Murders and disappearances puzzle Iowa connections in Phoenix cases
Eastern Iowa brothers Stanley and Ronald Anderson were killed seven years apart in Phoenix with no known motive or suspects. Other local cold cases include Oakdale murder of Lance De Woody, Cedar Rapids trunk death of Maureen Farley, Monticello strangling of Sean Freese, and unresolved Iowa crimes with scant evidence and few witnesses.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Phoenix
Iowa
Anamosa
Stanley Anderson
Ronald Anderson
Coralville
Stanley
Ronald
Aziz
the Gazette
Leo Speliopolous
Cedar Rapids
Maureen Farley
Farley
Sioux City
David Farley
Iowa Men's Reformatory
Monticello
Sean Freese
Freese
Burt Walters
Clarence
Sandra Pittman
Davenport
Highway 30
Cedar County
Keith Whitlatch
Amanaax
Whitlatch
Pittman
Nem
Laver
Novak
Ron
Multiple sensational unsolved murder cases across Iowa towns
A compilation of homicide reports across Blairstown Dubuque Anamosa Cedar Rapids Clarence Winfield and surrounding areas detailing cases from 1972 to 1989. Victims include Amos Jellison Lynda Manuel Kenny Johnson Dick McKinney Charlie Plucar Matt Pusateri and Brian Schappert among others with motives robbery strangulation or stabbing cited and various suspects named or described.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Reese
U.S
Bob Teig
Cedar Rapids
The
Gazette
Teig
McKinney
Edward McManus
Dick McKinney
McManus
Matt Pusateri
Brian Schappert
Pusateri
Schappert
Kum & Go
Mount Vernon Rd
Loved ones cope and live on after Iowa’s famous unsolved crimes
Noreen Gosch reflects on Johnny’s disappearance and the enduring pain of an unsolved case. She recounts an invitation from a grieving pet owner, noting how smiling feels fragile yet possible as she moves forward with life.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Martinko
Cedar Rapids
Noreen Gosch
West Des Moines
Iowa
Johnny
Gosch
Unsolved Crimes Weigh Heavy on Iowa Families
The article profiles families coping with long unsolved disappearances and murders in Iowa. Dale Laver, whose friend Ron Novak was murdered in 1983, and Howard and Nancy Heckle, whose son Guy vanished in 1973, reflect on grief, faith, and the search for answers amid limited leads.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Iowa
Dale Laver
Ron Novak
Center Point
Laver
Howard
Nancy Heckle
Guy
Cedar River
Heckles
Cedar Rapids
Howard Heckle
Nancy
Reflecting on a Night of Tragedy and Regret
A speaker contemplates their absence the night a murder occurred questioning whether presence could have prevented the crime or led to their own harm alongside Ron. The reflection centers on guilt and what might have changed that night.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Missouri
Denise Fraley
Cedar Rapids
Fraley
Linda Plowman
Nadine
Ordie Stark
Plowman
Nadine Stark
Linda
Ron
Haven’t Forgotten Her
A reflective note on enduring memory of a vanished woman. The speaker asserts that time does not erase loss and people adjust to living with the event. The line hints at unresolved grief and permanence of memory.
Also Mentioned on This Page
Ronald and
Lance DeWoody
Oakdale
University of Iowa
DeWoody
North Liberty
Iowa City
Terry Koehn
Koehn
Walters
Amos Jellison
Blairstown
Benton County
Sheriff's Department
Pete Wright
Jellison
Wright
Kenny Johnson
Dubuque
Johnson
Mays Park
Mississippi River
Lynda Manuel
Bud's
Super Value
Fillmore
Richard Stivers
Greta Alexander
Stivers
Harry Reese
Dirty Harry
Chicago
Charlie Plucar
Lucerne
Here
Benton County Sheriffs Department
Plucar
Pincar
Matt Pusateri and
Bruce Kern
Dennis Stastny
Stastny
Jim Barnes
Cedar
Linn County
Percy Harris
Harris
Naomi Wilson
13Th Ave
Kmart
16Th Ave
Wilson
Rick Smith
Jeff Burnham
Janet Martinko
Heaven
Kevin Klotzbach
Klotzbach
Vicki
Vic
Kevin
Kathy Dick
Paul Knockel
Marion
Vicki Klotzbach
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!