA
Lucas County
Case # 66-01164
November 11, 1966
Gloria Faye Slump
24 YOA
Council Bluffs, IA
Pottawattamie County
Case # 67-00368
March 6, 1967
Judy Ann Corbin
17 YOA
Chamberlain Hotel
Des Moines, IA
Polk County
April 17, 1967
Joe Junior Floyd
42 YOA
Council Bluffs, IA
Pottawattamie County
Case # D67-18
July 1, 1967
Leota Camp
25 YOA
3213 Flemming Ave.
Des Moines, IA
Polk County
Case # 1967-10836
July 10, 1967
Paul J. Rayer
51 YOA
Council Bluffs, IA
Case # 67-01188
December 5, 1967
John L. Stephens
32 YOA
Council Bluffs, IA
Case # 67-01188
December 5, 1967
Sheila Jean Collins
18 YOA
Rural Colo, IA
Story County
Case # 68-00287
January 26, 1968
Dale Redman
57 YOA
La Porte City, IA
Black Hawk County
March 5, 1968
Andrew Hatges
76 YOA
Mason City, IA
Cerro Gordo County
March 8, 1968
Geraldine Maggert
25 YOA
Cedar Rapids, IA
Linn County
March 22, 1968
Mrs. Massie Pittman
36 YOA
621 N. Harrison
Davenport, IA
Scott County
February 17, 1969
Leo Joseph Smith
56 YOA
Correctionville, IA
Woodbury County
Case # 69-00525
April 10, 1969
Patricia Ann Veach
8 YOA
805 SW Lally
Des Moines, IA
Case # 1969-12925
July 10, 1969
Dorothy H. Miller
48 YOA
118 Grand Street
Burlington, IA
Des Moines County
Case # 69-00950
August 18, 1969
BY ERA: Up through 1899 | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000 – present | Missing Persons
A very good friend of mine was murdered in Des Moines in the 60′s. Her name was Linda Terry and she was stabbed to death by her mother’s boyfriend’s son if I remember correctly.
I believe it happened in 1964 or 1965, when she would have been 13. I am interested in learning more about it and what happened to the man who killed her. Hope you can help me. Thank you.
Do you know the name of the person who murdered her? It is possible you can look him up to see if he is still in prison. The Corrections Department has a “inmate locator” on its Web site which may be helpful.
Joe, Thanks for the suggestion. I searched newspaper archives for the case and did not find any information. This seems like a great idea.
I grew up with LINDA BOOTH in Fort Dodge, IA. Her father was a highway patrolman (ARLIS BOOTH). LINDA was killed at a dry cleaning shop where she worked before and after school. They were living somewhere around Des Moines or Ames at the time and she would’ve been around 17-18. So this would have happened in 1967/68. I didn’t think they ever solved this case, so I was surprised not to see her listed. Can anyone provide additional information?
Mary, thank you for your interest in Linda Boothe. Michael Charles Niccum was found guilty of her murder in 1969. Linda, who worked at the Arnold Palmer Dry Cleaners in the Wakonda Shopping Center at 4100 Fleur Drive in Des Moines, was beaten to death with a golf club on November 20, 1968.
I’m not seeing a Niccum on the Corrections site which could mean he has been released or died?
Michael Charles Niccum #0103259 discharged sentence in Polk County Cause #55814 for Murder, 2nd Degre, on 12 August 1999.
My aunt was murdered in Clinton Iowa on November 13, 1967 why can’t I find any information about her murder? Her name was Arlene Adler.
Tina, Thank you for your question. We’ll see what we can find. I believe Arlene Adler’s body was found on the Illinois side of the river and the case was handled in Whiteside County, Illinois. We’ll see what else we can find about where investigators believe the murder occurred and, if it was in Iowa, we’ll be sure to add her. All best, Nancy Bowers, Co-Administrator
Thank you for looking in to this even after all these years my family is still very troubled and wishes for some kind of explanation of who and why my aunt was murdered from what I have been told my grandmother had to identify the body and the only way she knew it was Arlene is from a scar on her ankle her body was stabbed and cut several times.My parents said that her case has never been solved but there were a few suspects but no one has ever been charged with her murder.