Lance Lee DeWoody, a 22-year-old from Olin who had recently moved to the North Liberty/Iowa City area for work, was found dead on the morning of August 13, 1985. His body was discovered on the floor of a picnic shelter on the University of Iowa’s Oakdale campus in Coralville. An autopsy determined he died of two gunshot wounds.

The original investigation identified a person of interest but did not produce enough evidence to charge anyone, leaving the case unsolved for decades. Investigators periodically revisited the matter while the family continued to seek answers.

In March 2016 authorities announced an arrest in the case. Investigators said the alleged motive involved a romantic relationship between DeWoody and the arrest suspect’s wife; they re-interviewed witnesses, re-examined evidence and obtained a DNA sample to compare with crime-scene material.