Royal, IA Area Cold Cases

Name

Mamie Sime

Age

74

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Shortly after 4 a.M. On tuesday, march 31, 1981, a fire broke out in the home of mamie sime on the outskirts of rolfe, iowa. Firemen answered the alarm at 4:30 a.M., and arrived to find the house fully engulfed in flames.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Elna Peterson

Age

8

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On thursday, may 6, 1971, 8-year-old valerie peterson was killed by a hit-and-run driver around 4 p.M. While riding her bicycle off the side of the road in front of the manson augustana lutheran church. One other girl — the friend with whom valerie was riding bikes — was riding up ahead of valerie and said she saw a blue-green pickup truck with two or three men inside traveling north at a high rate of speed. They appeared to have long hair, and the girl believed the truck had some sort of equipment in the flatbed.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Alta Braun

Age

12

Cause of Death

Murder

Info

Twelve-year-old alta marie braun of le mars, iowa, was raped and strangled sometime monday evening, august 20, 1917, after going to the yankee robinson circus.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Connie Ruddy

Age

21

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Connie ruddy, a 21-year-old mother of two, was reported missing from her ida grove, iowa home on monday, february 10, 1997. Her 2-year-old daughter and 3-month-old son were found alone inside the residence, unharmed. Ruddy had last been seen by her sister around 11 p.M. Saturday, february 8, in ruddy’s home. About 10:30 a.M. Monday, a friend stopped by and discovered ruddy gone and her children alone. Ruddy’s car was still at the house and she hadn’t taken her purse.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Dale Robinson

Age

84

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

The moville police department is asking the public for help in locating dale robinson, who was reported missing on saturday, august 3, 2013. He was 84 years old at the time he disappeared. He was last seen aug. 3 while getting gas in moville at the 4-way stop shop. He left the service station driving his maroon and gray 2000 ford f-150 single cab pickup — iowa license plate number 870zcf, expiry date may 2014 — heading westbound on u.S. Highway 20 toward sioux city, and may have been en route to santa ana or paramount, california, or st. Joseph, missouri, according to initial reports. Robinson, described as 5-foot-6 and weighing between 90 and 116 pounds, suffered from early onset alzheimer’s. Dozens of people searched for the well-known robinson, a retired welder and fabricator who’d operated r&r sheet metal in moville for about 30 years. After retiring from the sheet metal business, robinson did voluntarily jobs all over the siouxland area, including mowing the grass at the woodbury county fairgrounds in moville and giving others rides to doctor appointments. Moville in woodbury county, ia moville in woodbury county, ia

Agency

Iowa

Name

Town Joseph Kaschmitter

Age

53

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

On saturday, march 25, 1911, town marshal joseph kaschmitter (last name sometimes spelled kashmetter or kashmitter) was shot at approximately 1 a.M. As he walked near the alton, iowa depot

Agency

Iowa

Name

Leo Smith

Age

56

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

Early thursday, april 10, 1969, iowa highway patrol officers discovered the body of 56-year-old leo joseph smith — a veteran who served with the 749th military police battalion during world war ii — at the highway 20 rest area about 30 miles east of sioux city in woodbury county, iowa. Smith’s throat had been cut. Later that same day, two girls found an unidentified man under a truck in northeast sioux city’s industrial area. That man’s throat also had been slashed, leading authorities to first believe the two murders may be connected. The following day, however, a 35-year-old pittsburgh steel worker was arrested and charged in the unidentified man’s homicide.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Mervin Walvatne

Age

53

Cause of Death

Missing

Info

Mervin leo walvatne, 53, went missing from spencer, iowa, on july 18, 1990. Walvatne’s sister, who lives in spencer and had regular contact with her brother, became concerned after not seeing her brother since july 18 and reported him missing to the spencer police department.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Wilma Nissen

Age

23

Cause of Death

Robbery/Murder

Info

Lyon county chief deputy jerry birkey announced may 2, 2016, a major development in the 38-year-old cold case of wilma june nissen, the woman found in a country road ditch in october 1978.Investigators released a photo of one of the women they believe is responsible for wilma nissen’s death.“our suspect was an escort, a prostitute, a dancer, who liked to rob other escorts, prostitutes and dancers,” birkey said in a ksfy story that aired may 2, describing the motive for wilma nissen’s murder as robbery.

Agency

Iowa

Name

Wilma Nissen

Age

23

Cause of Death

Murder

Info

Agency

Lyon County Sheriff's Department

Name

Michael Carr

Age

19

Cause of Death

Homicide

Info

At approximately 10 p.M. Friday, the day after christmas 1975, michael edward carr was struck by a vehicle on the west edge of estherville, iowa, while walking home. The hit-and-run happened near the intersection of iowa highway 9 and emmet county blacktop a-22.

Agency

Iowa