Teen froze to death in polar vortex because college locked exterior dorm doors and did not notify students: Lawsuit
College Crimes
The University of Iowa student was reportedly unable to reenter his dorm as temperatures bottomed out at -50 degrees
Missing
June 20, 2020
Missing Arizona woman, stepfather found dead in BURIED SUV; boyfriend and his father believed responsible
An Arizona woman and her stepfather, missing since mid-April, were found dead last month inside her SUV, which had been buried on an undeveloped lot down a dead-end road in central Iowa. And now police believe Elissa Landry’s boyfriend, Mitchell Mincks, and his father, Thomas “Tommy” Tucker, buried the vehicle, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports. …
child endangerment
June 12, 2020
Iowa man admits ‘slamming’ baby into crib, causing skull and leg fractures: Report
Iowa police arrested a 19-year-old man Thursday after he admitted to “slamming” a 7-month-old child into a crib. According to the Des Moines Register, the child was admitted to Blank Children’s Hospital on Thursday with a leg and skull fracture. Hospital staff alerted the West Des Moines police to a possible child abuse case because …
Cold Cases
May 7, 2020
Former trucker nabbed for murders of 3 women in Wyoming and Tennessee in early 1990s: Are there more victims? [Reports]
A former long-haul trucker suspected of killing at least three women in Wyoming and Tennessee nearly 30 years ago made his first court appearance Thursday in Iowa, where he waived extradition. Clark Perry Baldwin, 58, told the court an Iowa investigator spoke with him after his arrest and asked about a local case, according to …
Missing
May 5, 2020
Missing high schooler found dead in river 3 months after sending Snapchat post about ‘bad news’: Police
A body discovered in a river Saturday is that of an Iowa teen who vanished in January after leaving his job. The Des Moines Police Department revealed Monday that a kayaker discovered Abdullahi Sharif’s body in the Des Moines River at Prospect Park. Sharif, 18, was reportedly submerged near the river’s north bank, prompting the …
Missing
May 3, 2020
Arizona woman, step-dad still missing and believed dead; boyfriend ‘refused to cooperate’ with investigation
A missing persons case in Arizona has turned into a homicide investigation, according to Chino Valley police, who said they’ve found evidence indicating David “Nick” Batten, 45, and Elissa Landry, 28, are dead. Batten, his stepdaughter Landry, and her boyfriend Mitchell Mincks, 24, initially were reported missing on April 21 and hadn’t been seen since …
Animal Abuse
April 5, 2020
Woman and her dog killed by speeding driver cops say hit them intentionally and then sped off
An Iowa driver has been charged with murder and animal neglect after he slammed his truck into a woman walking her dog, killing both before speeding off. Police say Jason Robert Sassman, 49, was driving a pickup truck at a high rate of speed in northwest Des Moines shortly after 8 a.m. Sunday, according to …
Missing
February 1, 2020
Iowa teen goes to work in snowstorm, disappears after work: It’s been 2 weeks
Family and friends in Des Moines are worried about a teenager who vanished two weeks ago during a snowstorm in the Iowa capital and hasn’t been heard from since, according to the Des Moines Register. Abdullahi “Abdi” Sharif’s mom, Fadumo Ahmed, dropped the 18-year-old off at Target, where he works, on January 17 when he …
Sex Offender Registry
December 25, 2019
Sex offender threatens legislator with ‘mass shooting down at the State House’ over offender registry law: Feds
An Arizona man convicted of sexual abuse in Iowa 15 years ago has been charged with threatening an Iowa legislator over a requirement in the state’s sex offender registry law the he register in Arizona, where he has lived since 2016. According to a federal complaint, Cody Ray Leveke, 36, had been communicating with state …
Sex Crimes
November 29, 2019
Child predator sexually assaults, infects 13-year-old girl with HIV: Docs
An Iowa man was arrested on Tuesday, following allegations that he transmitted HIV to a woman and a 13-year-old girl. Lamont James, 33, is accused of sexually abusing the girl over the course of two years. The now-16-year-old victim told police in June that she had been in a sexual relationship with James since she …
Teacher Scandals
July 24, 2019
Two teachers found dead in swimming pool: Cops
Police in Iowa said two teachers were found dead in a private swimming pool Monday night in apparent accidental drownings. Citing Davenport police, the Des Moines Register reports that Mark Anderson, 60, and Kenneth Anderson, 57, were found dead in a pool located on the 1100 block of Jersey Ridge Road. Authorities said the deceased …
July 2, 2019
Woman arrested for possessing drugs after officials rescue young child she locked inside car, cops say
Authorities in Iowa say a woman has been arrested on drug-related charges following reports that her young child was locked inside her vehicle. According to the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, Waterloo police officers responded to the scene in response to reports of a woman seated on the ground near a sedan. Officers found the Chevrolet …