Human Wreckage True Crime
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Disturbing True Crime Stories, These include, murderers, kidnappings, serial killers. Solved and unsolved.
Human Wreckage True Crime
Unsolved Murder of Wilma June Nissen
On October 4th 1978, 19-year-old Steve, a telephone company worker, was out on a gravel road between Larchwood and Inwood in northwest Iowa laying cable near Rock Rapids. As he walked through the ditch, something caught his eye a figure in the weeds. At first he thought it was a mannequin, but as he got closer he realized it wasn't it was a human body. Welcome to this episode of Human Wreckage. On this episode we will be talking about the case of Wilma June Nissen. This case was brought to my attention when Wilma's daughter reached out to me to cover this case. Wilma's daughter, chrissy, is still searching for answers and closure for her mother. Let's get into it. Steve called the sheriff's department right away. When deputies arrived, they found the body, badly decomposed, lying among the tall grass. She was wearing green pants and bikini-style underwear, both wrapped around her ankle. From the waist up she was nude, except for a silver and gold ring on her right ring finger. On her feet were white patent leather zippered go-go boots that reached up to her calves. Her feet were tied together with a braided hemp rope. Investigators searched the area for any evidence that might explain what happened, but if they found anything, they never made it public. The body was taken for an autopsy where the medical examiner determined she was a woman between 20 and 30 years old. Her lower jaw was missing and only two of her teeth remained, making identification nearly impossible Due to the level of decomposition. The medical examiner couldn't determine exactly how the woman died or who she was. However, he was able to retrieve two viable fingerprints, one of the few pieces of forensic evidence available. But in 1978, without computerized databases, fingerprints were nearly useless unless there was something to compare them to directly. During the autopsy, the examiner also noted that her right elbow had been dislocated and there was some indication of trauma to her cervical vertebrae. It wasn't clear if these injuries happened before or after death, leaving more questions than answers.
Speaker 1:Sheriff Craig Vinson took the lead on the case, starting with local missing persons reports in an effort to put a name to the victim, but without a national database. This meant sifting through physical records, contacting other agencies and following up on leads one by one, a slow and frustrating process. Two agents from the Iowa Bureau of Criminal Investigation joined the case to assist, but progress was limited. By October 16th, sheriff Vinson had already ruled out around 40 potential matches and, with no identity and no clear leads, knowing where to start was nearly impossible. One of the only real clues was what she had been wearing. The white patent leather Go-Go boots stood out, leading Sheriff Vinson to check local Go-Go clubs in nearby Sioux Falls, hoping someone might recognize her. But the effort led nowhere. As weeks turned into months and months into years, the case stalled Without a name. There was no family to push for answers, no connections to investigate. Since there were no leads, the woman's body was eventually buried in an unmarked grave, her identity still a mystery.
Speaker 1:In May 1998, two decades after the discovery of the unidentified woman's remains, detectives thought they might finally make progress. Kevin Hammer, the Lyon County Sheriff at the time, reached out to Vicki Hartigan, an analyst at the Mid-States Organized Crime Information Center in Springfield, missouri. Vicki had a background in criminal justice and art and had taken a course in facial reconstruction. Although she wasn't a full-time forensic artist, she had some experience with the technique. This case would only be the second facial reconstruction she had ever done. On March 5, 1998, vicki began her work.
Speaker 1:The forensic anthropologist assisting in the case determined that the victim was a woman in her 20s with blonde hair. However, because she was missing her jaw and nearly all her teeth, reconstructing her face posed a significant challenge. To estimate the missing features, vicki consulted a chart developed by researchers that detailed tissue thickness measurements at specific points on the skull. Once the clay base was in place, she used her artistic skills to refine the details, gradually bringing the woman's face back to life. The process was emotionally taxing. As she shaped the clay, she couldn't help but think about the victim not just as an unidentified case but as a person who had once lived, had a story and had met an awful fate. By May 2nd the reconstruction was finally complete.
