Clara Olson

Clara Olson was a 93-year-old woman who, even in her advanced years, remained active and independent, managing rental properties she owned in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Neighbors at her home at 820 West 11th Street remembered her as a sweet and pleasant lady who never spoke ill of anyone. She was a fixture in her community, and her sudden death in the summer of 1986 left her family and friends bewildered and searching for answers. Her niece, Florence Clifton, would later voice the question that haunted them all: “Why would anybody murder an old lady in her bed?”

On August 6, 1986, Clara was found deceased in the bedroom of her residence. At first, given her age, her death was believed to be from natural causes. The scene was processed accordingly, with family members and first responders present in the home. It was only later, when a funeral director in Baltic was preparing her for burial, that the truth began to surface. The funeral director noticed bruising around Clara’s neck, a detail that tragically had been missed. An autopsy was ordered, and it confirmed the horrific reality: Clara Olson had been murdered. The cause of death was determined to be strangulation and multiple injuries.

The investigation by the Sioux Falls Police Department immediately faced a significant hurdle. Because the death was not initially recognized as a homicide, the crime scene had been inadvertently disturbed by the very people who found her. This unintentional contamination destroyed potential evidence that might have been crucial to identifying her killer. Investigators learned that Clara’s purse and billfold were missing from her home. This led them to theorize that the motive may have been a robbery, possibly for rent money she was known to collect from her tenants. The focus of the investigation soon turned toward a former tenant.

Police believed they knew who was responsible for the crime. This individual had reportedly been seen near Clara’s apartments around the time of her death and had left town shortly after. Detectives pursued this lead vigorously, traveling twice to Dallas, Texas, to interview the man they considered their primary suspect. Despite their strong suspicions and repeated efforts, they were never able to gather enough evidence to file charges or make an arrest. The trail, while seemingly warm, ultimately went cold, leaving the case without a resolution.

For decades, Clara Olson’s murder has remained a painful open wound for her family and the Sioux Falls community. The case has been featured in local media over the years as reporters and police highlight the city's unsolved homicides, hoping to jog a memory or encourage someone to come forward. Her death is a somber reminder of the devastating impact of violent crime and the lingering pain when justice is not served.

As of July 2023, the murder of Clara Olson remains one of the Sioux Falls Police Department's three open cold-case homicides. Detective Pat Mertes has confirmed that the case is still actively investigated, holding out hope that new technologies or a long-overdue tip might finally provide the breakthrough needed to solve the 40-year-old mystery. The question of who would commit such a brutal act against a frail, elderly woman in her own home, and why, remains unanswered.