Lamoni, IA Area Cold Cases

Name

Arlys Ponce

Age

42

Cause of Death

Stabbing

Info

Arlys ponce — a 42-year-old mother of three — was found dead on the floor of her norwalk, iowa home on october 8, 1997. Ponce’s son had arrived at the residence at approximately 3:15 p.M., and when his mother failed to answer the door, he peered through a window and saw her body lying on the floor. The son contacted a neighbor, telling her he couldn’t get into the house but that he could see his mother lying on the floor. The neighbor contacted police, who entered the residence and discovered arlys ponce had been beaten and stabbed to death.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Ashley Okland

Age

27

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Ashley okland, a 27-year-old iowa realty agent, was shot twice and killed shortly before 2 p.M. On friday, april 8, 2011, while working inside a west des moines model townhouse. A rottlund homes employee heard a commotion inside the model townhouse at 558 stone creek court — part of the stone creek villas subdivision near 84th st. And e.P. True parkway in des moines developed by rottlund homes — and went to investigate. Inside, the worker discovered okland on the floor and called 911.

Agency

Iowa

Name

James Wood

Age

79

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Late on saturday night, july 30, 2011, the home of bill and kay wood of rural norwalk, iowa, was destroyed by fire. Around midnight and into early sunday morning, five fire departments responded to 2698 highway r-63 in greenfield township just south of des moines’ city limits and the des moines international airport.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Kaidena Wood

Age

72

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Late on saturday night, july 30, 2011, the home of bill and kay wood of rural norwalk, iowa, was destroyed by fire. Around midnight and into early sunday morning, five fire departments responded to 2698 highway r-63 in greenfield township just south of des moines’ city limits and the des moines international airport.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Boyd Novinger

Age

77

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Boyd george novinger, 77, was killed in his bedford, iowa home on saturday, december 27, 1997. Novinger’s son-in-law and business partner, h. Keith taylor, was first on scene and told officials he found his father-in-law’s body the following sunday afternoon. An autopsy concluded novinger died from gunshot wounds to the chest.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Cecil Gaddy

Age

19

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

He worked as a farm hand and repaired small engines. He taught himself to play guitar and enjoyed writing songs. He had a keen interest in computers, and routinely fixed problems for those who came to him for help. Clarke county in iowa clarke county in iowa osceola iowa osceola in clarke county life took its first cruel turn when the 16-year-old teen, his pregnant sister and her husband and another friend were passengers in a van and the driver lost control. When the vehicle started to roll, cecil used his body to protect his sister, but eventually was thrown through the windshield and left with a broken back. Paralyzed from the waist down, cecil struggled to regain his independence and keep up with his favorite activities. Though he couldn’t walk, he could still use his hands, and his trusty wheelchair could take him nearly anywhere he wanted to go

Agency

Iowa

Name

Chad White

Age

21

Cause of Death

Shooting

Info

Late friday night, may 21, 1993, chad william white, 21, was shot to death in the corning, iowa home he shared with his fiancée, dixie kinser.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Christopher Axiotis

Age

16

Cause of Death

Undetermined

Info

The 16-year-old osceola youth’s incarcerated father had been in prison most of the teen’s life. His mother had left town to stay with a boyfriend, and even his little brother was locked up in a detention center. Clarke county in iowa clarke county in iowa osceola in clarke countyosceola in clark county axiotis had begun staying with friends, most recently with deb barringer in osceola. He’d dated angie ruth for a few years, and the two were working on getting back together. On tuesday, november 16, 1999, ruth sat in a classroom when word trickled into school about a body being found at the q pond park on osceola’s northwest edge. It was somebody from school, she heard, but at the time no one knew the victim’s identity. After school, ruth went home and got the call. Officials had identified the body as that of her longtime friend, chris axiotis.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Colleen Simpson

Age

14

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Colleen simpson, 14, of clearfield, iowa, was reported missing to the taylor county sheriff’s office in bedford, iowa, on october 5, 1975. She was last seen at her clearfield home where she disappeared sometime during the night. Colleen was born december 5, 1960, and has a scar on her right forearm.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Corinne Perry

