Welcome

Welcome to the Iowa Cold Cases website. Here you'll find lists of unsolved homicides, missing persons cases where foul play is suspected or the victim assumed deceased, photos and videos, and cases cross-referenced by city and county.

Case summaries and updates continue to be added daily.

Thank you for taking time to visit, and please feel free to leave comments or feedback on the blog.



Cold Cases: Gone But Not Forgotten, Part 1

By Ashley Hinson, Anchor/Reporter, KCRG-TV 9

 

Cold Cases: Gone But Not Forgotten, Part 2

By Ashley Hinson, Anchor/Reporter, KCRG-TV 9



We Remember: Cold Case Anniversaries

Upcoming cold case anniversaries are listed below and also include — where noted — birthdays the victims would have celebrated. If it has been some time since your local media provided an update on a case in your community, politely encourage them to check on its status and then communicate any recent developments to their viewers or readership. With Iowa's Cold Case Unit now well underway, there's no better time to spark renewed interest and, quite possibly, help generate fresh leads.

Upcoming Anniversaries

No Photo Available
Myrtle Z. Cumpston
Adel, IA
Dallas County
Case # 6500401
March 9, 1965
No Photo Available
Tommy Morris
1800 Blk Des Moines St.
Des Moines, IA
Case # 1972-15347
March 9, 1972
Gary Allan Brown
Gary Allan Brown
Age at Report: 23
Missing from Waterloo
Missing Since:
March 11, 1998
No Photo Available
Karla Hartkemeyer
35 YOA
Warren County
Case # 9603059
Body found March 12, 1996
No Photo Available
Sarah Ann Otten
Univ. of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Case # 7300179
March 13, 1973
No Photo Available
Newborn Infant
Rural Route
Story County
Case # 8301277
March 13, 1983
Dennis Addlesberger
Dennis Addlesberger
Age at Report: 46
Missing from Council Bluffs
Missing Since:
March 16, 1999
Julie Ann Benning
Julie Ann Benning
19 YOA
Waverly, IA
Case # 7600382
Found in Butler County
on March 18, 1976
No Photo Available
Elgin Hobert Strait
80 YOA
Mason City, IA
Cerro Gordo County
Case # 7700254
March 18, 1977
Mattie Lou Zabel
Mattie Lou Zabel
Age at Report: 45
Missing from Cedar Falls
Missing Since:
March 21, 1978
No Photo Available
Henry Hults
Oxford Junction
Jones County, IA
Case # 6300430
March 22, 1963
Geraldine Maggert
Geraldine Maggert
25 YOA
Cedar Rapids, IA
Linn County
March 22, 1968
No Photo Available
John Shuey
1427 23rd
Des Moines, IA
Case # 1986-12024
March 24, 1986
Alice Mae Van Alstine
Alice Mae Van Alstine
28 YOA
Assumed Deceased
Des Moines, IA
March 26, 1976
No Photo Available
Double Homicide
Jerry Cooper, 23
Keith Clayborne II, 20
3205 Kingman #208
Des Moines, IA
Case # 1991-12517
March 27, 1991
Marc James-Warren Allen
Marc Warren Allen
Age at Report: 13
Des Moines
Missing Since:
March 29, 1986
No Photo Available
Mamie Sime, 75
Rolfe, IA
Pocahontas County
Case # 8101956
March 31, 1981
Unidentified White Male - Winneshiek CountyUnidentified White Male, 33-36 YOA
Rural Winneshiek County
Est DOD: April 1985
Found: March 31, 1986
No Photo Available
Rodrigo Duran
59 YOA
1820 E. Army Post Rd.
Des Moines, IA
Case # 1999-11835
April 3, 1999
Denise Fraley
Denise Ordene Fraley
30 YOA
Cedar Rapids, IA
Would have celebrated 58th birthday on
April 4, 2010

Missing Photos

We're making every effort to include a headshot photo with each victim's profile, but many are still needed. If you have a photo you'd be willing to share, please e-mail to Jody. We continue to add pages and case summaries each day and appreciate any and all help in making this site as inclusive as possible.

 


The Cases

Meet our Team

Facebook logo

Twitter logo

 

ISU Student Still Missing
One month passes with few clues in his disappearance


Jon Lacina
Jonathan Lacina

Nobody wants to say it aloud, but after one long month has passed, the thought begins to take root - this is how cold cases begin.

College students like Jonathan (Jon) Lacina - an Iowa State University senior majoring in graphic design - don't just deliberately disappear and leave loved ones and friends behind to needlessly worry about his or her fate. So when they suddenly vanish without a trace, every moment and detail counts.

Jonathan, 21, was last seen on Friday night, Jan. 22, 2010, leaving a friend's apartment at 300 Stanton Ave. at approximately 9:30 p.m. A massive search has been conducted on the ISU campus and surrounding community - including air and water searches - and investigators say they have no solid leads in the case.

Jonathan's parents, Tom and Alesia Lacina of Grinnell, Iowa, have offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to their son's location.

Any leads or information about Jon Lacina's whereabouts should go to ISU Police at (515) 294-4428.

Read More

Download the PDF Poster with photos and description of Jonathan Lacina

 

Cold Cases in the News

State unit investigates cold criminal cases

KCRG Cedar Rapids - Cold Cases: Gone But Not Forgotten, Part 2

Investig8: The Disappearance Of Jon Lacina, Part II

KCRG Cedar Rapids - Cold Cases: Gone But Not Forgotten, Part 1

Investig8: The Disappearance of Jon Lacina, Part I

Official: Perjury charges in cold case dismissed, "substantial" new information

Police: The hunt doesn't end

Family offers reward for information on missing ISU student

Amber Marie Hayes: Case Open/Closed

Iowa woman casts a wide net to catch criminals: Web site helps keep Iowa cold cases alive

Forensic Analysis: Clues Buried in Sounds and Images

Frederiksen sentenced on federal drug charges (Evelyn Miller case)

Family Still Searching For Missing Clinton Man

Grand jury dusts off 31 cold cases

NC: Murder charge dropped for now in NC cold case

Iowa man pleads guilty to falsifying report on missing man

CA: Police Re-Arrest Suspect


Become a Sponsor button