Woodbury County in Iowa
Description: White male, 33-53 years of age, approximately 5’6″ tall
Details: Skeletonized remains found 08/30/88 in a roadside ditch 1/2 mile east of Correctionville in Woodbury County
Cause of Death: Unknown
Est. DOD: 1971-1973
Plaid shirt
On August 30, 1988, the skeletonized remains of a white male — 33 to 53 years of age, were found in a roadside ditch east of Correctionville, Iowa, in Woodbury County.
The victim’s clothing included:
Gym bag
Tobacco can
The victim’s possessions included:
Cause of death is unknown; estimated date of death is considered to be some time between 1971 and 1973.
Shaving materials
If you have any information about this victim please contact the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Department at 712-279-6010.
Other questions and comments may be addressed to:
Missing Person Information Clearinghouse
Division of Criminal Investigation
215 East 7th St.
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
515-725-6036
1-800-346-5507
Approx. 33 – 36 YOA
Found between hay bales
Winneshiek County, IA
Skeletal Remains Found: March 31, 1986
Estimated Date of Death: April 1985
Description: White male, 33-36 years of age, 5’6″ to 5’9″, 145 – 160 lbs., brown hair, medium build.
Details: Skeletal remains found 03/31/86 between hay bales at a farm site in Winneshiek County, Iowa. The individual may have been traveling from Ohio to California.
Clothing: Plaid white-tan-black pile-lined jacket, medium white-tan short sleeve terry cloth shirt, blue cords with 33″ waist, black socks, extra-large blue windbreaker and brown shoes.
Possessions: A one dollar bill, pink blanket and a match book
Winneshiek County in Iowa
Cause of Death: Unknown
Estimated date of death: April 1985
Date remains found: March 31, 1986
Investigating Agency: Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office, 319-382-4268
Questions and comments may be addressed to:
Missing Person Information Clearinghouse
Division of Criminal Investigation
215 East 7th St.
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
515-725-6036
1-800-346-5507
Fremont County in Iowa
Unidentified White Male
Missouri River near mile marker 662.62
Rural Route B
Fremont County, IA
Case Number: 66-00724
May 26, 1966
On May 26, 1966, the body of a white male subject was found in the Missouri River near mile marker 662.62. The subject’s body was in somewhat advanced stages of decomposition and identification has not yet been made.
If you have any information about this case please contact Iowa Cold Cases via our Contact form.
Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation
Description : White male, 28-48 years of age, 5’7″ to 5’9″, approximately 150 lbs., brown hair, medium build, right handed, surgical pin implanted in right knee.
Details : Skeletal remains found 2/28/84, in brushy area along a dirt trail in Des Moines, Iowa.
Clothing : Faded blue denims with 31″ waist, dark leather belt, brown socks, low cut TRAX sneakers brown/blue in color.
Possessions : Plastic comb, plastic Copenhagen snuff box and a pocket knife.
Cause of Death : Blunt trauma, sometime during the summer of 1983.
Agency : Des Moines Police Department – 515-283-4811
Story by Aaron Brilbeck , WHOtv Channel 13 , Des Moines
November 4, 2010
Courtesy photo WHO-TV, Des Moines DES MOINES — It’s been nearly 27 years since police found the badly decomposed body of a man in a watery area on the southeast side of town. Still, Des Moines police are no closer to figuring out who the man is or what happened to him.
On February 28, 1984, the remains were found in a wooded area just north of Maury Street near Scott, partially submerged in the water. The body’s condition led police to believe it may have been there since spring of 1983.
“(The) body was found and appeared to be kind of on its side in sort of a fetal position type, wearing nothing but blue jeans, a belt and tennis shoes,” said Des Moines Police Sergeant Jeff Edwards.
Courtesy photo WHO-TV, Des Moines The body did show signs of trauma and some broken ribs, but police are not sure of a cause of death or whether it was accidental, natural or murder.
“The suspicion is that the body had been [there] for some time,” Edwards said. “Probably, at least at some point, the body was partially submerged which did deteriorate the body considerably so that what was discovered in February — the remains were mostly just bones and just a small patch of skin.”
That small patch of skin may hold the clues to solving this case. The man, who police say was white with brown hair and stood about 5-foot-8, had several tattoos.
Courtesy photo WHO-TV, Des Moines On the victim’s right arm, there was a tattoo of a red flying bird carrying a streamer that said “MOTHER.” The word “DAD” is above the bird. Also on the right arm was a tattoo of a Nazi storm-trooper wearing a German helmet. The face under helmet is skull-like.
A third tattoo on the right bicep shows a laughing skull with a top hat and cigarette with the words Born To Die” encircling the design.
On the right side of the chest there was a profile of a woman with a gear with a wrench through it for an earring.
Near the center of the chest, a spotted snake appears to be coiled around a tree.
WHO-TV Channel 13′s Aaron Brilbeck reports on the unidentified body of a white male found in Des Moines
on February 28, 1984. Air date: November 4, 2010
“It’s been very difficult in going back now with this particular person because we don’t have a missing person that we can match up to the body that was recovered or to the remains recovered,” Edwards said. “We don’t have any identification. Nothing. Very little in the way of identifying marks other than the tattoos.”
