Ronald Lee Novak, 24, was found dead on December 24, 1983, in an unheated room of his farmhouse at 5044 Rolling Acres Rd, just north of Center Point, Iowa. A friend discovered Novak’s bound hands, severe blunt-force injuries to the head and face, and a single gunshot wound to the chest. The medical examiner attributed his death to a combination of those injuries, shock, and hypothermia.

Investigators recovered a hammer and a golf club at the scene that had been used to beat Novak. At the time, detectives believed the attack was a robbery or burglary gone wrong; Novak was known locally as a significant marijuana dealer and had reportedly told people he felt watched and had been growing increasingly paranoid. The case went cold and remained unsolved for decades, leaving Novak’s family without answers.

Who knew Ronald or had contact with him in the months before that December night, and can anyone shed light on people who might have targeted him?

I wanted to share a major update in a decades-old cold case that’s finally seeing some justice.

Back in December 1983, Ronald Lee Novak, a 24-year-old white male, was found murdered in his rural home near Walker, Iowa. It was a brutal crime—he was beaten with hammers and a golf club, shot in the chest, and left bound in an unheated room. His three golden retrievers were found curled up beside him, trying to keep him warm. It's one of those cases that has stuck with people in the area for years due to its sheer cruelty and the mystery surrounding it.

Interestingly, although there was $32K in cash and over $7K worth of marijuana in his bedroom, none of it was taken, which raised doubts that robbery was the sole motive. For over 40 years, no one was held accountable—until now.

Thanks to advances in DNA technology and genetic genealogy, authorities recently arrested Michael Schappert, now 64 and living in Oregon. They matched DNA from the scene (including from Novak’s clothes and a hammer used in the murder) to Schappert. He’s now been charged with first-degree murder.

The Linn County Sheriff’s Office believes this may have been a planned robbery, and they’re still investigating possible accomplices. If you followed this case or are into cold case breakthroughs, it’s definitely worth a deeper look. The fact that DNA and genealogy databases can crack cases like this after so many years is incredible.

My heart goes out to Novak’s family—his sister spoke out after the arrest, and you can just feel the decades of pain and uncertainty they’ve carried. Hopefully, this brings some closure.

Would love to hear your thoughts if you remember this case or are following it now.