Cold Case

This was the one day that I missed this semester, so I missed out on speaking with Jeff Tilson. I did however, look at the Iowa Cold Cases website and found a few relating to where I grew up. The one I found most interesting was about an Iowa native Neal Robert Townsend. If you have time, look up his story, it sounds like something from a movie!

Townsend had spent his whole life in Anamosa helping people who struggled with alcoholism. He heard of the Patty Hearst case going on in Idaho, and felt compelled to leave and go be a part of solving that case. He joined the Lava Hot Springs Police Department in Bannock County, Idaho, and found it was not at all what he expected. It seemed that the department was corrupted, and the officers there were illegally growing and selling marijuana, which Townsend told his family back home about.

Just 16 days before Patty Hearst was found, Bannock County deputies arrived at Townsend's apartment, and announced that he had shot himself in the stomach with a .38 revolver. They ruled his death a suicide, but no formal investigation are autopsy was ever done. It seems he got mixed up with corrupted police.

So, if I were to head out to Idaho to try to find out what really happened, this case would be particularly tough. With it essentially accusing the police themselves of committing a murder, it would have to be done very carefully.

Likely, I couldn't just barrel into the little town and start asking questions about police corruption. I'd have to go on ride-alongs and build a relationship with the different officers and deputies in the area. I'd have to do some behind the scenes investigation into who is still around that was around when it happened, who has connections to the Bannock County deputies that found Townsend, and see if those deputies are still around.

Asking about the Patty Hearst case on it's own could possibly be a way in to finding out about Townsend. This seems like it was a huge case for the area, and community members would likely still remember it and want to talk about it.

I would have to research any records I could find about the Deputies in question, and see if there would be any clues there as to whether or not they killed Townsend. I would also want to find any family or friends that have been searching for justice as well, and see what leads or information they had. It seems that his daughter has never stopped looking for answers into her father's death, but has been constantly evaded and withheld from receiving information.

A very interesting read! Maybe I will move out to Idaho and solve the case.