How many cold cases are in the Des Moines metro? New database tracks unsolved cases
In the last 107 years, at least 136 cases in the Des Moines metro have remained unsolved, leaving families, friends, concerned citizens and investigators seeking answers and justice in these mysteries.
The Des Moines Register has created a database of cold cases in the Des Moines metro that date back to 1917, curated from newspaper archives and Iowa Cold Cases, a nonprofit that tracks the crimes statewide.
Of the 136 cold cases the Register tracked, 56 victims died in a shooting, 37 were assaulted, 13 were stabbed, three were hit by a car and three were immolated. Another 20 are people missing under mysterious circumstances and in four cases there were no answers to how the victim died.
More: New cold case unit aims to help solve more than 400 unsolved cases in Iowa
What were some of the first cold cases in the Des Moines metro?
The earliest unsolved crime in the database dates to Aug. 7, 1917, when a 27-year-old police officer was shot outside a bar.
The shooter was last seen leaving the Temp Bar, 316 Walnut St., after attempting to rob it, the Register reported in 1917. The person shot George William Mattern, who was in uniform.
Mattern, who was married at the time of his shooting, died from an infection months later from the wound. Chester Scott, 20, was later charged with the robbery, however, nobody was charged with Mattern's homicide.
Four years later, two nuns were hit by a car on Nov. 2, 1921, at 31st Street and Grand Avenue.
Sister Mary Virgins, 37, and Sister Mary Rosalita, 41, were last seen leaving St. Joseph’s Academy, an all-girls Catholic school that closed in 1972, the Des Moines Tribune reported.
Both nuns were hit by motorist near a crosswalk and Rosalita died at the scene, reports said. Virgins was transported to Mercy Hospital and died only hours later.
Police investigated their deaths, but nobody was charged.
What are some of the most recent cold cases in the Des Moines metro?
The most recent cold cases in the metro were the 2018 shootings of 26-year-old Josue Alonzo Jr. and 17-year-old Tyrese Robert Parson of Des Moines, who were shot just a few months apart.
Alonzo, a newlywed from Des Moines, was found on April 27, 2018, after having been shot more than once when police responded at about 10:20 p.m. to a call at East 30th Street and Garfield Avenue on the city's east side.
Alonzo was pronounced dead at the scene. At the time, police told the public to be on the lookout for a red, modern, four-door compact car.
Just a few months later on June 8, 2018, police found Parson when they responded to a call of a person down about 6:30 a.m. in the 800 block of East 27th Court in the city's Fairground neighborhood.
Parson, who had been shot, had been dead "for a considerable amount of time," possibly a few hours, police said.
Nobody has been arrested or charged for the two deaths.
Are there other cold cases in Iowa?
Yes, the Iowa Attorney General's Office recently announced a cold case unit that will attempt to solve more than 400 unsolved cases in the state.
The cold case unit will consist of three investigators and one prosecutor who will bring fresh eyes to the hundreds of unsolved cases in Iowa with the hope of bringing closure to the families affected by unsolved crimes.
Sgt. Paul Parizek, spokesperson with the Des Moines Police Department, told the Register in 2022 that cold cases are generally handled on the local level and each cold case is assigned to an investigator at all times.
"There are cases that weigh really heavily on investigators also," Parizek said. "... We've got investigators who, throughout their career, have got cases that just haunt them because they can't get that last piece of the puzzle to solve it and bring some closure to the families."
The cold case database is not exhaustive. If you have a cold case to include, email jmendiola@dmreg.com with information.
José Mendiola is a breaking news reporter for the Register. Reach him at jmendiola@dmreg.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Database tracks nearly 140 Des Moines metro cold cases