The spot where the body was found is well known to police. It’s so remote, meth producers often cook drugs there and car thieves will ditch stolen vehicles.
Investigators say it’s important to identify the remains to give a family, somewhere, some closure and possibly get a killer off the streets.
“Whoever they are and whoever this person is, they deserve to know what happened to their loved one,” said Edwards. “And obviously, if it does turn out that it’s a homicide, we have someone out there that’s committed a homicide. We need to bring that person to justice.”
Anyone with information about the body is asked to call Des Moines Police at 515-283-4811.
Right Arm Side Profile
Right Front Profile
Right Rear Profile
Tattoo 1
Tattoo 1 : Flying bird carrying streamer in its beak. Written inside streamer is “MOTHER”. The word “DAD” is above bird. The bird is in red-orange ink. Back of streamer is in green ink. Located right upper-arm near shoulder-tip. Dimensions: Approximately 3 inches from “DAD” to bottom of streamer. Approximately 2 1/2 inches from beak to tail.
Tattoo 2
Tattoo 2 : Nazi storm-trooper. Wearing German Helmet, iron cross, SS on collar tabs. Face under helmet is skull-like. Has appearance of wearing leather coat. Dark-colored ink. Located on side and extending to rear of right upper-arm. Dimensions: approximately 6 inches tall by 3 inches wide. Runs parallel to tattoos three and four.
Tattoo 3
Tattoo 3 : Laughing skull with top-hat and cigarette. The words “BORN TO DIE” encircling design. Red ink inside eyes. Green ink inside nose. Located on right arm/inside bicep. Approximately 1/2 inch above tattoo no. four. Total size approximately 1 3/4 inches wide at brim of hat by 2 inches long.
Tattoo 4
Tattoo 4 : Female face with dark hair under a sombrero. Fancy design on brim of sombrero. It’s believed that the sombrero was put on after the female’s features were tattooed. An additional tattoo of “JOHN” is visible under the design inside the sombrero brim. From top of hat to chin of female face is approximately 2 1/2 inches. The brim of the sombrero is approximately 2 1/4 inches wide. Located inner-arm approximately 3 1/2 inches. Located inner-arm approximately 3 1/2 inches from elbow joint. (right side) Approximately 1/2 inch below the skull in top-hat design.
Tattoo 5
Tattoo 5 : Female facial-profile/left side. Located on right side of chest above nipple. Tattooed so that female’s hair appears light-colored. NOTE: A distinctive feature is that female has a “gear” with a wrench through it for an earring. Dimensions: Tattoo would take up most of subject’s right breast-area.
Tattoo 6
Tattoo 6 : Appears to be a spotted snake coiled around a tree. Dark ink. Located in middle of chest; along the sternum, from the xiphoid process to the angle. Majority of this tattoo is indistinguishable due to skin deterioration.
Tattoo 7
Tattoo 7 : Dark-colored ink. No combination for colors. Believed that skin-section from abdominal area/right side between navel and chest. Approximate dimensions: (male cartoon figure minus head due to skin deterioration.) Toe to toe – 3 inches; sole to upper-chest – 3 3/4 inches.
Tattoo 8
Tattoo 8 : Dark-colored ink. No discernible color combinations. Butterfly pattern. Located on rear of right-side shoulder; towards collarbone area. Dimension: approximately 1 1/2 inches long. NOTE: No pattern distinguishable on rearward wing (possible due to skin deterioration).
Location Where Found: 200 Block of S. Lewis Blvd.
Highway 75
Sioux City, Iowa
Woodbury County
Date Found: March 25, 1986
Estimated Date of Death: March 24, 1986
NamUs-UP #: 2621
Description: White male, 40-49 years of age, 5’6″ to 5’8″, 145 to 155 lbs., medium build, blood type A+.
Clothing: Subject was wearing white cotton gloves, brown western shirt, blue jeans, blue cotton socks and tan western boots.
Possessions: Tube of contact cement.
Cause of Death: Apparent suicide; burned body was found doused with gasoline.
Investigating Agency: Sioux City Police Department 712-279-6365
At approx. 9:42 a.m. on March 25, 1986, Sioux City Police responded to a report of a man down under a bridge of an abandoned river channel near Marx Trucking at 220 S. Lewis Blvd.
Marx employees had observed smoke and a noxious odor coming from the area the day before at approximately 5 p.m. Investigators located the body of man — believed to be between 40-50 years of age — burned beyond recognition, with a gas can located between the victim’s legs.
The death is believed to have been caused by thermal injuries suffered during an act of self-immolation (setting one’s self on fire). The body was found doused with gasoline. The decedent’s blood type was determined to be A+.
The Sioux City Police did obtain dental records from the victim’s teeth, which have been compared to numerous missing persons across the country.
As of this date, the subject’s identity is unknown and the case remains open.
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