Secrets in the cornfield: Iowa's Unsolved

True crime podcast
  • 5.0 (13)
  • TRUE CRIME

To date, there are more than 600 unsolved homicides and disappearances in the state of Iowa. Although there are a handful of cases from the hawkeye state that gripped the nation many have gone years without notice. From a native Iowan born and raised it's time to give victims their voices back and attempt to bring some form of closure to families that have been waiting years, even decades for answers.

  1. 05/15/2023 · BONUS

    Bonus Episode: The Sueppel Family Murders

    In March of 2008 an early morning call came in to 911 from an unknown caller. The man gave the operator an address with instruction to send police out there immediately then hung up. As police are dispatched to the address 911 receives another call about a single car crash on I-80. Once police realize that both calls are related it leads them to a bone chilling that left an entire town in shock. Sources: https://www.newspapers.com/article/iowa-city-press-citizen-sueppel-family/100069520/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/iowa-city-press-citizen-sueppel/100108522/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/iowa-city-press-citizen-sueppel/100109937/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/iowa-city-press-citizen-sueppel/100110117/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/iowa-city-press-citizen-sueppel/100110818/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/iowa-city-press-citizen-sueppel/100111043/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/iowa-city-press-citizen-sueppel/100112483/

    13 min

  2. 05/15/2023

    The murder of Roger Warren

    In August of 1979 2 brothers left their home in Davenport, Iowa to play by a nearby river. But a short time later only 1 of the brothers returned home and by evening when there was still no word from the other boy he was reported missing. A painstaking 6 day search would result in every parents worst nightmare. sources: https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/roger-warren/ http://www.riveraction.org/node/N166 https://www.newspapers.com/article/quad-city-times-warren/123735516/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/quad-city-times-roger-warren/123504178/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/quad-city-times-roger-warren/123434782/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/quad-city-times-roger-warren/123368699/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/quad-city-times-roger-warren/123368642/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/quad-city-times-roger-warren/123368527/

    22 min

  3. 04/17/2023

    The Disappearance of Harry Milligan

    In 1984 a young man home from his first semester of college goes out with some friends, but he and his vehicle fail to return home the family takes immediate action. Now almost 39 years later the family is still looking for the missing pieces of the puzzle. Sources: https://www.youtube.com/live/Jomzg8s_-Aw?feature=share https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/harry-milligan/ https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/brother-hoping-reignite-search-harry-milligan-who-disappeared-38-years-n1296807

    26 min

  4. 04/03/2023

    The Evansdale Murders

    In July of 2012 two young girls took off for a bike ride in their small Iowa town in the middle of the day. Hours went by and the girls had not returned and seemed to have vanished. Later that afternoon items belonging to the girls were located but it would take 5 long months to find them and the killer or killers remain unknown. Sources: Iowacoldcases.org By: Jody Ewing Crime Weekly Podcast By: Stephanie Harlowe and Derrick Levasseur "Parents of missing Iowa girls spent time in prison for running meth lab drug rings" By: James Nye Daily Mail July 19th 2012 "Police say missing Iowa girls are still alaive as FBI probe abduction beyond state lines" By: Daily Mail Reporter July 21, 2012 "Video of missing Iowa girls: Surveillance video of two missing cousins Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins" By: New York Daily News July 25th 2012 "investigators hope to decide next week whether Klunder involved in Evansdale murders" By: Erin Jordan May 29th 2013 "New focus on vehicle gives parents of abducted girls some hope" By: Radio Iowa Contributor June 25th 2013 "Evansdale Murders: Police rule out Klunder" By: who13.com "Investigators release suspect profile in murder of Evansdale Cousins" By:Who13.com " 5 years later: New leads in devastating case bring family hope" By: Laura Terrell KCCI July 12th 2017 www.wikipedia.org www.google.maps.com

    31 min

  5. 03/20/2023

    The murder of Alicia Hummel

    In June 2015 a young woman set out on a solo fishing trip about an hour away from home to a spot in South Dakota along the Missouri River. Several hours later the body of a woman is found in the water near a boat dock and a family's worst nightmare becomes an unimaginable reality. Sources: Clay county, sd investigators admit they have victim's cell phone dec 6, 2021 by: Matt breen ktiv news investigators have cold case cell phone by angela kennecke dec 3 2021 kelo news iowacoldcases.org by: Jody Ewing The Sioux City Journal June 9 2015 "Still a Mystery" Investigation Discovery enigma web productions episode 5: the murder of alicia hummel timeline: a walk through alicia hummels final day by kelo news dec 5 2021 authorities continue 2015 alicia hummel homicide investigation by dakota news now dec 6 2021 friends and family seek answers in murder of iowa woman alicia hummel by nbc news june 25, 2018

