Connect with us

Iowa

36 years after an Iowa mother vanished, her boyfriend at the time is arrested

Published

on

36 years after an Iowa mother vanished, her boyfriend at the time is arrested


The former boyfriend of an Iowa woman who vanished 36 years ago has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in her disappearance, officials said Tuesday. 

Robert Davis, who is now 61 and lives in Council Bluffs, Iowa, was arrested Monday in the case of Barbara Lenz, 31, who was last seen on May 6, 1989, the Iowa Department of Justice said in a news release. Davis, who was Lenz’ boyfriend at the time, reported dropping her off at her apartment in Woodbine, Iowa, that day. Lenz was then expected to visit her former boyfriend and the father of her 3-year-old child in Omaha, Nebraska, but she didn’t show up, according to the release. 

Lenz’s family contacted the Woodbine Police Department on May 17. Police and family members entered Lenz’s apartment and found her pets had not been cared for “in some time,” according to a criminal complaint. Her personal effects, including her purse and wallet, were in the home. There were no signs of a struggle. 

Police determined that Davis was the last person to have seen Lenz alive, according to the complaint. He told investigators Lenz had called him from Omaha to say she was with her daughter, but police determined she never arrived there. 

Advertisement

During the course of the investigation, police found that Lenz had told several people she feared Davis, the complaint said. Shortly before her disappearance, Lenz told at least two people that Davis said he would kill her if she left him, according to the complaint. 

Lenz was also allegedly assaulted by Davis “on several known occasions” during their two-year relationship, according to the complaint, including incidents during which she was allegedly strangled until she fell unconscious. There was also an incident where Davis allegedly hit Lenz’s daughter at a restaurant in front of Lenz and other witnesses. Davis admitted these incidents to police, the complaint said. 

Davis told police he did not like Lenz going to Nebraska to see her daughter and ex-boyfriend, the complaint said, and several fights and assaults by Davis allegedly followed her visits. Davis said they had argued before her May 6 visit, according to the complaint. There were witnesses to the argument. One witness said Davis injured Lenz by slashing her across the cheek with a sharp object. Another witness reported seeing Lenz and Davis leaving the apartment complex together. 

One witness told investigators that Davis’ brother showed them a spot in a rural area where he and Davis had buried something wrapped in plastic. The complaint did not say if the area was excavated or what was wrapped in the plastic. 

Other witnesses told investigators that Davis told them they would “end up like Barbara” after arguments. The statements were made long after Lenz’s disappearance, the complaint said. 

Advertisement

Lenz’s body has never been found. Investigators “pursued numerous leads and searches” over the years, to no avail, the Iowa Department of Justice said. In July 2024, the Attorney General’s office launched an Iowa Cold Case Unit to investigate unsolved crimes. The unit investigated Lenz’s case and “brought fresh eyes and a focused team to dig through information, meet with witnesses, and loosen up leads.” 

That led investigators to Davis. The complaint alleges that because of Davis’ behavior and history with Lenz, investigators believe he murdered Lenz “with malice aforethought, wilfully, deliberately, and with premeditation.” 

An attorney was not listed for Davis.  

“Something I have waited for my whole life”

The case will be prosecuted in Harrison County, the Iowa Department of Justice said. Davis is being held without bond in the Harrison County Jail, CBS News affiliate KCCI reported.

Lenz’s daughter, Lindsy Baumgart, told KCCI that Davis’ arrest is “surreal” and that she is “grateful” for the investigation. 

Advertisement

“I never thought this day would come,” she told KCCI. “It’s honestly something that I have waited for my whole life.” 

Baumgart told KCCI she hopes investigators can find her mother’s remains. 

“Justice for me would be bringing my mama home,” she said.

Advertisement



Source link

Iowa

5 people wounded in shooting near University of Iowa campus, including 3 students

Published

on

5 people wounded in shooting near University of Iowa campus, including 3 students


Five people were shot and injured at an Iowa City pedestrian mall near the University of Iowa campus overnight, police said Sunday. Students from the university were among the injured, according to school officials. 

The Iowa City Police Department responded to a report of a large fight in the 100 Block of East College Street at 1:46 a.m. early Sunday, the department said in a news release. Arriving officers heard gunfire. 

Multiple victims were hospitalized, police said. Police confirmed to CBS News that one person was in critical condition, while the other four victims are stable. 

Advertisement

University of Iowa President Barb Wilson said in a statement that three students were among those shot. None of the victims has been publicly identified. 

No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Police said they are seeking information about five “persons of interest associated with this shooting.” The university also shared the request for information. 

The pedestrian mall was closed for several hours and reopened Sunday afternoon. 

