2023
Ilene Gowan
Ilene Gowan, 60, disappeared from Council Bluffs. Investigators used security recordings to retrace her movements and test the account of someone close to her.
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THE CASE LIBRARY
U.S. cases, plus the Bernardo–Homolka case in Canada.
2023
Ilene Gowan, 60, disappeared from Council Bluffs. Investigators used security recordings to retrace her movements and test the account of someone close to her.
2018
Mollie Tibbetts disappeared during an evening run in Brooklyn, Iowa, in July 2018. The search drew attention to surveillance footage showing her route and a nearby car. Investigators eventually questioned Cristhian Bahena Rivera, who led them to her remains. A jury convicted him of first-degree murder in 2021. The Iowa Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction in 2023, addressing challenges to his police statements and the rejection of a request for a new trial.
2014
Student Tong Shao was found murdered after disappearing in 2014. Surveillance recordings helped investigators examine her final movements as the search for a suspect extended beyond the United States.
2002
Dixie Shanahan shot her husband and concealed his body in a bedroom for more than a year. The eventual discovery led to a prosecution and public discussion of prolonged domestic abuse.
1995
Unresolved disappearanceTelevision news anchor Jodi Huisentruit disappeared outside her Mason City, Iowa, apartment in 1995 while preparing to leave for work. Personal items near her car suggested a struggle. Her unexplained disappearance generated decades of reporting and appeals for information, with no established account of who took her or what happened afterward.
1975
Four members of the Mark family were killed at their home in 1975. The investigation focused on a family connection; the resulting conviction and later challenges remained disputed by the defendant.
Year not confirmed
Reggie Ward was shot at a Cedar Rapids gas station. Investigators combined surveillance recordings with location evidence while attempting to identify the shooter.
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