Ernest Harold Lilly Sr. was 50 when he was shot during an attempted robbery at Frank’s Place, a tavern at 3940 McDonald Avenue in Des Moines, on Tuesday, September 11, 1973. He survived the initial shooting but never recovered and died of his injuries on December 19, 1973, so the fatality is attributed to the September assault.

Born April 11, 1923, Lilly served in the US Navy during World War II and married Ruth Marie Northway; they raised four children: Ernest Jr., Grace, Jim, and Kathy. Des Moines police handled the case under file 1973-46114, but records do not identify a suspect or show any arrest, charge, trial, or conviction related to the attempted robbery and subsequent death. The homicide remains an open, unsolved cold case.