Category Archives: General

Taking the Waters: Murder of Frank Callahan 1905

Murder Victim Frank Callahan 34-year-old “Nervous Disorder” Patient 1870-1905 Cause of Death: Drowned Motive: Robbery Murder Scene and Date Last Seen September 19, 1905 Des Moines, Iowa Found in Des Moines River at Levey Polk County September 24, 1905 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ … Continue reading

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“Very Maw of Death”: Murder of Officer Fred Widmann 1908

Murder Victim Fredrich P. “Fred” Widmann 30-year-old Waterloo Patrolman Killed in the Line of Duty 1870-1908 Cause of Death: Gunshot Motive: Avoiding Arrest Murder Scene and Date Alley behind East 4th Street Waterloo, Iowa Black Hawk County End of Watch: … Continue reading

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Poison in the Whiskey: Murder of Leonard DeLong 1904

Murder Victim Leonard L. DeLong 52-year-old Farmer 1852-1904 Cause of Death: Poison Motive: Obtaining an Inheritance Murder Scene and Date Washington Township Near Osceola, Iowa Clarke County September 9, 1904 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Nancy Bowers Written July 2011 When wealthy Clarke … Continue reading

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“A Vaudeville of Troubles”: Murder of Deborah Simmons 1879

Murder Victim Deborah Ann Faulkerson Simmons 62-year-old Hotel Proprietress 1816-1879 Cause of Death: Struck with Flat Iron Motive: Family Dispute Murder Scene and Date The New York House Jefferson Street between 4th and 5th Waterloo, Iowa Black Hawk County April … Continue reading

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The “Inoffensive, Harmless Man”: Murder of John Murphy 1904

Murder Victim John “Jack” Murphy 41-year-old Saloon Custodian and Porter Cause of Death: Gunshot Motive: Unknown 1863-1904 Murder Scene and Date N. 6th and Concert streets Keokuk, Iowa Lee County November 27, 1904 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Nancy Bowers Written July 2011 … Continue reading

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Poisoned and “Outraged”: Murder of Maud Straw 1896

Murder Victim Maud Straw 19-year-old High School Student 1876-1896 Cause of Death: Poisoned Motive: Sexual Psychopathy Murder Scene and Date Anna and Leonard Winters Home Near Union Depot Sheldon, Iowa O’Brien County February 5, 1896 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Nancy Bowers Written … Continue reading

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Killer in the Tombstone: Murders of Lena and Martin Schultz 1893

Murder Victims Helena Katherina “Lena” Schultz 48-year-old Physically-Handicapped Farm Wife 1845-1893 Martin Schultz 60-year-old Physically-Limited Farmer 1833-1893 Cause of Deaths: Beaten With a Hammer Motive: Robbery Murder Scene and Date Tilden Township Cherokee County August 19, 1893 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Nancy … Continue reading

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Death of the Photographer’s Daughter: Murder of Clara Gray 1898

Murder Victim Clara N. Kelley Gray 22-year-old Farm Wife 1876-1898 Cause of Death: Undetermined Motive: Unknown Murder Scene and Date East Nishnabotna River Bank Six miles south of Red Oak, Iowa Montgomery County February 28, 1898 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Nancy Bowers … Continue reading

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“Slay Utterly”: Villisca Axe Murders 1912

Murder Victims Josiah B. Moore (1868-1912) Sara Montgomery Moore (1873-1912) Herman Montgomery Moore (1900-1912) Mary Katherine Moore (1902-1912) Arthur Boyd Moore (1905-1912) Paul Vernon Moore (1907-1912) Lena Gertrude Stillinger (1900-1912) Ina Mae Stillinger (1903-1912)   Murder Scene and Date Moore … Continue reading

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Knockout Drugs: Murder of Harry Salisbury 1904

Murder Victim Harry Heaton Salisbury 32-year-old Pottery Factory Employee 1871-1904 Cause of Death: Poisoned and Pushed From a Height Motive: Robbery Murder Scene and Date Red Oak Creek Red Oak, Iowa Montgomery County August 5, 1904 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Nancy Bowers … Continue reading

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