September 2, 1906 Near Davenport, Iowa A 30-year-old man murders a 17-year-old girl he was infatuated with, wounds her friend, then kills himself The girl, Grace Reed, was orphaned and had been living with her killer’s brother and his family for a few years before her murder. The murderer, Harry Drenter, had become obsessed with… Continue reading Man kills girl he was obsessed over, wounds her companion, and kills self
Category: Iowa
Vintage crime: 14-year-old beats mother to death for slapping him (1930)
From multiple sources published July 19, 1930 Lester Mohr (14), under the influence of "near beer [low alcohol beer] and pop 'spiked' with alcohol," beat his mother with his fists, bricks, and a poker, managed to wedge her head between a tree and a fence, beat her more, then returned to shoot her with a… Continue reading Vintage crime: 14-year-old beats mother to death for slapping him (1930)
The Villisca Axe Murders
June 9, 1912 Villisca, Iowa During the late hours of June 9 and the early morning of June 10, an assailant bludgeons the entire Moore family including their 4 children (aged 11, 10, 7, and 5) and two guests (sisters aged 12 and 8) All those killed seemed to have been slaughtered in their sleep… Continue reading The Villisca Axe Murders
“Ghost” shot by farmer (1889)
From The Fort Wayne (IN) Sentinel Published March 2, 1889 A “ghost” terrorizing a small town was shot by a farmer. After being shot, the ghost pleaded for mercy and was treated by a doctor who refused to name the man. It was speculated the man was trying to scare people into selling their land… Continue reading “Ghost” shot by farmer (1889)
The Day the Music Died
February 3, 1959 Clear Lake, Iowa The Day the Music Died Singers Buddy Holley, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper died along with their pilot Roger Peterson, when their plane crashed near Clear Lake, Iowa. The official cause of the crash was declared to be a result of the pilot being unfamiliar with the controls… Continue reading The Day the Music Died
