Unidentified Persons
The following list includes all unidentified persons found in Iowa. Some are known homicides, while the manner of death for others remains unknown. All are cold cases.
Unidentified White Male
18-39 YOA
Des Moines, IA
Polk County
ME Case # 10-1398
January 1, 1924
Unknown Baby Boy
2-3 hours old
Highway 30
Tama, IA
Tama County
June 11, 1952
Baby John Doe
Newborn Infant
Des Moines River
Polk County, IA
Case #: 10-77-1397
December 12, 1953
Unidentified White Male
Missouri River
Near Mile Marker 662
Fremont County, IA
Case # 66-00724
May 26, 1966
Unidentified Black Male
River, SE 45th St. bridge
Pleasant Hill, IA
Polk County
ME Case # 10-1286
July 21, 1969
Unidentified Male
Age Unknown
Des Moines, IA
Polk County
ME Case # 10-1394
March 9, 1972
UNIDd Black Female
12 – 23 YOA
10 weeks pregnant
Mississippi River
Clinton County, IA
April 11, 1975
Jane Doe
Age Unknown
River Area SE
Des Moines, IA
Case # 1980-20704
May 26, 1980
Newborn Infant
Left on rural road
Outside Ames, IA
Story County
Case # 83-01277
March 13, 1983
Unidentified White Male
40-50 YOA
S. Lewis Blvd.
Sioux City, IA
Woodbury County
March 25, 1986
Unidentified White Male
33-36 YOA
Winneshiek County
Est DOD: April 1985
Body found:
March 31, 1986
Unidentified WM Fetus
Sewage System
Des Moines, IA
Polk County
ME Case # 10-1396
November 23, 1987
Unidentified White Male
33-53 YOA
Correctionville, IA
Woodbury County
Est DOD: 1971-73
Found: August 30, 1988
Unidentified:
Baby John Doe
Found in landfill
Iowa City, IA
Johnson County
December 21, 1992
Baby (Boy) Doe
Infant
Des Moines, IA
Polk County
ME Case # 10-1395
August 20, 1994
Baby (Boy) Doe
2 days old
502 C West 8th St.
Storm Lake, IA
Buena Vista County
October 15, 1995
Baby Jane Doe Lincoln
Newborn Infant
Lisbon, IA, barn
Cedar County
Case # 96-11840
November 10, 1996
‘Child of God’ Baby Doe
24 hours old
Harold Rowley Recycling Center
Buena Vista County
May 30, 2002
Dallas County – 1987
It doesn’t appear this person had been archived here. Anyone know if the forensic lab was successful in pulling DNA?
https://www.kcci.com/article/john-doe-dallas-county-iowa-unknown-ashes-remain-unidentified/38272246
https://web.archive.org/web/20230608213626/https://redgraveresearch.com/2022/02/25/dallas-county-john-doe-sandie-iowa-1987/
If peope have problems with people stay away from them killing them is not the answer and there is people who would take them babies and give them a.loving home I know I would have you peope will answer to our Lord for what you’ve done
I have been trying to get Kimberly sue Doss date changed to 1980 not 1982, but Davenport Ia will not help.
My 22 yr old son moved to lowa in febof this yr.havent heard from him in 4 weeks.name is Allen parker
Mandy, where in Iowa did he move, and where are you? Is he on facebook at all? what information can you share with us to help you?
hi mandy i wold like to try and help you
Iowa actually does have a safe haven law that was enacted in 2002 after the 2001 death of Baby Chelsea. However, most of the Doe babies listed on this page were found in the years before the safe haven law went into effect.
Can’t your state make a law in which mother’s that have babies and don’t want them can bring them to fire station or churches with no prosecution or repracations from the government or law enforcement…. They can’t be killing these babies that is horrible, give these mother’s no matter the reason a way out with out hurting a child.
Where are the bodies of the unidentified buried? Why can’t you run their DNA through the database?
YES. Three are many unidentified babies. I hope there would be a fund created to exhume and run DNA tests against databases to find the mothers. In most cases there is likely no malice but I’m guessing in a few there are crimes and maybe serial type deaths or abuse
My guess is the cost of the DNA analysis.