Category Archives: General

Valentine Death: Murder of Catherine Decora 1965

Murder Victim Catherine Decora (Katherine DeKora) 1917-1965 Cause of Death: Beaten Motive: Drinking Party Gone Wrong Murder Scene and Date Kenneth Taylor Residence Sioux City, Iowa Woodbury County February 14, 1965 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Nancy Bowers Written June 2010 The Valentine’s … Continue reading

Posted in Murders, Unsolved Iowa Murder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bound and Gagged: Murder of Francis Rafferty 1964

Murder Victim Francis John Rafferty 58-year-old Millworker Carr, Adams and Collier Company 1905-1964 Cause of Death: Asphyxiation Motive: Robbery Murder Scene and Date Rafferty Home Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque County February 8, 1964 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Nancy Bowers Written March 2010 Shortly … Continue reading

Posted in Murders, Unsolved Iowa Murder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Right Place, Wrong Time”: Murder of Edward Kriz 1962

Murder Victim Edward A. Kriz 43-year-old Owner George’s Buffet Tavern 1919-1962 Cause of Death: Gunshot Motive: Elimination of Witness Murder Scene and Date Hamburg Inn No. 2 214 North Linn Street Iowa City, Iowa Johnson County November 10, 1962 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ … Continue reading

Posted in Murders, Unsolved Iowa Murder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Burning Murder? Death of Lucille DeVries 1962

Victim Lucille Elaine DeVries 22-year-old Secretary, Iowa Company Waitress, Frontier Ballroom 1940-1962 Cause of Death: Burns Motive: Unknown Crime Scene and Date 607 3rd Street NE Mason City, Iowa Cerro Gordo County October 10, 1962 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Nancy Bowers Written … Continue reading

Posted in Murders, Unsolved Iowa Murder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Explosion in the Night: Murder of William L. Meadows 1961

Murder Victim William Lawrence Meadows 36-year-old Farmer Plainfield Town Marshal WWII Veteran 1924-1961 Cause of Death: Gunshot Motive: Avoiding Arrest Murder Scene and Date Hartmann Packing Plant Plainfield, Iowa Bremer County January 24, 1961 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Nancy Bowers Written September … Continue reading

Posted in Murders, Unsolved Iowa Murder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mother’s Day Death: Murder of Lillian Randolph 1965

Murder Victim Lillian Elizabeth Randolph 56-year-old Former Teacher Homemaker, Mother of Four 1908-1965 Cause of Death: Stabbed Motive: Spousal Elimination to Avoid Alimony Murder Scene and Date Last Seen Mother’s Day, May 2, 1965 Guthrie County, Iowa Found May 11, … Continue reading

Posted in Murders, Unsolved Iowa Murder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“A Real Nice Girl”: Murder of Janice Snow 1965

Murder Victim Janice “Jan” Marie Snow 17-year-old Technical High School Junior 1948-1965 Cause of Death: Stabbed Motive: Sexual Psychopathy   Murder Scene and Date Disappeared: April 12, 1965 6th and Walnut, Downtown Shopping Area Body Found: April 15, 1965 2000 … Continue reading

Posted in Murders, Unsolved Iowa Murder | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Deadly Shot: Murder of Roscoe D. Harris 1963

Murder Victim Roscoe Donnel Harris 46-year-old Farm Worker 1917-1963 Cause of Death: Gunshot Motive: Unknown Murder Scene and Date Rural Route Casey, Iowa Guthrie County July 6, 1963 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Nancy Bowers Written August 2010 According to the Iowa Department … Continue reading

Posted in Murders, Unsolved Iowa Murder | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Burning Mystery: Murder of Henry J. Hults 1963

Murder Victim Henry J. Hults 62-year-old Farmer Custodial Home Owner 1900-1963 Cause of Death: Burns Motive: Unknown Murder Scene and Date Hults Home Oxford Junction, Iowa Jones County March 22, 1963   __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Nancy Bowers Written February 2010 At … Continue reading

Posted in Murders, Unsolved Iowa Murder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Below Zero: Murder of George Geary 1963

Murder Victim George H. Geary 40-year-old Attendant M&H Service Station 1923-1963 Cause of Death: Gunshot Motive: Robbery Murder Scene and Date M&H Service Station Keosauqua Way & Crocker Street Des Moines, Iowa Polk County January 13, 1963   __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By … Continue reading

Posted in Murders, Unsolved Iowa Murder | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment