Iowa Unidentified

Hello readers! I have to start by saying that it is still completely WILD to me that so many of you want to read the words I write. This space has grown into such an incredible community, and I am endlessly grateful for your support. Today’s post is going to look a little different. Like the title states, this is an informal timeline of events. Several of you—including my wonderful mom (hi Mom!)—have reached out asking for a deeper look into the specifics of how I began researching this case, and the steps I’ve taken behind the scenes to try and create real momentum for the Clinton County Jane Doe (1975). I actually hesitated to write this out because, at the end of the day, this isn’t about me. Everything I have ever done while looking into this case has been driven by one single, solitary goal: helping this forgotten person get her identity back. However, I also know how overwhelming it can feel to start from scratch. I’m hoping that sharing my journey might serve as a guide or inspi...

  In the Spring of 1975, the Mississippi River was beginning to thaw, but it held a dark secret along the northern boundary of Clinton County. What began as a routine day for local fishermen turned into a decades-long search for the truth—a search that continues to this day. In 2015, I was in the process of graduating with my bachelor’s degree when a friend sent me a link to the Iowa Cold Case website. This website, established by Jody Ewing, compiles all the unsolved, cold cases in the state of Iowa. While browsing the database for cold cases in my local area I came across the write up of an unidentified Jane Doe, instantly my heart broke for her and her loved ones. I simply could not imagine not knowing what happened to your loved one, and having your identity stripped away from you.  Throughout the following years, this case was always at the back of my mind, and I returned to it often. Then in 2020, while stuck home during quarantine, listening to true crime podcasts, spec...