Speaker 1:Looking at the finished face, vicki had no way of knowing if it would lead to an identification From the case files she knew. Investigators believed the victim was most likely a transient, someone not from the area where she was found, without connections to the local community. The chances of recognition were slim. Still, it was a step forward. After 20 years the Jane Doe had a face again. Now detectives just needed someone to recognize her. At one point.
Speaker 1:Dan Moser from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and Jerry Berkey, a county sheriff's detective, took on the case In 2000,. They submitted Jane Doe's fingerprints to the National Fingerprint Database, hoping for a match. When Jane Doe was found in 1978, law enforcement didn't have a centralized system for searching fingerprints on a national scale. It wasn't until 1999 that the FBI launched the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, a nationwide database that allowed law enforcement agencies to quickly compare fingerprints against millions of records Jane Doe's prints in 2000,. Investigators hoped that advancements in technology would finally provide an answer, but once again the search came up empty. By the mid-2000s, sheriff Blythe Blomendahl had taken over the investigation. After reviewing the case details, he developed his own theory. The investigation After reviewing the case details, he developed his own theory.
Speaker 1:He believed Jane Doe had been pulled into the ditch from a nearby location, possibly from a vehicle, rather than being killed where she was found. When Sheriff Blomendahl examined the autopsy report, the dislocation of her right elbow and trauma to her cervical vertebrae stood out to him. He wondered if those injuries could have been the result of a struggle. If she had fought back, there was a chance she had left behind DNA evidence, possibly under her, stood out to him. He wondered if those injuries could have been the result of a struggle. If she had fought back, there was a chance she had left behind DNA evidence, possibly under her fingernails. There was also another troubling detail Her pants and underwear had been wrapped around one leg, which suggested the possibility of an intimate encounter before her death. Whether it had started as consensual and turned violent or whether it had never been consensual at all was impossible to say.
Speaker 1:Despite his efforts, sheriff Blomendahl was frustrated that the medical examiner hadn't been able to determine an official cause of death. If he had more details on how she died, he could have used the violent criminal apprehension program VICAP to compare her case to similar unsolved homicides across the country. But without that crucial piece of information, the search for connections remained difficult. However, 27 years after Jane Doe was found in 2006, a breakthrough finally came. A lab technician matched a left thumbprint recovered from the remains to a fingerprint. In the national database the print had been entered years earlier by the Los Angeles Police Department and belonged to a woman named Wilma June Nissen, who had prior arrests for sex work. By then, sheriff Craig Benson, one of the first detectives on the case back in the 1970s, was 87 years old. Despite retiring long ago, he still visited Jane Doe's grave from time to time. Now she finally had a name. With Jane Doe now identified as Wilma Nissen, the investigation could shift to uncovering how she died and who was responsible.
Speaker 1:Sheriff Blomendahl held a press conference to announce the identification. He revealed that no missing persons report had ever been filed for Wilma and that she had lived in various places across California. The last confirmed location investigators could place her in was Long Beach in 1975. Ailes. He noted that she may have gone by the nickname Boots and urged anyone with information about her life or death to come forward.
Speaker 1:Meanwhile, across the country, the news reached someone who had been searching for Wilma for years. On February 17, 26, in Seal Beach, california, a woman named Starla Patterson was reading the Long Beach Press-Telegram when a news bulletin caught her eye. It reported that an unidentified woman found in Iowa had been identified as Wilma June Nissen. Starla was stunned. For the past decade she had been helping her friend Chrissy search for her missing mother, wilma June Nissen. Chrissy was shocked to learn that her mother had been found, though not in the way she had hoped. She immediately contacted Sheriff Blomendahl at the Lyon County Sheriff's Department and sent over a photograph of her mother, confirming that their former Jane Doe was indeed Wilma Nissen. For Sheriff Blomendahl, this was a crucial moment. He had feared that Jane Doe was indeed Wilma Nissen. For Sheriff Blomendahl, this was a crucial moment. He had feared that Jane Doe had no living relatives, but now there was someone who could help fill in the missing pieces of Wilma's life. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation compared Chrissy's DNA to that of Jane Doe's at the Des Moines lab and the results confirmed Chrissy was Wilma June Nissen's daughter. This breakthrough allowed Sheriff Blomendahl to uncover more details about Wilma's troubled early life.
