Alicia Marie Hummel

Alicia Marie Hummel was a woman with a "heart of gold" who found her calling in caring for the youngest members of her Sioux City, Iowa, community. Remembered by friends as loving, wonderful, and fiercely loyal, the 29-year-old female preschool teacher was known for her spontaneity and her love of documenting her days with photos. Raised by her grandparents, Jan and Duane Folkers, Alicia was an enthusiastic learner who earned degrees from South Dakota State University in 2009 and the University of South Dakota in 2012. Though she considered pursuing a master's degree, her love for children led her to a job at the Siouxland Family Center, where she taught infants and toddlers. In 2014, she separated from her high school sweetheart, and friends said she was embracing her independence and finding herself again.

On June 1, 2015, the first day of her summer vacation, Alicia decided to go fishing, an activity she often enjoyed. She invited friends to join her, but when no one was available, she set out alone for the Myron's Grove boat dock, a public fishing spot on the Missouri River near Vermillion, South Dakota, less than an hour from her home. Before leaving the house she shared with her grandparents, she asked her grandfather if he would help her clean any fish she caught upon her return. Early that afternoon, she posted cheerful selfies on Snapchat, holding her fishing rod at the dock. It was the last time anyone heard from her.

Sometime between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., Alicia was attacked. Around 2:20 p.m., a state park employee cleaning the area discovered her body at the edge of the river near the boat ramp. An autopsy later determined that while the cause of death was drowning, it was a homicide. Alicia had suffered blunt force trauma to her head and incised wounds on her neck. Toxicology reports showed no alcohol or controlled substances in her system. She was just a few weeks shy of her 30th birthday.

The investigation was launched by the Clay County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the FBI. Investigators quickly cleared Alicia's estranged husband and other acquaintances, leading them to believe she was likely ambushed by a stranger in what they consider a rare type of killing. The secluded but publicly accessible nature of the boat dock area may have made her vulnerable. "It makes it secluded because until you literally get down there, you can’t see it,” Clay County Sheriff Andy Howe said. “But it’s very public in the sense that anyone can get to it. Anyone could.”

In the years since the murder, leads have become infrequent, but law enforcement insists the case is not cold. "It’s not a cold case if we’re following up on leads,” Sheriff Howe stated in 2018. “We’ve maintained this as a focus.” Authorities have repeatedly appealed to the public for information about a dark-colored sedan with tinted windows and a loud exhaust system that was seen in the area around the time of the killing. Investigators also confirmed they recovered Alicia's cellphone but have not disclosed how or where it was found, wanting to protect details only the killer would know. "The goal is to successfully prosecute the case," Howe explained.

Alicia’s family and friends have been left to grapple with the unanswered questions surrounding her violent death. "She was the definition of a best friend," her friend Bethany Svacina told Dateline. "She always made time for those she loved, even when she may have needed their support more than they needed hers." Her sister, Erica Kampfe, remembered always looking up to her. The family established a Facebook page, "Fighting for Justice For Alicia Hummel," to keep her memory alive and encourage tips.

Loved ones have honored Alicia's memory through balloon releases and, on the tenth anniversary of her death in June 2025, by performing random acts of kindness in her name. The goal was to complete 40 acts by the end of the month, as Alicia would have turned 40 that year. "It’s to basically get her memory out there," her sister Erica said. "Not necessarily how she died... but it’s more of the case of still representing of who she was as a person and showing that we have not forgotten."

As of July 2025, Alicia Hummel’s murder remains unsolved, and no arrests have been made. The case continues to haunt her family and the investigators dedicated to finding her killer. A reward of $5,000 is available for information that leads to an arrest and conviction. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Clay County Sheriff’s Office at 605-677-7100.