    23 min

  6. 03/06/2023

    The murder of Sarah Ann Ottens Part 2

    After James Wendell Hall was convicted of the 1973 slaying of 20 year old Sarah Ann Ottens it appeared to everyone to be a closed case, but after many years it was revealed that the state had been hiding evidence all along which would prove to be a very deadly mistake.   Sources: Iowacoldcases.org by: Jody Ewing "New Trial for James Hall Denied" By: Claren F. Dale July 3 1974 ICPC"50-year term for hall in ottens murder case" By: John R. Munson Jul 4 1974 ICPC " C.R. police investigate death of woman" Mar 21 1992 The Des Moines Register "Obituary" March 21 1992 The Gazette "Death not natural causes; drugs or foul play probed" By: Rick Smith Mar 24 1992 The Gazette "Woman strangled, C.R. police decide" By: Rick Smith and Jeff Burnham March 25 1992 The Gazette "Hall knew finding body would put focus on him" By: Tom Fruehling March 26 1992 The Gazette "Hall appeal planned tuesday" Jul 8 1974 ICPC "Appeal of James Hall conviction filed" Jul 9 1974 ICPC "Rally in support of Hall planned" Jul 11 1974 ICPC "James Hall transferred to penitentary" Jul 16 1974 ICPC "James Hall transferred to Anamosa" Oct 1 1974 ICPC "Hall attorney asks for $11,000 from county" Dec 16 1974 ICPC "Brief filed in appeal for Hall" Dec 20 1974 ICPC "Delay granted for James Hall in Forgery Case" Jan 23 1975 ICPC "Delay OK'd in answering Halls appeal" Feb 27 1975 ICPC "Hall conviction upheld" By: Mark F. Rohner Nov 12 1975 ICPC "Turner: Hall decision hinders grand jury role" By: Mark F. Rohner Dec 2 1975 ICPC "Evidence found Hall lawyers seek new trial" Jan 7 1976 ICPC "Halls retrial bid considered" Jan 10 1976 ICPC "Judge orders Hall transcripts" Feb 16 1976 ICPC "Hall retrial bid denied" Feb 28 1976 ICPC "Hall plans another appeal" Mar 8 1976 ICPC "Hall appeal again denied" by: Mark F. Rohner Jan 19 1977 ICPC "Hall attorneys ask court to reconsider" Feb 3 1977 Iowa City Press-Citizen "Justice lets Hall remain free" By: Mark F. Rohner Feb 22 1977 ICPC "New lawyer handles hall appeal" By: Mark F. Rohner Apr 8 1977 ICPC "High court receives Hall appeal" May 16 1977 ICPC "Hall appeal rejected by court" Oct 3 1977 ICPC "Board denies parole to Hall" Aug 10 1979 Iowa City Press-Citizen "James Hall check charge dismissed" Jul 17 1980 ICPC"State now denies violating halls rights" by: Jerry Heth Aug 10 1983 ICPC "New Hall prosecutor reversed position" by: jerry heth Aug 11 1983 ICPC "Witness will prove Hall's innocence lawyers contend" By: Lyle Mueller Oct 7 1983 ICPC "Investigator: 2 witnesses said another man visited Ottens" By: Lyle Mueller Oct 13 1983 ICPC "Friends of James Hall band together to post his bond for Thanksgiving" By:Belinda Stewart Nov 24 1983 ICPC "Murder victim's mother: I'm shocked, confused" By: The associated press Nov 25 1983 ICPC "DNA testing expected in Hajek murder" By:Jeff Burnham Apr 15 1992 The Gazette "Hajek case to grand jury" By: Rick Smith Aug 4 1992 The Gazette " Hall plans to testify willingly" By: Tom Fruehling Aug 5 1992 The Gazette "Hall indicted in murder" By: Rick Smith Aug 15 1992 The Gazette "First degree murder trial begins; man accused of strangling woman" By: Debora Wiley Apr 8 1993 The Des Moines Register "Officials errors cited by defense" By: Debora Wiley Apr 9 1993 The Des Moines Register "Witness: Hall smoked crack 3 hours before victim was found dead" Apr 10 1993 The Des Moines Register "Hall told police he feared for his life" By: Leslie Yazel Apr 13 1993 The Des Moines Register "Hall lawyer again calls for mistrial" By: Dick Hogan Apr 16 1993 The Gazette "Prosecution rests case in Hall trial" By: Dick Hogan Apr 17 1993 The Gazette "Hall jury not told of similar case" By: Debora Wiley & Leslie Yazel Apr 19 1993 The Gazette