Age

17

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

The creston high school senior had just earned a scholarship to college and planned to double major in psychology and acting. She belonged to the school’s mime troop, acted in several school plays, and also participated in speech contests. She was last seen sunday, april 17, 1983 at a coin-operated laundromat in creston, iowa. According to authorities, a man walked out of the laundromat right behind the teen sometime between 8:30 and 9 p.M. The night she disappeared. The following day, her car — with the clothes neatly folded and lying on the seat — was found parked at the laundromat. Her purse turned up on a highway bridge seven miles away between kent and lenox, iowa.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Crystal Hunt

Age

21

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Crystal sue hunt was reported missing to the wayne county sheriff’s office in corydon, iowa, on feb. 24, 1998. Corydon in wayne county corydon in wayne county crystal, who’d celebrated her 21st birthday just six days earlier and was pregnant, was last seen leaving her parents’ residence in centerville on feb. 24, 1998, with her boyfriend. He said they argued and she got out of the car. Crystal has not been seen nor heard from since. She is described as 5-foot-9 , 140-142 pounds, with blue eyes and blonde hair. She was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, white sweatshirt, black and white checked stirrup pants and nike tennis shoes with blue spots on the tops.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Denise Eberly

Age

3

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On thursday morning, october 15, 1964, dixie lynne eberly, 13 months old, and her 3-year-old sister, denise diane eberly, died after an arson fire in the family’s rural new market, iowa home in taylor county. Taylor county in iowa taylor county in iowa officials said 13-month-old dixie burned alive in her crib. Denise died of smoke inhalation a short time later at the municipal hospital.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Dixie Eberly

Age

13

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On thursday morning, october 15, 1964, dixie lynne eberly, 13 months old, and her 3-year-old sister, denise diane eberly, died after an arson fire in the family’s rural new market, iowa home in taylor county. Taylor county in iowa taylor county in iowa officials said 13-month-old dixie burned alive in her crib. Denise died of smoke inhalation a short time later at the municipal hospital.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Dorothy Coon

Age

38

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On monday evening, august 29, 1960, dorothy coon was found dead in a ditch alongside a county road in lucas county, iowa, about 12 miles north of chariton. Her body — clad in a dark green dress and white shoes — was discovered by a farmer mowing weeds. Her purse was found one mile away. The gravel road was a shortcut to coon’s parents’ farm east of chariton, and in the vicinity of albia, iowa.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Doris Konecne

Age

38

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Doris “elaine” konecne, 38, the legal secretary for union county attorney robert rolfe, was found deceased on the kitchen floor of her apartment at the ken-lee apartments on north cherry street in creston, iowa, early sunday morning, october 28, 1973. Ms. Konecne’s brother, who discovered his sister’s body, immediately contacted authorities.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Emma Lewis

Age

80

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Emma lewis was found dead in her waukee, iowa home on monday, september 13, 1976. The 80-year-old lewis had died from blows suffered during a severe beating.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Fred Sanders

Age

43

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On november 11, 1966, hunter richard thorne found a man’s skeletal remains in a brushy area under the rock island railroad viaduct across the chariton river one and three quarters of a mile south of chariton, iowa, in lucas county. Papers and a wallet adjacent to the remains identified him as fred sanders, a u.S. Army veteran who served during world war ii with the 745th american anti-aircraft artillery gun battalion.

