Authorities: No evidence of serial killer activity despite daughter’s claims

FREMONT COUNTY, Iowa (WOWT/Gray News) - The Iowa Department of Public Safety said Thursday an exhaustive search of a property near Bartlett has turned up no evidence of a serial killer.

WOWT reports IDPS said in a news release that state, local, and federal law enforcement had been assisting in the investigation there for the past three days of an area where a woman claimed her father, now deceased, had buried at least 50 women he killed decades ago.

“Authorities brought in an array of experts representing several disciplines and significant assets to excavate, collect and examine soil samples from a site identified by a reporting party,” the release states. “After exhaustive efforts, no evidence or other items of concern were recovered.”

The investigation has made national headlines.

During the initial investigation in October, the Fremont County sheriff said a cadaver dog picked up a scent of human remains but didn’t bring back any credible evidence to prove the daughter’s story.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office has been working with the FBI and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation as well as the Paige County Sheriff’s Office out of Clarinda to look into the matter. Iowa State Patrol told WOWT they were assisting the sheriff’s office as well.

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