Speaker 1:Wilma was born on October 19, 1954. In 1962, when Wilma was just eight years old, her mother left the family, setting off a series of tragic events. Wilma's father, struggling with unemployment, became abusive and neglectful. He would lock Wilma and her sister Mona in a unemployment. Became abusive and neglectful, he would lock Wilma and her sister Mona in a closet, leaving them confined and isolated. When the family lost their home, they were forced to live in a car and during this time, wilma's father sent her out onto the streets to find food and money. Mona, still young, was kept locked in the trunk of the car. In 1964, just two years after their mother's departure, the state intervened and removed Wilma and Mona from their father's care. Mona was placed in an institution, while Wilma's fate was more uncertain. By 2006, when Wilma's body was finally identified. Mona was still alive. She was living in a foster home for disabled adults in California. Sheriff Blomendahl reported that Mona was made aware of her sister's death when someone informed her of the tragic news.
Speaker 1:On December 5, 1964, wilma was placed in the care of her first set of foster parents, maxine and Marshall Holt. When Wilma arrived at the Holt home she was severely behind in basic life skills. She couldn't read, write or even hold a fork to feed herself. In a phone interview with the Sioux City Journal, maxine recalled the early days with Wilma and said the young girl quickly grew attached to Marshall, calling him Daddy. Maxine also mentioned how Wilma was immediately smitten with their dog. She described Wilma as culturally deprived but emphasized how much love she and Marshall gave her, treating her as if she were their own child, always smiling. Wilma was a happy and enthusiastic young girl who took a strong interest in the activities of the whole family and their two other foster daughters. Maxine took on the role of teaching Wilma at home, where she learned to read, write and solve math problems. Wilma was eager to learn and Maxine fondly recalled one day when Wilma said I love you, mother, for teaching me so many things.
Speaker 1:Unfortunately, maxine's diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis eventually made it too difficult for her to care for the children and in 1966, wilma was removed from their home. Afterward Wilma moved through four different foster homes before finally settling with her last foster family. Maxine and Marshall saw Wilma one last time when she visited them at Christmas in 1975, and a year later Wilma sent Maxine. A Mother saw Wilma one last time when she visited them at Christmas in 1975, and a year later Wilma sent Maxine a Mother's Day card. However, after that Maxine and Marshall never heard from Wilma again. Maxine explained that for 30 years they spent their time wondering about Wilma's fate, always hoping she was well. When they learned in 1978 that she had been killed they were devastated, but Maxine said it also brought them a sense of closure, though it was not the ending they had hoped for.
Speaker 1:After spending time at Ramona Mountain View School, wilma returned to live with her final foster family until she was 18. One day she went for a walk and never returned. Her foster family did not hear from her again until 1973, when she returned home for a brief visit with her then-husband Donald Wellington. According to news reports, wilma June Nissen gave birth to a child, donald Wellington Jr, on December 12, 1972, in San Diego. The child was born prematurely and the details surrounding what happened next are unclear. However, it seems from the reporting that the state took custody of the baby and placed him for adoption After marrying Donald Wellington. Authorities believe Wilma managed to escape from him.
Speaker 1:A rumor surfaced that Sheriff Blomendahl heard claiming that Wilma, along with a man named Michael Pizzaro, whose real name was Michael Walker, was walking from California to Florida with a child named Michael Pizzaro Jr. Wilma allegedly gave birth to Michael Jr on May 10, 1977 in San Diego. Like her previous child, Michael Jr was also reportedly taken by the state and placed for adoption. On August 19, 1987, wilma gave birth to her daughter, chrissy, in California. In 2006, chrissy spoke to the Sioux City Journal and revealed that she was born prematurely and raised by Alice and Vince Haas, wilma's final foster parents in Seal Beach, california. Wilma had reportedly taken off shortly after Chrissy's birth.
