Maureen Farley

Homicide:
Maiden Name: Maureen Brubaker
17 YOA
Cedar Rapids, IA (Linn County)
Approx. Date of Death: September 21, 1971

Case summary by Jody Ewing

On Sept. 24, 1971, the body of 17-year-old Mrs. Maureen Farley was found atop the trunk lid of an abandoned car in a wooded ravine near the southwest edge of Cedar Rapids.

The Linn County medical examiner ruled Farley had been dead no less than 48 hours and no more than 96 hours. Death was caused by a "massive blow" to the right side of her head, causing a basal skull fracture. Farley was last seen alive at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 17.

Assistant Cedar Rapids police chief Kenneth Vanous said the death was believed to have occurred at a place other than where the body was found. Investigators theorized her body had been thrown from a passing vehicle and crashed through heavy vegetation onto the car trunk.

Two young boys hunting in the secluded area discovered Farley's partly clad body between 5 and 5:30 p.m. in the ravine on Ely Road SW, two-tenths of mile south of the River road intersection.

The boys, Danny Lineweaver, 14, of 2350 Blakely Blvd. SE, and Kevin Coppess, 15, of 2357 Blakely Blvd. SE, told police they had taken their rifles to go hunting, crossed the river on the railroad trestle and headed up Ely road when they saw the junk car in the ravine. They said it was not visible from the road because of trees and other foliage.

The boys said they saw the body on the trunk of the car. One leg was propped up, and they reported thinking the person was sleeping because the body was leaning against the rear window on its back.

Thinking no more of it and not wanting to disturb the person sleeping, they said they continued on down the road to hunt. They approached Highway 30 and didn't want to hunt that close to the road, so turned back. Upon returning to the junk car, the boys said they took a closer look at the body and noticed discoloration.

Frightened, the boys began to run down the road. They said they thought of going to a nearby tavern to get help, but decided against that because they were carrying guns and didn't know if they would get into trouble.

Instead, they recrossed the railroad trestle and went to young Lineweaver's home, where they told his mother, Violet Fowler, they had found the body.

Police said she apparently did not believe them at first, so the boys directed her to the scene by car where she also saw the body at about 6:40 p.m. Mrs. Fowler said she and the boys then went to the Milo Skvor farm residence near the scene and called police.

After police secured the scene, Farley's body was removed and taken to a local hospital for an autopsy.

Mrs. Farley, who lived at 522 Tenth St. SE in Cedar Rapids, was employed as a waitress at Weida's Restaurant, 836 First Ave. NE, and reported missing at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 20 after failing to report to work.

Farley had just recently moved to Cedar Rapids from Sioux City to be closer for visits with her husband, David, who was serving time at the men's reformatory at Anamosa. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Brubaker of Sioux City, and her body was returned to Sioux City for her funeral.

On Monday, Sept. 27, Cedar Rapids police issued a public plea for anyone with information on Farley's death to come forward and report it.

In another public plea Sept. 29, Asst. Chief Vanous said they were particularly interested in what Farley's actions were Sept. 17, the day she was last seen alive, through Sept. 22. Vanous said the girl may have been incapacitated in some way during the time she was missing or at least out of the city. He described her as five feet tall and very slim, weighing about 100 pounds, having long brown hair and a light complexion.

Farley was broke, he said, yet her paycheck was ready for her Sept. 17 at Weida's restaurant. She had borrowed money for a pack of cigarettes that day, and part of the pack was found in her sleeping room at 522 Tenth St. SE. Had she been in town or capable, she would have picked up the paycheck because she was in need of money, he said.

Farley's car was found at the rear of her residence with a full tank of gas.

The assistant chief said there was no indication of "defense wounds," which would be evident if she had fought with someone. When found, Farley's clothes were disarrayed, but not torn. Several articles were missing, Vanous said, which police were very interested in finding.

Farley's purse, one of the items missing, contained a driver's license altered to show she was 21 years old, usual make-up articles, rent receipts, family pictures, a picture of a marine in uniform, a social security card and a green order pad that she carried to make notes. Also in the purse was a leather wallet with red velvet lining her husband had made for her at the reformatory.

The purse was described as a brown vinyl bag with two straps and side pockets. It also had a red velvet lining, Vanous said.

When found, the only article of clothing missing from Farley's body was her shoes. Her feet were clean, indicating she was not going barefooted when she died.

Shoes missing were described as a pair of yellow patent leather dress shoes, white work shoes, brown sandals and brown moccasins. Vanous said if anyone found any of the missing items, they wanted to know where they were found and when.

Farley's autopsy showed no signs of alcohol in the blood.

Vanous said numerous suspects in the case had been questioned and cleared through investigation, interrogation and use of the lie detector.

Updates:

Using the latest DNA technology, the Cedar Rapids Police Dept. has been able to procure a DNA sample from this case and currently is following up on some leads. If you have any information or remember anything about this case, please contact Det. Doug Larison at 319-286-5412.

Sources and References:

Foul Play is Suspected in Girl's Death - Cedar Rapids Gazette, Sept. 25, 1971
Muscatine Journal, Sept. 25, 1971
Cedar Rapids Death Probed - Cedar Rapids Gazette, Sept. 26, 1971
Police Seeking Information on Victim's Actions - Cedar Rapids Gazette, Sept. 27, 1971
Police Ask Public Aid in Death Probe - Cedar Rapids Gazette, Sept. 29, 1971
Iowa City Press-Citizen, Wed., Dec. 22, 1971
Cedar Rapids Gazette, Dec. 7, 1973
Woodward Asks C.R. Police Probe Not Become Sideshow - Cedar Rapids Gazette, April 19, 1974
Cedar Rapids Gazette, July 10, 1974
Murdered. Missing. Unsolved. Cedar Rapids Gazette series, March 22, 1992
Technology, tips help clear old homicides, but time takes toll on investigations - Cedar Rapids Gazette, Sept. 21, 2003
Personal Correspondence with family members

Page last updated: December 7, 2009