Category Archives: General

“No Necking Here”: Murder of Harry Overturf 1925

Murder Victim Stephen Harry Overturf, Jr. 32-year-old Farmer & Laborer Former Iowa National Guard Sgt. 1893-1925 Cause of Death: Gunshot Motive: Robbery Murder Scene and Date Lane Leading to Overturf Home One Mile East of Ottumwa, Iowa Wapello County July … Continue reading

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Sisters Act: Suspicious Deaths of Josephine Goodwin and Elizabeth Anthony 1925

Victims Josephine Goodwin 59-year-old Retired Cedar Rapids Police Matron 1866-1925 Elizabeth Anthony 55-year-old Unemployed Widow 1870-1925 Cause of Deaths: Gassed Motive: Love Triangle Death Scene and Date 1302 7th Street “East Bottoms” Sioux City, Iowa Woodbury County July 10, 1925 … Continue reading

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Third Time, No Charm: Murder of Benjamin “Barney” Kaplan 1925

Murder Victim Benjamin “Barney” Kaplan 38-year-old Grocer 1885-1925 Cause of Death: Gunshot Motive: Robbery Murder and Date Kaplan Grocery 301 S. Wall Street Sioux City, Iowa Woodbury County Shot April 15, 1925 Died May 27, 1925 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Nancy Bowers … Continue reading

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Babe in the Woods: Murder of an Infant Girl 1910

Murder Victim Infant Girl February 25-March 4, 1910 Cause of Death: Strangulation Motive: Infanticide Murder Scene and Date Johnson Woods North of Iowa City, Iowa Johnson County March 4, 1910 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Nancy Bowers Written March 2013 It was 4:30 … Continue reading

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“Walking Corpse”: Suspicious Death of Nancy Duncan 1880

Victim Nancy Duncan Widowed Farm Wife ca. 1820-1880 Cause of Death: Slashed With Knife Motive: Family Neglect and Abuse Body Location and Date Rural Area, Loess Hills Pacific Junction, Iowa Mills County June 6, 1880 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Nancy Bowers Written … Continue reading

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Two Guns, Two Policies, One Woman: Murder of Henry Duffy 1897

Murder Victim Henry V. Duffy 33-year-old Dry Goods Merchant Captain, Iowa National Guard 1864-1897 Cause of Death: Gunshot Motive: Unknown Murder Scene and Date J. Duffy & Sons Store Williams-Stillwell block Waukon, Iowa Allamakee County April 27, 1897 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By … Continue reading

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Tracks in the Night: Murder of Edward Moore 1898

Murder Victim Edward “Ed” Moore 23-year-old Farmhand James LeGore Farm 1875-1898 Cause of Death: Gunshot Motive: Robbery Murder Scene and Date Railroad Tracks 1 mile north of Ely, Iowa Putnam Township Linn County October 20, 1898 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Nancy Bowers … Continue reading

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Thrown Away: Murder of Sandra Jo Pittman 1980

Murder Victim Sandra Jo “Sandy” Pittman 17-year-old Runaway Bettendorf High School Dropout 1962-1980 Cause of Death: Bludgeoned Motive: Sociopathy, General Murder Scene and Date Highway 30 Roadside Park Near Clarence, Iowa Cedar County September 17, 1980 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Nancy Bowers … Continue reading

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Last Accounts: Murder of Henry Nurre 1890

Murder Victim Henry Nurre 76-year-old Mortgage Broker Retired Farmer 1814-1890 Cause of Death: Bludgeoned with Poker and Hammer Motive: Robbery Murder Scene and Date Nurre Farm Home 2 miles east of Brown’s Station Waterford Township Clinton County, Iowa March 11, … Continue reading

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Death at the Morticians’ Convention: Murders of Rose Burkert and Roger Atkison 1980

Murder Victims Rose Z. Burkert 22-year-old Nursing Student Resident of St. Joseph, Missouri 1958-1980 Roger E. Atkison 32-year-old Repairman, Installer General Telephone Company Resident of St. Joseph, Missouri 1948-1980 Cause of Deaths: Struck with Ax or Roofing Hatchet Motive: Love … Continue reading

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