The “persons of interest” being sought by Iowa City Police.

Advertisement

Iowa City Police Department / University of Iowa




Source link

Continue Reading

Iowa

Vote: Who Should be Iowa’s High School Athlete of the Week? (4/19/2026)

Published

on

Vote: Who Should be Iowa’s High School Athlete of the Week? (4/19/2026)


Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for April 13-18. Read through the nominees and cast your vote.

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 26. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:

Taylor Roose, Pella boys track and field

Advertisement

Roose competed in three events at the Norwalk Invitational, winning all three in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and long jump.

Daxon Kiesau, Urbandale boys track and field

Kiesau swept the throwing events at the Norwalk Invitational, taking first place in the shot put and the discus.

Advertisement

Alex Burger, Southeast Valley boys track and field

Competing at home, Burger dominated, earning four gold medals. He won the 400-meter hurdles and the long jump while running on the winning 4×200-meter relay and shuttle hurdle relay.

Advertisement

Kolby Hodnefield, Clear Lake boys track and field

Hodenfield, a defending state champion, broke the meet, venue and school record in the 200 and the 400 at the Clear Lake Invitational. He added victories as part of the 4×100 and 4×400 relays. Both relays also set meet records.

Easton Moon, North Polk boys tennis

Moon has started off his senior season on the courts unbeaten, winning all four matches while dropping just one game in 44 played.

Ava Lohrbach, Gilbert girls golf

Advertisement

One of the top golfers in the state, Lohrbach has had a hot start, firing a 35 in her nine-hole debut and a 72 for her 18-hole opener.

Nathan Manske, Algona boys golf

An elite quarterback and basketball player, Manske is showing his golfing skills this spring, coming out with a state-low 30 in a nine-hole event.

Advertisement

Ella Hein, Tipton girls track and field

Hein set school records in the 400-meter run and long jump at the Tiger/Tigerette Relays while also locking in the Blue Standard and qualifying for the Drake Relays. She won the long jump (18-6) and was second in the 400.

Advertisement

Maeve Bowen-Burt, Iowa City High girls track and field

The sophomore helped the Little Hawks land three Drake Relays events on the last night of qualifying, advancing in the 400 hurdles, along with the sprint medley and 4×400 relays.

About Our Athlete of the Week Voting

High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.

Add us as a preferred source on Google



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Iowa

Houston icon George Foreman laid to rest in Iowa, drawn by a peaceful 1988 visit

Published

on

Houston icon George Foreman laid to rest in Iowa, drawn by a peaceful 1988 visit


The late boxing great George Foreman lies buried in a cemetery in the northwestern corner of Iowa – a place he has no connection to outside of a lone visit to the region nearly 40 years ago.

Foreman died March 21, 2025, at the age of 76 in Houston and was buried in Logan Park Cemetery at Sioux City, Iowa, a month later, city officials confirmed. Foreman’s family returned Thursday to his burial site, holding a news conference with Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott to reveal Foreman’s burial place, marked by a large monument that bears an image of him as a teen following his Olympic gold medal boxing win.

The family explained in a statement released by Sioux City officials that he had visited the Iowa city in 1988, and often recalled the sense of peace he experienced there.

After traveling to the city on April 17 last year to bury Foreman, his family said they immediately understood the region’s appeal.

Advertisement

“Our father lived a life of purpose, faith and gratitude,” the family said in a statement released by Sioux City officials. “To see him laid to rest in a place that brought him peace means everything to us.”

Scott joined the family at Foreman’s monument that lies just a few miles north of the Missouri River in an upper Midwest city of nearly 87,000 people. The cemetery overlooks the scenic Loess Hills, created by windblown silt deposits that reach up to 200 feet high (about 61 meters) and line the river along the Iowa border for 200 miles (322 kilometers).

“Their story is a reminder of how one place can stay with someone for a lifetime,” Scott said.

A native Texan, Foreman rose to fame when he made the 1968 U.S. Olympic boxing team, winning gold in Mexico City. He became the heavyweight champion of the world in 1973 by defeating the great Joe Frazier, only to lose the title a year later to Muhammad Ali in the famous “Rumble in the Jungle.”

A full 20 years later in 1994, Foreman became the oldest man to win the heavyweight championship at 45, defeating Michael Moorer in an epic upset.

Advertisement

Foreman retired in 1997 with a 76-5 career record.

He then moved on to the next chapter in his life as a businessman, pitchman and occasional actor, becoming known to a new generation as the face of the George Foreman Grill. The simple cooking machine sold more than 100 million units and brought him more wealth than boxing.

A biographical movie based on Foreman’s life was released in 2023.

Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending