Nancy Grace to Feature Jodi Huisentruit on “Missing in America”

On February 23, 2011, in Media, Missing Persons, News, by Jody Ewing

HLN’s “Nancy Grace: Missing in America” will feature the disappearance of Mason City anchorwoman Jodi Huisentruit on tonight’s program. The episode will air at 8 p.m. Central Standard Time. In an e-mail sent to Iowa Cold Cases, Nancy Grace’s staff recommended the following link to share with ICC readers: Read the Jodi Huisentruit Case Summary […]

6-day-old’s “Slam Dunk” Murder Case Remains Open

On February 19, 2011, in Anniversaries, by Jody Ewing

Courtesy photo Cedar Rapids Gazette 6-day-old Shane Lass’s death came just shy of four years after that of his 10-day-old sister, Tamara Lynn Lass. Nineteen years ago today, new mother Teri Lass, 29, claimed her 6-day-old son, Shane Alex Lass, was kidnapped from her unlocked car outside the Norwalk, Iowa, post office while she went […]

The WHO-TV Iowa Cold Case Series: Enough? Or Barely Scratched the Surface?

On February 19, 2011, in Media, News, The Families, by Jody Ewing

I can’t begin to tell you how enjoyable it has been working with Channel 13′s Aaron Brilbeck over the past 7-1/2 months and witnessing the dedication he’s brought to telling the stories behind many Iowa cold cases. To regularly interview family members who’ve lost loved ones to violent crime can be a daunting job. It […]

Kimberly Ratliff: No Second Chances

On January 12, 2011, in Anniversaries, Young Women, by Jody Ewing

School had never come that easy to Kimberly Ratliff of Council Bluffs, Iowa, but she’d worked hard to keep up her grades in order to graduate. And, she’d done it — the first in her family to do so. Her post-graduation days, however, came with their own set of challenges, and somehow she found herself […]

Appeal to “Anonymous” writer

On January 7, 2011, in Letters, by Jody Ewing

To the individual who recently submitted an anonymous comment via Iowa Cold Cases’ former blog on Blogspot: I have respected your wishes and the comment has not been published there or on our current blog here at WordPress. You mentioned that you felt I would know how to reach you, though I do not. You […]

A Soldier’s Story: Melvin Gallagher

On January 3, 2011, in Anniversaries, by Jody Ewing

His young adult life had started out with a few uncertainties, but 22-year-old Melvin James Gallagher was finding his footing and making plans for what he hoped would be a bright future. He’d been deeply in love with two different women — Gloria and Patricia — and wanted to settle down with a good job […]

Cold Case Victim Leaves Behind the Greatest Gift

On December 26, 2010, in Anniversaries, by Jody Ewing

The day after Christmas 35 years ago today, 19-year-old Michael Edward Carr spent part of the evening catching up with a friend over drinks. With no brothers of his own to chum around with over the holidays — his five siblings were all girls — Mike Carr enjoyed relaxing at the “Filling Station” pub in […]

Killer Leaves Clues in Blood: John Robert Hill

On November 21, 2010, in Anniversaries, by Jody Ewing

It’s been 34 years since two young men found John Robert Hill, 51, lying face down in a small room at the Ottumwa Launderette Hill owned and operated on East Main Street in Ottumwa. Authorities said Hill had been stabbed 21 times and also had been shot. A .25-caliber pistol was on the floor near Hill’s […]

Fred Coste: Unsolved Murder Hits 51 Years

On October 14, 2010, in Anniversaries, by Jody Ewing

  Frederick “Fred” Coste, 47, was found October 15, 1959, lying face-up in a pool of blood inside his loan interview cubicle at the Family Finance Corporation in Cedar Rapids where he worked. He had been punched in the left eye and then stabbed six times in the chest. Now more than a half-century cold, […]

Do I Look Funny?

On October 9, 2010, in Uncategorized, by Jody Ewing

Dear Reader, Please excuse the clumsy mess here right now as we experiment with putting the ICC pages on WordPress. Host for Web’s “yellowknife” server (which hosts both our website and the blog) has been down almost nonstop since just before 7:30 p.m. Friday night. (It’s now 1:47 a.m. Saturday morning.) I’ve tried, and tried […]