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Woman arrested in 1992 Iowa City cold case, Missouri sheriff speaks out

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Woman arrested in 1992 Iowa City cold case, Missouri sheriff speaks out


CLEVER, Missouri (KCRG) – Authorities made an arrest in a 1992 Cold Case out of Iowa City. It was in December of that year that sanitation workers found the body of a newborn in the Iowa City landfill.

32 years later, investigators identified Cindy Elder as the baby’s mother. She was arrested in Missouri, where she lives now. Prosecutors charged her with first-degree murder.

A landfill worker found the body of Baby John Doe on December 21st, 1992.

At that time, the cause of death was undetermined due to a lack of information about the labor and delivery of the newborn, who still had the placenta attached.

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Now, we know the full story as to what happened and how he ended up in the landfill.

Investigators reopened the case in 2020 because of new advancements in DNA technology.

DNA from the baby led right to Cindy Elder. Investigators believe she was 26 when she delivered Baby John Doe.

No one knew Elder was pregnant.

According to the criminal complaint, she had tried to induce a miscarriage.

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When she gave birth in the basement of a home where she was staying, she ‘did something’ to keep the baby quiet.

Then, she put the baby in a plastic bag and left it in the trash receptacle near her father’s apartment in Coralville.

It was freezing outside, with the low temperature at zero degrees.

“Anytime that somebody makes a decision to do what she did with this baby, it just appalls me,” said Brad Cole, sheriff of Christian County, Missouri.

Missouri officials arrested Elder early Tuesday morning.

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“To be honest with you, our investigators, when they got the phone call that the warrant had been issued yesterday, it kind of caught them off guard because there’s a lot of time between when we began this investigation and now,” Cole said.

The case will be prosecuted by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, who provided this statement to TV9:

“The goal of our Cold Case Unit is to aid local law enforcement in their unresolved homicide cases. While I am happy to say our experienced investigators were able to assist in the investigations that led to today’s arrest, I want to give full credit to the tireless work of the Iowa City Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations for never giving up on justice for this tiny victim. Now the Johnson County Attorney’s Office and prosecutors from my office will work to ensure justice is fully served.”



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Two Iowans sentenced to prison for creating child pornography

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Two Iowans sentenced to prison for creating child pornography


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Two Iowans will spend decades in federal prison after pleading guilty to separate child exploitation offenses.

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Martin Menjivar, 59, of Iowa City, was sentenced Thursday, March 26, to 42 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and child pornography possession. It comes days after Pry’Shayn Mosley, 21, of Fort Dodge was sentenced to 25 years for exploitation and receipt of child pornography.

Iowa City man picked up children from school, abused them

Menjivar, a citizen of Honduras, was charged in May 2025. In court filings, prosecutors say Menjivar was entrusted to pick up children, some as young as 5, from their elementary school and bring them to his wife’s home for after-school babysitting. In at least two cases, Mejivar used that access to get children alone and touch them inappropriately, recording the interaction on video.

Investigators reportedly found dozens of illicit images and videos on Menjivar’s electronic devices. Menjivar also previously worked as a school photographer in Honduras, and investigators found he had hundreds of photos from his former employment that focused on children’s clothed genitals.

“Defendant’s horrific actions of creating and collecting child pornography show violence against young, vulnerable children and a severe danger to the community,” prosecutors wrote in presentence filings.

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Menjivar also has been charged in Johnson County with second-degree sexual abuse against two different children, apparently in relation to the same conduct. That case remains pending, with a plea hearing scheduled in May.

Fort Dodge man gets 25 years for enticing children

Mosley, who was sentenced March 23, was charged in January 2025. Prosecutors alleged that in 2022, he enticed two minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct, photographed or recorded it, and distributed the resulting pornography to others, including additional children.

In addition, during a warrant search that located drugs, guns and electronic devices containing child pornography, Mosley tried to get a juvenile at the scene to conceal drugs from the investigators.

Mosley pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation and receiving child pornography. Additional drug, pornography and exploitation charges were dismissed as part of a plea deal.

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Menjivar was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, while Mosley’s case was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa. Attorneys for Menjivar and Mosley did not immediately return messages Thursday seeking comment.

William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166.



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Jada Williams among eight Iowa State players headed to transfer portal

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Jada Williams among eight Iowa State players headed to transfer portal


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Iowa State’s first-round exit from the 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament has triggered a mass exodus, with a reported eight players leaving the team to enter the transfer portal.

Junior forward Addy Brown announced her decision to “move on” from Iowa State and enter the transfer portal in a social media post on Tuesday, March 24.

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“This decision comes after a lot of thought about my future and goals,” Brown wrote in a post shared to social media. “While it’s never easy to move on, I believe this is the right step for me and I’m excited for what’s ahead as I continue to grow and chase my dreams.”

By Thursday, March. 26, several other players followed suit. Junior guard Jada Williams confirmed she’ll be “pursuing my dreams elsewhere” for her senior season. She added in a social media post, “Iowa State will always have a place in my heart and I’ll never forget the Iowa State way.”

Williams transferred to Iowa State for the 2025-26 season after playing for Arizona for the first two years of her career. William averaged career-highs in points (15.3), assists (7.7) and field goal percentage (41.7) in her lone season at Iowa State.

Iowa State freshman guard Reese Beaty, freshman guard Freya Jensen, sophomore guard Reagan Wilson, sophomore guard Aili Tanke, junior forward Alisa Williams and junior center Lilly Taulelei all intend to enter the transfer portal, according to On3’s Talia Goodman.

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The transfer portal opens on Monday, April 6, following the NCAA Tournament championship game on Sunday, April 5.

Could Iowa State junior center Audi Crooks be next? Crooks declined to answer whether she would return next season following Iowa State’s 72-63 loss to Syracuse on Saturday, March 21. She instead said, “We’re all still processing everything and just being there for each other right now is the priority. That’s the main thing, making sure everybody is mentally OK through this tough time.”

Crooks had 37 points (17-of-25 FG) and five rebounds in the losing effort against Syracuse.

Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@usatoday.com and follow her on X at@CydHenderson.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

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