Iowa Cold Cases

05/16/2026

Iowa Cold Case Unit works to solve homicides, bring hope to families.

Brenna Bird, Office of the Attorney General of Iowa, talks to The Des Moines Register about the new cold case unit, Bird's passion for justice, and the recent arrest in the 2011 Ashley Okland case.

"Everybody matters," Bird told the Register. "And so to me, it's important that every single cold case gets that kind of attention and care and that families and communities who have been impacted know that we never give up ... even when it's hard ... and that nothing is going to slip through the cracks."

Launched in July 2024, the unit has already made three arrests and is actively working multiple other cases. Iowa has needed this unit for so very long, and they are truly making a difference in lives. Never lose hope!

Brenna Bird established the Iowa Cold Case Unit in 2024 to solve forgotten cases. One case has been solved, and three arrests have been made. https://www.des...

04/28/2026

$58,000.00 Reward- Unsolved Homicide
In the early morning hours of April 28th, 2019, Micalla Rettinger was driving herself and two passengers from Cedar Falls to Waterloo when a bullet hit the vehicle they were in. Rettinger and her front seat passenger were struck with Rettinger passing away on scene. While many theories have been discussed and investigated over the years, the death of Rettinger remains unsolved.

$58,000.00 Reward- Unsolved Homicide

In the early morning hours of April 28th, 2019, Micalla Rettinger was driving herself and two passengers from Cedar Falls to Waterloo when a bullet hit the vehicle they were in. Rettinger and her front seat passenger were struck with Rettinger passing away on scene. While many theories have been discussed and investigated over the years, the death of Rettinger remains unsolved.

For additional please visit -
https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/micalla-rettinger/

04/27/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2UyMj69HOs
Thanks to all who made this possible!

3 likes. "More than 100 unclaimed Iowans laid to rest in Des Moines"

04/12/2026

Unsolved Homicide
For additional please visit-
https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/becky-lawless/

04/10/2026

New court documents filed on Thursday include witness accounts of the events surrounding realtor Ashley Okland’s killing in 2011, unveiling new information never before shared publicly.

New court documents filed on Thursday include witness accounts of the events surrounding Ashley Okland’s killing in 2011, unveiling new information never before shared publicly.

04/10/2026

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird talked with Iowans in Mitchell County on Thursday morning, answering questions about stopping scams, serving victims, and solving cold cases. In 2023, Bird succeeded in getting legislation passed to support a team of cold case investigators that would operate within the AG's office.

The new Iowa Cold Case Unit officially launched in July 2024, and 10 days ago secured a conviction in the 37-year-old cold case murder of Barbara Lenz, 31, of Woodbine. Robert Davis, 61, of Council Bluffs and Lenz's boyfriend at the time of her disappearance, was arrested March 10, 2025, and charged with First Degree Murder. A Pottawattamie County jury convicted Davis of second-degree murder on March 31.

Great morning in Mitchell County talking with Iowans and answering questions about stopping scams, serving victims, and solving cold cases.

04/09/2026

If you know something, please say something.

04/09/2026

https://www.kcci.com/article/unsolved-homicide-wife-of-adriel-ward-speaks-out/9607054
Emily Ward, wife of cold case victim Adriel Ward, talks to KCCI in this 2018 interview about his death. Feb. 11 marked nine years since Adriel was shot inside his vehicle on Des Moines' northeast side while on his way home for "date night" with his wife. Des Moines police spokesman Paul Parizek has called the case "a real whodunit," where detectives have no viable suspects.

Adriel Ward was shot in the 1700 block of Delaware Avenue on February 11

03/31/2026

https://westerniowatoday.com/2026/03/31/attorney-general-brenna-bird-announces-conviction-in-harrison-county-cold-case-murder/

(Harrison Co.) Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced today that Robert Davis of Council Bluffs has been ...

03/19/2026

It's been 50 years since Julie Benning, an 18-year-old Plainfield High School graduate, was discovered in a roadside ditch in Butler County. The Waverly teen had been killed the day after Thanksgiving in 1975, and then stuffed into a culvert just outside town.

Today marks the 50-year anniversary of when her parents and four younger sisters got the news. The hard-working 4-foot-11 girl who aspired to become a journalist had been manually strangled. Five months later, 19-year-old Lisa Peak would be found just a short distance from where Julie's body had lain; their unsolved cases, along with the 1971 unsolved homicide of 14-year-old Valerie Klossowsky, have become known — for decades now — as The Waverly Three.

Julie's father and two of her sisters have since died without seeing justice for Julie. The primary person of interest in Julie's murder still walks free. If you have any information about Julie's unsolved murder or any other case, please contact the Iowa Attorney General's Office Cold Case Unit at 800-242-5100 or email [email protected].

Julie Benning, 18, was strangled in Waverly, Iowa, Nov. 28, 1975, and her body stuffed in a Butler County culvert. Her remains were discovered March 18, 1976.

01/24/2026

https://www.kcrg.com/2026/01/23/state-investigators-make-arrest-2020-iowa-cold-case/

The state has arrested and charged a Lanesboro man with first-degree murder for a 2020 cold case.

The Iowa Cold Case unit, launched by Attorney General Brenna Bird in 2024, helped investigate the disappearance of 26-year-old Christian Balke-Thompson.

The state has arrested and charged a Lanesboro man with first-degree murder for a 2020 cold case.