Speaker 1:Chrissy recalled that there was a large generational gap between her adopted parents and herself, and they never pushed her for success. Chrissy attended Catholic school but had a rebellious streak, staying out late, smoking cannabis, and by the time she was 15, she was considered a ward of the state by 26,. Chrissy described herself as an employed former Vegas dancer and assistant at a drug rehab center. She reflected on her life, feeling that her mother had left her to start a new life and had moved on starting another family. Now, with the tragic discovery that Wilma had been killed when Chrissy was less than a year old, chrissy was left to wonder why Wilma left and whether she had ever intended to come back for her. Was she okay with leaving her daughter behind? Chrissy was never angry for her mother giving her up. These questions would remain unanswered.
Speaker 1:Chrissy also shared that her adopted parents never spoke much about Wilma. When she was 12 years old, she rifled through her home searching for adoption paperwork and discovered the names of her birth parents. She expressed confusion over why her adopted mother and father never wanted to talk about Wilma. When Chrissy was 15, she found an image of her biological mother, wilma, but the Hodge family took it from her, telling her they had assumed Wilma was dead. At 17, chrissy began a relationship with a guy whose mother, starla Patterson, took an interest in Chrissy's search for her biological family. Starla was determined to help Chrissy find her biological parents. In their search, starla helped Chrissy track down her biological father, robert Urban. He was listed in a phone book in California and, after finding him, chrissy met him in person. Robert revealed that he too had wondered what happened to Wilma but didn't have any answers. Tragically, robert passed away shortly after meeting Chrissy.
Speaker 1:Chrissy's quest to learn more about Wilma and her biological family continued Around 18,. She placed her name on adoption registries and reunion websites, hoping for any leads. She even reached out to talk show host Sally Jessie Raphael, asking for assistance in locating Wilma. Chrissy shared with the Sioux City Journal that she had many questions for Wilma, the most pressing being why did you disappear? In February 2006, starla contacted Chrissy to inform her that Wilma had been dead for years, her body having been identified as a Jane Doe. Her body having been identified as a Jane Doe, chrissy was stunned and at that point her search shifted from wanting to understand why Wilma left to wanting to know who had taken her mother's life.
Speaker 1:As the investigation into Wilma's death continued, sheriff Blomendahl discovered that Wilma had a history of criminal activity related to sex work. She had been arrested multiple times between 1973 and 1974 in locations such as Los Angeles, beverly Hills, long Beach and San Diego. Mary and Scott Gibson, owners of the Sioux Falls Monument Company family memorials by Gibson donated a pink granite headstone to replace the one that had marked Wilma's grave as a Jane Doe at Riverside Memorial Cemetery. The Gibsons felt it was important to honor Wilma's identity, and the new headstone, which is expected to last for generations, was engraved with Wilma's name, birth date and the date of her death, along with a rose.
Speaker 1:On Saturday, june 4, 2006, a graveside memorial service was held at Riverside Cemetery, where over 70 people gathered to pay their respects to Wilma. June Nissen, although Chrissy couldn't attend, her friend Starla Patterson, who had helped with the search for Wilma, spoke on her behalf. Starla shared that Chrissy appreciated all the efforts made to honor her mother and hoped to visit Iowa one day to thank everyone in person. Many locals who had followed the case of the unidentified woman found in the gravel ditch were relieved to see some resolution after so many years of uncertainty. In September 2006, chrissy finally made it to Riverside Cemetery. She left a mood ring with the word LOVE engraved on it in a tiny Egyptian ink which she had once worn around her neck. Chrissy told the Sioux Falls Journal that it felt like losing someone she had always wanted to meet. She expressed regret over not connecting with her mother, sharing how she wished they had the chance to know each other. With a bittersweet smile, chrissy joked that she heard her mother loved boots, just like her, as she wore a pair to the cemetery that day.
