Welcome
 Tonight at 10: Aaron Brilbeck reports on the unsolved murder of copper theft victim Earl Thelander of Onawa, IA. |
Welcome to the Iowa Cold Cases website. Here you'll find lists of unsolved homicides, missing persons cases where foul play is suspected or the victim assumed deceased, photos and videos, and cases cross-referenced by city and county.
Case summaries and updates continue to be added daily.
Thank you for taking time to visit, and please feel free to leave comments or feedback on the blog.
 Earl Thelander Air date: July 29, 10 PM |
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Iowa Cold Cases ...
Thursdays at 10
NBC Affiliate WHO-TV Channel 13 in Des Moines profiles five Iowa Cold Cases during July Sweeps
On Thursday, July 1, WHO-TV Channel 13 in Des Moines aired the first installment of five Iowa cold cases chosen as features for July 'Sweeps.'
The NBC affiliate's Aaron Brilbeck crossed the state to interview victims' family members as well as law enforcement officials who have dedicated countless hours in search of justice for the victims and families alike.
The first in the series aired July 1 and covered the five-year anniversary of the unsolved murder of 5-year-old Evelyn Miller of Floyd, Iowa, who was reported missing in the early morning hours of July 1, 2005, and whose body was discovered five days later in the Cedar River about two miles from Evelyn's home.
The second installment aired July 8 and featured the unsolved disappearance of 13-year-old Eugene Martin, a Des Moines Register paperboy who disappeared without a trace on August 12, 1984.
The July 15 episode focused on the unsolved murder of 23-year-old Lisa Ann McCuddin of Fort Dodge, a mother of two young children who was shot while riding in the passenger seat of a vehicle on the way to a Fort Dodge motel for breakfast. Lisa's mother, Becky McCuddin, also of Fort Dodge, is now raising Lisa's young son and daughter.
The fourth in the series addressed the unsolved murder of 36-year-old Frank Goff of Des Moines, who was killed inside his parents' Des Moines home on September 23, 1977 – allegedly by one of his own brothers.
The series concludes on July 29 with a story on Earl Thelander of Onawa — an active 80-year-old family man and father of five children, six stepchildren, 22 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren — who lost his life in 2007 at the hands of copper thieves a few months prior to the 25th wedding anniversary he and his wife would have celebrated. Earl became the nation's first innocent fatality in the growing copper theft epidemic.
The Iowa Cold Cases group would like to thank Aaron Brilbeck and the WHO-TV producers and staff for the time and hard work they invested in this project, and for the exceptional reporting on lives cut short but remembered by so many.
| One in nine Americans knows the victim of an unsolved homicide. Scrippsnews |
We Remember: Cold Case Anniversaries
Upcoming cold case anniversaries are listed below and also include — where noted — birthdays the victims would have celebrated. If it has been some time since your local media provided an update on a case in your community, politely encourage them to check on its status and then communicate any recent developments to their viewers or readership. With Iowa's Cold Case Unit now well underway, there's no better time to spark renewed interest and, quite possibly, help generate fresh leads.
Upcoming Anniversaries
 Nelson Alvarez-Hernandez, 33 Council Bluffs, IA Case # 03-004354 July 31, 2003 |
 Ruth Pohlmeier, 37 3839 E. 14th Des Moines, IA Case # 2004-14785 Would have celebrated 44th birthday Aug. 1 |
Charles Hines 46 YOA 11 S. Delaware Ave. Mason City, IA August 2, 1975 |
Amos Jellison 71 YOA Blairstown, IA (Benton County) August 2, 1981 |
Cordell Kirby 46 YOA 1400 E. 18th Des Moines, IA Case # 1999-28964 August 2, 1999 |
Clara Schiele 90 YOA 1423 Main St. Davenport, IA August 3, 1978 |
Double Homicide John & Janet Taylor 2223 E. Maple Des Moines, IA Case # 1999-29020 August 3, 1999 |
Camille Louise Njus 20 YOA Polk County Case # 7806827 Approx. Date of Death: August 4, 1978 |
Lewis Glenn, 29 Zion Lutheran Church 8th and Taylor Davenport, IA August 5, 2002 |
 Dale W. Strassburger Age at Report: 37 Missing from Le Claire Missing Since: August 6, 1982 |
Katherine E. Callahan Age at Report: 48 Missing From Des Moines, IA August 6, 2009 |
 Mark Snopek, 53 Hit-and-run homicide County Road R18 (also known as L Avenue) Rural Boone County August 8, 2007 |
Pamela Carter 2300 Blk Euclid [River] Des Moines, IA Case # 1990-32639 August 8, 1990 |
 Dennis Stastny 30 YOA Stabbed in heart Cedar Rapids, IA August 9, 1977 |
 Angela Renee Buck 37 YOA Waterloo/Dunkerton, IA Black Hawk County August 9, 1995 |
 Judith Pleas 17 YOA Council Bluffs, IA Case # MP-73-226 August 10, 1973 |
Glenn Turner E7snd & Hubbell Des Moines, IA Case # 1978-29909 August 10, 1978 |
Chad James Schwab 30 YOA I-35 Rest Area Ames, IA (Story County) August 10, 2004 |
 Dennis Clougherty 23 YOA U.S. Highway 20 Cedar Falls, IA Case # 7400418 August 12, 1974 |
Helen Morrow 55 YOA First floor of home Eldon, IA Wapello County August 12, 1980 |
Missing Photos
We're making every effort to include a headshot photo with each victim's profile,
but many are still needed. If you have a photo you'd be willing to
share, please e-mail to Jody. We continue to add pages and case summaries each day and appreciate any and
all help in making this site as inclusive as possible.
