Three True Things: The Traits that Define Cold Case Families

On September 12, 2009, in Letters, The Families, Young Women, by Jody Ewing

A day seldom goes by that I don’t receive e-mail asking about an Iowa cold case, but occasionally one arrives that — before I’ve even clicked to open and read it — makes my heart skip a beat or two. They are the ones where I recognize the sender’s last name because it matches a […]

Today’s Cold Case Anniversaries: Lisa Peak and Rhonda Knutson

On September 7, 2009, in Anniversaries, Young Women, by Jody Ewing

While many families celebrate today’s Labor Day holiday, at least two Iowa families will mark the day with another kind of remembrance: the loss of a young, vibrant daughter, and the cold case anniversary of each of their untimely and senseless deaths. Thirty-three years ago on Tuesday, September 7, 1976, the nude, beaten body of […]

Today’s Cold Case Anniversaries: Valerie Peterson and Barbara Lenz

On May 6, 2009, in Anniversaries, Young Women, by Jody Ewing

Today marks the anniversaries of two Iowa cold cases — that of eight-year-old Elna Maria “Valerie” Peterson in 1971 and 31-year-old Barbara Lealyn Lenz in 1989. Valerie Peterson of Manson, IA, was killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding her bicycle along the road at the Manson Lutheran Church. One other girl riding ahead of […]

Six more victim pages added to ICC website

On April 13, 2009, in Missing Persons, Young Women, by Jody Ewing

In the last week or so, I’ve been able to get six more victim pages added to the Iowa Cold Cases website. Four are unsolved homicides and two are missing persons cases. More details are still needed for some — particularly the missing persons cases — and we hope to have that information soon. Brief overviews of each case […]