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The shocking story behind Carmody caseIf I held a knife to his throat now, I wouldn't thrust it, but 1 wouldn’t release him, either. The agony, shock, fear and humiliation suffered by my daughter at his hands uHthout provocation or even a previous acquaintance are beyond beltef or comprehension.— Mother of a victim of _ John Joseph'Carmody, jr.By CHUCK OF FEN BURGERRMUMr SUH WrtftrMASON CITY, IA. - This whole situation should have happened in California.Indeed, those involved — when asked to think of something similar — inevitably get around to a couple of California’s more celebrated cases.Mans on,Hearst.It has to do with women doing things against their will. There’s no killing in this matter, but many of those involved say death, or even deaths, were undoubtedly just around the bend.No California weirdos in this one, however. It happened in Iowa.John Joseph Carmody, jr., 37, is now serving a 40-year sentence at the Iowa -State Penitentiary; —He’ll be offered psychiatric counseling there, and many hope he will accept it. An ex-wife says he should have accepted such help when it was first offered more than 15 years ago by the U.S. Army, where she says Car-mody’s sexual aberrations were first detected.He took a discharge instead, she said, and the years intervening have seen him charged, or under surveillance, by authorities in at least four sex cases — this last one by far the most wicked.Triple-X - -1What Carmody did in a second-story Mason City apartment to earn the Fort Madison sentence taxes the imagination. It’s.rated triple-X.Because Carmody pleaded guilty to four charges (two rapes and two of maliciously threatening to extort) in Cerro Gordo County District Court and was sentenced May 18, the story of what happened will not come out in trial, barring an appeal.But from interviews with people involved on various sides of the case and from court records, and appearances, The Register has put together the following synopsis of one of the more bizarre crimes in the state's history:• Carmody, early in 1975, became involved with a middle-aged woman in Mason City, while he was already dating the woman’s daughter. Eventually, making some use of liquor and more use of physical threats, he was able to photograph them in nude, sexual poses.• Using a threat of revealing the photographs to others and more threats of physical harm, he forced the two women to bring at least two more women they knew to him, and he placed the newcomers under similar control.• The four were then instructed to lure more of their friends to Carmody,who began telling his victims that he was a highly placed Mafia member who had mean-tempered musclemen at his beck and call. Federal authorities have checked the Mafia claims and saythey were bunk, but the women believed them at the time. As the group grew, the women were told they could , recruit friends themselves to join the] family,” or the fictitious hit men wouidl “do it in a way not quite so nice, ! according to one victim.• “The family” eventually included Carmody and 18 or 19 women ranging in age from 19. to 26, except for the . older woman, whom the others were instructed to call “Mom.” Most of the victims are attractive, and several pi them told authorities they were_virgiiu before they met Carmody.• The women say they were tolc that if they did not obey Carmody'! every wish, harmtwould come to than. Some said they ware told acid would bi thrown on them, or they would be raped repjeatedly by a lineup of Mafiosos, or they would “be shot so full or heroin you'll become a junkie.” Some say they were also told their families might become victims of ipiysterioui furnace explosions or kidnaping*;• Carmody’s demands were for jex-ual favors, baths in shaving creani end musk oil, house cleaning, cooking, clothing, money and home furnishings. One women, who had access to charge cards, is now reportedly several thousand dollars in debt because of purchases she made for Carmody. He also demanded that they smile for the photographs - which victims said generally included several pom of a woman alone, of the woman fondling Carmody or engaging in a sex act with him, and of the woman in a sex act with at IfVtwt one other woman.• Carmody was able io delay the eventual discovery of his operation until early December by convipciutt* women that he and the MaJii jud bought off state and local police andCARMODYPlease turn to Pape ioA
Newspaper Details
Des Moines Register
Des Moines, Iowa, US
Sun, May 30, 1976
Page 86
Full Page
Clipped by
University O.
IA, USA 06 Feb 2024
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