Agency

Iowa

Name

George Keller

Age

61

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

George raymond keller, a 61-year-old world war ii veteran, was found dead in his rural clarke county, iowa home in the early morning hours on tuesday, september 29, 1981.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Gregg Nimmo

Age

44

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Gregg andrew nimmo, 44, of adel, iowa, was found with severe head injuries on a gravel road in dexter, iowa, on sunday, aug. 28, 2011. Nimmo lay bleeding from head wounds on a gravel road just outside beaver lake campground in dallas county. Several individuals allegedly witnessed the manner in which a known female killed nimmo. Tire tracks ran up and down both ditch sides as the driver attempted to throw nimmo from the truck and then deliberately ran him over.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Joseph Payne

Age

72

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

During the great depression, joseph payne happened to be in a chariton, iowa, grocery store where a woman and child stood ahead of him in line. The woman had lost her husband, had no job, and needed food to feed her child. She tried to purchase a few basic grocery items. She didn’t have enough money, the store clerk told her, and would have to put some of the items back. Payne did not hesitate to act; he not only paid for all the woman’s groceries, but handed her some additional cash — “to be used for her and the child,” he said. Payne was not a wealthy man, but had never married, had no children of his own, and didn’t drink; he owned his own home at 15th and armory, where he’d lived alone 40 years, and used what extra money he had to help others.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Mariana Redrovan

Age

15

Cause of Death

Stabbing

Info

On friday, january 23, 1998, ecuadorian immigrant mariana redrovan, 15, was stabbed to death in a room at the west des moines walnut creek inn where she worked as a housekeeper. A supervisor found redrovan’s body in a guest room.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Pansy Turnbull

Age

17

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On thursday afternoon, august 26, 1926, pansy may turnbull, the 17-year-old daughter of mr. And mrs. Arizona turnbull of diagonal, iowa, went to the street fair in clearfield, iowa, accompanied by her sister and mr. And mrs. Cleve bunker. When the other members were ready to return home, pansy was nowhere to be found and a search was instituted.Turnbull was found one block east of the main street business district, “insensible and apparently injured” and in the company of a strange man, according to an august 1926 article published in the mount ayr record-news. Turnbull was taken to a physician but was unable to make any statement, and on the physician’s advice was then taken to her diagonal home, where she died a few hours later without ever regaining consciousness.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Paul Scheel

Age

45

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On valentine’s day 2018, paul allen scheel, 45, was found dead in his creston, iowa, apartment. Officers with the creston police department conducted a welfare check at 300 east montgomery street, apartment 3, at approximately 8:17 p.M. Wednesday night and found scheel deceased. The apartment is located in the basement of the eagles lodge #1398.The body was transported to the office of the iowa state medical examiner’s office in ankeny for an autopsy.Creston officers and agents with the dci’s major crime unit have worked to find the person or persons responsible for scheel’s death.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Shane Lass

Age

6

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On wednesday, february 19, 1992, teri lass claimed that her 6-day-old newborn son, shane, was kidnapped from her unlocked car outside the norwalk, iowa, post office while she went inside to buy stamps. The infant’s body — wrapped in two blankets and a sleeper with tiny footballs on it — was discovered the following afternoon inside a garbage bag found in a cardboard box dumped in a rural ditch just south of norwalk.The tiny infant — born only the previous thursday, the day before valentine’s day — had been killed by blows to the head and the skin cold to the touch.It wasn’t the first time one of mark and teri lass’s babies met an untimely death; less than four years earlier on march 1, 1988, their 10-day-old infant daughter, tamara lynn lass, died of what officials initially thought was sudden infant death syndrome (sids), but what state medical examiner thomas bennett ruled as an “undetermined” cause of death.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Tamara Lass

Age

Cause of Death

Injury

Info

On tuesday, march 1, 1988, teri lass of norwalk, iowa, claimed she found her 10-day-old infant daughter, tamara lynn lass, unresponsive.

Agency

Iowa

Name

William Douglas Sr

Age

63

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On february 11, 2004, family members of william leroy douglas, sr., 63, reported to the clarke county sheriff’s office in osceola that mr. Douglas had disappeared from his rural woodburn, iowa residence.Douglas was last seen at approximately 10:30 a.M. On wednesday, february 4, at his residence in the vicinity of the 3000 block of pacific street. (some reports provide the time as 1:30 p.M.)he may have been dressed in black “carhartt” bib overalls, “wrangler” jeans, a light green jacket and black boots.

Agency

Iowa