    38 min

  7. 02/20/2023

    The Murder of Sarah Ann Ottens Part 1

    In 1973 a 20-year-old college student is found murdered inside of a dorm room on the University of Iowa campus. 6 months after her death a fellow college student is charged and later convicted of her murder but the case doesn't end there.  Sources: "UI Coed Apparently Slain, Body Found in Rienow Hall" By: Claren F. Dale March 14, 1973 Iowa City Press-Citizen "UI Coed Died of Suffocation" March 15, 1973 Iowa City Press-Citizen author not published "Coed Death Won't Close Dorm Floor" March 18 1973 The Courier "Question Haunts Dorm of U of I: Who Killed Coed" By: Larry Eckholt April 12 1973 The Des Moines Register "Grand Jury Subpoenas 2 Tuesday"  May 2, 1973 Iowa City Press-Citizen "Grand Jury to hear evidence in Sarah Ottens murder case" July 20 1973 Iowa City Press-Citizen "U. of Iowa coed's slaying has not been written off"  By: Ford Clark August 12 1973 The Gazette "Evidence emerging in slaying" By: Mark Rohner August 27 1973 Iowa City Press-Citizen "Grand Jury considering evidence in Ottens case" By: Mark Rohner September 6 1973 Iowa City Press-Citizen "Subpoena is challenged" By: Mark Rohner September 18 1973 Iowa City Press Citizen "James Hall arraigned in murder" By: Mark Rohner September 20 1973 Iowa City Press Citizen  "Testimony begins in murder trial" By: Mark Rohner May 13 1974 Iowa City Press Citizen "discovery of murder recalled" By: Mark Rohner May 14 1974 Iowa City Press Citizen "Witness met hall in dorm" By:  John R. Munson May 15 1974 Iowa City Press Citizen "Detective questioned in Hall trial"  By: Mark Rohner May 15 1974 Iowa City Press Citizen "Hair sample found to be consistent with halls: BCI chemist testifies" By: Mark Rohner May 17 1974 Iowa City Press Citizen "BCI agent quizzed as murder trial ends first week" By: Mark Rohner May 18 1974 Iowa City Press Citizen "Testimony in Hall trial centers on Broom" By: Mark Rohner May 20 1974 Iowa City Press Citizen "Witness admits lying in hall murder trial" By: Mark Rohner May 23 1974 Iowa City Press Citizen "Defense rests case in murder trial" By: Mark Rohner May 22 1974 Iowa City Press Citizen "Prosecution rests case in hall murder trial" May 21 1974 Iowa City Press Citizen Iowacoldcases.org By: Jody Ewing

    35 min
  8. Cornfield Mini: The Murders of Tyrese Parson and Marquavion Brown

    02/05/2023

    Cornfield Mini: The Murders of Tyrese Parson and Marquavion Brown

    Tyrese and Marquavion were two young men whose lives were taken by gun violence. Their deaths merely reported on one day and forgotten the next. It is important to keep their pictures and names in the media and continue to fight for answers in these senseless tragedies. Sources: Iowacoldcases.org by Jody Ewing and case summary by Carol Kean "Teen found shot dead on Des Moines' east side, the city's 5th homicide this year." The Des Moines Register. June 9th 2018 by Linh Ta, Makayla Tendall, and LUke Nozicka "RAGBRAI 'dream team' remembers biker gone too soon." weareiowa.com June 12, 2018 by Angelina Salcedo sinceparkland.org hamiltonsfuneralhome.com/tyreseparson "10 years for shooting man in the face." kwayradio.com posted by scottshur August 16, 2021 The Courier by Amie Rivers October 31, 2018 " Homes, vehicles shot in separate shootings in Waterloo." The Courier by Amie Steffen December 27, 2018

    14 min
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To date, there are more than 600 unsolved homicides and disappearances in the state of Iowa. Although there are a handful of cases from the hawkeye state that gripped the nation many have gone years without notice. From a native Iowan born and raised it's time to give victims their voices back and attempt to bring some form of closure to families that have been waiting years, even decades for answers.

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