Speaker 1:The investigation into Wilma's death was far from over. Investigation into Wilma's death was far from over. Sheriff Blomendahl remained focused on uncovering the details of her life after 1977, when she gave birth to Chrissy, and determining how she ended up in Iowa in October 1978. A significant lead came from Charles Inman Belt, who was 82 years old when cold case detectives contacted him in San Diego. Charles recalled that in early winter 1978, when he was 54, a sex worker asked him to drive Wilma from California to Atlanta, georgia, because someone in California had threatened her. Charles said he took Wilma to Atlanta where she stayed with his mother, juanita, for a short time. However, after just two weeks Wilma left without explanation. Evidence showed that Wilma had tried to change her last name to Belt in February 1978. He mentioned that after her brief stay Wilma left Atlanta, and at that point Sheriff Blomendahl wondered if she had returned to California. The question remained how did she end up dead in Iowa?
Speaker 1:Months later, in September 27, Sheriff Blomendahl made the decision to exhume Wilma's body from Riverside Cemetery in the hope of gathering crucial DNA evidence. Chrissy was present as the exhumation process began. At 9 30 am, the team carefully raised the concrete vault, revealing a cloth coffin inside. After 20 minutes of careful work, the lid was finally removed, but what they found was unsettling A body bag and at least 40 gallons of careful work. The lid was finally removed, but what they found was unsettling A body bag, and at least 40 gallons of water had entered the coffin, making it unclear if any usable DNA could be recovered Despite the water damage. Investigators did manage to take some samples from the water to be examined by a pathologist, though they were uncertain what could be gleaned from the samples.
Speaker 1:Sheriff Blomendahl, however, remained hopeful. He noticed that Wilma's fingernails, which had been carefully bagged, were not waterlogged, and he believed there was still a chance of obtaining usable DNA evidence. At the medical examiner's office, forensic anthropologists were surprised by how well-preserved Wilma's body remained, despite the water damage. They worked diligently to uncover a cause of death, though that information remained confidential. The authorities were careful to withhold certain details, hoping to keep key pieces of information that only the killer would know as they continued their investigation After the forensic examination of Wilma's remains, sheriff Blomendahl opted to preserve her body rather than proceed with reburial.
Speaker 1:His reasoning was clear he wanted to leave the door open for any future advancements in forensic technology that could offer new insights into the case In 2021,. A report by Kilo TV highlighted one crucial piece of evidence that investigators were still holding onto. Waiting for technology to catch up, the Lyon County Sheriff's Office enlisted the help of a Scandinavian company specializing in cutting-edge techniques to reanalyze the evidence. They focused on items like the rope in Wilma's clothing, seeking any trace of DNA that could provide a breakthrough. Although they managed to find some DNA, it required amplification to be useful for further examination. Unfortunately, the FBI's CODIs database doesn't support amplified DNA, so the findings couldn't be entered into the system at that time. Nevertheless, investigators remained hopeful that this evidence might eventually lead them to Wilma's killer.
Speaker 1:In February 2009, the investigation took a more proactive approach when the Lyon County Sheriff's Office initiated a door-to-door canvassing effort in the vicinity where Wilma's body was found. This campaign aimed to gather new tips and uncover any information that might shed light on the mystery surrounding her death. Along with this outreach, the Sheriff's Office also offered a $10,000 reward for valuable leads launching a dedicated hotline and website to encourage the public to submit any relevant information. This community engagement seemed to yield results.
