In part two of her series, KCRG TV-9’s Ashley Hinson spoke with law enforcement from all around eastern Iowa and went inside the DCI laboratories in Ankeny, where they conduct DNA analysis, look at fingerprints and break down bullets — all in the name of trying to solve cases gone cold.
This piece aired on March 3, 2010.
Many thanks go out to KCRG-TV 9 (Cedar Rapids) Anchor/Reporter Ashley Hinson, who recently wrapped up a series on Iowa cold cases and took the time to meet with ICC’s Nancy Bowers.
Cold Cases: Gone But Not Forgotten, Part I is the first in Ashley’s series and is a testament to the struggles and successes cold case investigators face when looking to bring justice to victims and the victims’ families.
This episode aired on Tuesday, March 2, 2010.
Rebecca Russell
Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge has featured our intern and co-administrator, Rebecca Russell, on the Criminal Justice Program’s home page along with information about Iowa Cold Cases and its mission. Rebecca earned her Criminal Justice Diploma from Iowa Central, and the program highlights student success stories on its departmental website.
Iowa Central’s Criminal Justice program can be taken as a diploma program when 33 core semester hours are completed or as an Associate of Science or Arts track when certain core semester hours are completed in accordance with each degree’s requirements.
One of the program’s strengths is the fact that many of the instructors are currently working or have worked in the Criminal Justice field. The ranks of its teaching staff have included a police chief, a chief deputy, a detective, criminal prosecutors, a former trooper, a correctional officer, and many other local criminal justice personnel.
In addition to program and course information, the website also features instructional videos, a photo slideshow of students participating in forensic science activities and a list of careers available in the criminal justice field.
For more information visit the Iowa Central Criminal Justice Program website.
I’m pleased to introduce Dr. Nancy Bowers, who joins the Iowa Cold Cases administrative team with an impressive background in writing and teaching, records research and criminal justice work. Nancy will help co-admins Jody and Rebecca with case summaries for the website, case updates to the blog and our Facebook group, and follow-up communications with law enforcement agencies, victims’ family members and other individuals involved with the respective cases.
Nancy received her Doctorate in English and Film Studies from Drake University. She earned an M.A. in 19th Century British Literature and an A.B. degree in English and History at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
She is the author of four published books: John Schlesinger: A Guide to References and Resources; The Hollywood Novel: 1912-1982; A Life in Time: Brown Munro, Sr. (1829-1909), and Lives to Share.
She has been a university teacher, editor, and Administrative Assistant in the Iowa General Assembly. She spent two years working in the Records Division of the Ames Police Department, where she currently volunteers, and two years assisting at the Adult Probation Office in Ames.
She is currently researching the January 1968 unsolved murder of Iowa State University student Sheila Jean Collins.
Nancy lives in Ames, Iowa, with her husband Neal and their six special needs cats.
Please join me in welcoming Nancy to the Iowa Cold Cases team!
Rebecca Russell
Iowa Cold Cases is pleased to introduce our first intern, Rebecca Russell.
Rebecca earned her Criminal Justice diploma at Iowa Central Community College and currently attends Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) in Ankeny as well as Grand View University in Des Moines, where she plans to major in Criminology. Following graduation, her goal is to work as a private cold case investigator in the Des Moines area.
Rebecca will help with research and case summaries, e-mail inquiries, updates to the ICC blog and our Facebook group, and in other areas as needed.
Born in Kansas City, Kansas, Rebecca’s family relocated to Ames, Iowa, before Rebecca celebrated her first birthday. She says she first became interested in cold case work after enrolling in the course ‘Scientific Investigation,’ an elective she took at DMACC. Professor Nickolas Brown, who taught the course, brought his own real-life investigating experience to the class and incorporated forensic science, which then inspired Rebecca to pursue her education in criminal justice.
“Justice for the families and friends of the victims is what motivated me to pursue cold case work as a career,” Rebecca says. “No one should ever have to give up on finding out what happened to their loved one.”
In addition to her criminal justice studies, Rebecca’s hobbies include traveling, movies, swimming and photography. She currently resides in Ames with her significant other, Jace, and their 6-month old son, Gabriel.
Please join me in welcoming Rebecca to the Iowa Cold Cases family!
I really have to give credit to Sioux City media (both print and broadcast) for the great jobs they’re doing with regular reports on area cold cases.
The Sioux City Journal, in addition to their regular coverage on the Wilma June Nissen case, recently launched a multimedia website dedicated to Nissen’s 30-year-old unsolved homicide. It’s nicely done and includes, in part, case history, photos, videos, a timeline, and also details Sheriff Blythe Bloemendaal’s long-standing commitment to solving Lyon County’s only cold case.
Then earlier this week, Sioux City’s KTIV-TV Channel 4 news reporter Melissa Lanzourakis produced an excellent two-part piece on the 1997 unsolved slaying of Ida Grove’s Connie Ruddy. The story featured an interview with Ruddy’s best friend — referred to only as “Jane” — who talked about the days leading up to Ruddy’s disappearance, how she made the discovery and her theories about her friend’s murder. Read the articles and view the videos for Part I here and Part II here.
KTIV has kept close tabs on the Ruddy case since Ida County Sheriff Wade Harriman announced in early February that authorities would reopen the case on Feb. 10, the 12-year anniversary of Ruddy’s disappearance. In 1999, the “missing persons” case became a homicide case when DNA tests proved a jaw bone found in a river near Denison, Iowa was Ruddy’s.
Siouxlanders can also tune in to KMEG 14 or KCAU-TV for cold case updates. And, as more viewers turn up the volume, officials continue to turn up the heat as they close in on cases never laid to rest.
So I say to Siouxland media: We’re reading, we’re watching, and we’re listening. Keep up the good work, and keep the stories coming.
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