Speaker 1:That summer, 82-year-old John Vangameran was arrested by the Lyon County Sheriff's Office and charged with six counts of perjury. These charges stem from his alleged false statements during interviews on June 19th and August 14th about Wilma's murder. According to court documents filed in Lyam County District Court, vangameran was accused of lying under oath by either making false claims or failing to disclose important details. He was questioned about his acquaintance with Annette Nett Jacobson after being shown two photographs of her, as well as his involvement in transporting a stripper or sex worker from Sioux Falls to his home. Vangameron was also asked about hosting dancers on several occasions and his dealings with sex workers at his residence, including incidents where his wallet was allegedly stolen by a sex worker and his role in arranging for strippers to appear at a bachelor party. Fbi agent John Moeller declined to comment on whether Vangameron was a suspect in Wilma's murder or whether Annette's connection to him had any relevance to the case. However, agent Moeller did reveal that Vangameron was brought to their attention during a canvassing operation in the Five Mile area where Wilma's body was discovered In September 2009,.
Speaker 1:Vangermuren's attorney filed a motion to have the charges dismissed. Attorney Edward W Bjornstad argued that the statements made to the FBI violated Vangermuren's constitutional rights, claiming that his client couldn't receive a fair trial in the local court. Additionally, bjornstad argued that FBI agent Moeller's comments to the Sioux City Journal, where he suggested that Vangameron was involved in a big negotiation game, had undermined the presumption of innocence and violated Vangameron's right to a fair trial. He requested a change of venue and sought the unsealing of search warrants and testimony to aid in the defense. Bjorn's dad also called for state attorney Carl Peterson to recuse himself, accusing him of becoming a witness in the case due to his involvement with Vangamer and Summons. The perjury trial was set multiple times but postponed, and in February 2010, all six perjury charges were dropped. Prosecutors cited new substantial information that had emerged in the investigation and the case was dismissed without prejudice. A 2021 Kilo TV article later confirmed that Vangameran was not considered a suspect in Wilma's murder.
Speaker 1:In May 2016, the Lyon County Sheriff's Department made a startling revelation in the decades-long investigation into Wilma Nissen's murder. Investigation into Wilma Nissen's murder, for the first time, investigators released a photograph of a woman they believed could be crucial to solving the case a woman known by the stage name Sugar. In the summer of 1978, sugar was one of the dancers, escorts and sex workers who worked at parties in and around Sioux Falls, south Dakota, and in Lyon County. The image, captured during the mid-1970s, brought the case back into the public's focus. According to Detective Jerry Berkey, both Wilma and Sugar were part of an escort service called Playgirls or Playmates. After the release of the photograph, new leads flooded in rekindling hope in a case that had grown cold over the years. While authorities knew Sugar's real name, they chose to keep it under wraps, hoping that someone would come forward to identify her. Despite being questioned multiple times, sugar never admitted to any involvement in Wilma's death, but investigators uncovered that soon after Wilma was killed, sugar had fled to Canada. There she was involved in a violent altercation where she stabbed someone, forcing her to return to the United States.
Speaker 1:Beyond Sugar, another figure known only as Peaches surfaced as a potential suspect. Described as a light-skinned black woman from Canada, peaches was said to have worked as a dancer and escort in Sioux Falls and Yankton during the 1970s and 1980s. It was suspected that she may have been working alongside Sugar at the time of Wilma's murder, though investigators had yet to uncover Peach's true identity. They knew she was involved in a string of robberies targeting other dancers and sex workers during the same period. Still, the case wasn't limited to these two women. At one point, investigators even looked into the possibility that a serial killer, the infamous truck stop killer Robert Ben Rhodes, may have been responsible for Wilma's death. Robert Ben Rhodes had lived in Sioux Falls in 1978 and though he was questioned by detectives, he was eventually ruled out as a suspect.
Speaker 1:The investigation moved on, but the question of who could be behind Wilma's murder lingered. For Wilma's daughter, chrissy, the quest to find her mother's killer became personal. If you know anything, no matter how small it might seem, please reach out to Chrissy or the police. I have included contact information in links below. Please share. I will be doing a follow-up episode at the end of May. Once again, thank you for joining me. Outro Music.