IA IA - Beth Ricketts, 31, Des Moines, 22 Dec 1997

Beth A. Ricketts, 31, Missing December 22, 1997 from Des Moines, IA

Beth A. Ricketts
Reported missing December 22, 1997 from Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa
Classification: Involuntary

Vital Statistics


Age at Time of Disappearance: 31 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'8"; 120 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Blonde hair; blue eyes.
Clothing: Black pants; white shirt; zebra belt; black leather blazer. She was carrying a medium-sized black purse.

Circumstances of Disappearance
Ricketts was reported missing December 22, 1997 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

Missing Person Information Clearinghouse
Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation
1-800-346-5507

Source Information:

Missing Person Information Clearinghouse
The Doe Network: Case File 2739DFIA


LINK:

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2739dfia.html

Possible suspect?

James Allen Kinney
Alias: Jerome Romano Porrovecchio
Date of birth: September 5 or 11, 1949

Classification: Murderer
Characteristics: Rape - Mutilation - Vietnam War veteran with a history of mental illness
Number of victims: 3 +
Date of murders: 1997 - 1998
Date of arrest: 2001
Victims profile: Young women
Method of murder: Beating to death
Location: Washington/Michigan/Iowa/Virginia, USA
Status: Sentenced to life in prion without parole in Washington on January 2002

James Allen Kinney is known to have left Michigan on or about 4 December 1997 on a bus to Iowa, a few days after the discovery of the body of a Michigan woman believed to have been killed by Kinney. He is suspected in the murders or disappearances of several other women, and was convicted in Washington state for the 1998 murder of a young woman.

LINK:

http://murderpedia.org/male.K/k/kinney-james-allen.htm

Beth Ann Ricketts was born October 25, 1966. She was a military veteran and lived in Oklahoma City, Okla., prior to moving to Des Moines. She was the mother of two young daughters and a son.

http://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/beth-ricketts/

According to a person named karen hammett that claims to be a friend of Beth:

"I need some one to tell me if they ever caught this guy.. one detective told me tey thought they knew where her body was but couldn’t get on the prpoerty to search. BethAnn was my best friend and was very loved. Please try and find her. Thank you."

A few comments below:

"the person that hasn’t been cleared is William Halterman and he has a facebook look him up."

Bumping case up.

One possible suspect in her disappearance is James Allen Kinney mentioned above. He was featured on America's Most Wanted back about 1997 and was later captured. He is currently serving a life term for the murder of another young woman. He has never been charged in Beth's disappearance.

Kinney was an Army veteran who had been discharged with mental problems. He evidently had some sort of ID which allowed him to enter military bases and was known to frequent a number of VA hospitals for treatment. He was an outgoing kind of guy who would not hesitate to approach a person and strike up a conversation. However, his choice of topics might become weird or inappropriate fairly quickly. He was truly crazy.

If Beth was also veteran, or if she had any connection to a military base, it may have allowed him to approach and engage her in conversation.

I do not know any details about William Halterman or his possible connection with this case.

Beth A. Ricketts
Reported missing December 22, 1997 from Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa
Classification: Involuntary

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Vital Statistics

• Age at Time of Disappearance: 31 years old
• Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'8"; 120 lbs.
• Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Blonde hair; blue eyes.
• Clothing: Black pants; white shirt; zebra belt; black leather blazer. She was carrying a medium-sized black purse.

---

Circumstances of Disappearance
Ricketts was reported missing December 22, 1997 in Des Moines, Iowa.

---

Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact: Missing Person Information Clearinghouse
Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation
1-800-346-5507

Email: mpicinfo@dps.state.ia.us

----------------------------------------------

22 December 1997 was a Monday. It was only three days before Christmas. I wonder if she was shopping that day?

Does anyone have any further information?

From Iowa Cold Cases....


Beth Ann Ricketts
Homicide
Beth Ann Ricketts
31 YOA
4000 Dubuque
Des Moines, IA
Polk County
Case # 1997-57018
December 22, 1997

Beth Ann Ricketts was reported missing to the Des Moines Police Department on December 22, 1997.

Her case status was listed as “Endangered Missing,” which means she was considered to be in physical danger, and authorities believed she was taken against her will.

Polk County in Iowa
Des Moines in Polk County

Beth was last seen wearing black pants, a white shirt, a zebra belt, a black leather blazer and carrying a medium-sized black purse.

The 31-year-old was described as a caucasian female with blonde hair, blue eyes, 5-foot-8 and weighing 120 pounds.

Her case is now listed as a homicide with the Des Moines Police Department.

About Beth Ricketts

Beth Ann Ricketts was born October 25, 1966. She was a military veteran and lived in Oklahoma City, Okla., prior to moving to Des Moines.She was the mother of two young daughters and a son.

Information Needed

If you have any information regarding Beth’s unsolved disappearance and murder, please contact the Des Moines Police Department at 515-283-4864.

Sources:
Des Moines Police Department, Correspondence to Iowa Cold Cases, July 10, 2009
Iowa Department of Public Safety
The Charley Project
Personal correspondence from Karen Hammett, August
Beth Ann Ricketts | Iowa Cold Cases

LINK:

http://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/beth-ricketts/

Bumping case up. Officially it remains open and unsolved, however it is quite likely that James Allen Kinney murdered Beth.

Richard said:

Bumping case up. Officially it remains open and unsolved, however it is quite likely that James Allen Kinney murdered Beth.

Click to expand...

Other than proximity is there anything to link Kinney to this case? The Halterman link appears more solid. He was her boyfriend and following friends reporting her missing he denied to police that she was missing which may have delayed the initial investigation. Also there was a fire in a room at her home which would suggest someone who had access to the home. This can all be found in a report in the Des Moines Register at https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/130903159/.

Bumping

Halterman lead looks more solid to me. Specially the whole fire in the bedroom

Whoever murdered Beth would have had access to her address and keys.

When did the fire occur? Was there any connection with Beth's disappearance?

What other information is available regarding Halterman? What was his behavior like before and after Beth's disappearance? What kind of criminal record (if any) does he have?

Bumping

Beth Ann Ricketts is a U.S. Military Veteran who went missing on December 22, 1997 after last being seen at her home at 9:30 a.m. in Des Moines, Iowa. Beth Ricketts left her home in a gold in color 1994 Geo Prism to do some Christmas shopping and never returned. On the same day she went missing, a fire broke out at 2:10 p.m. in the bedroom of a duplex she was living in. The cause of the fire, which caused thousands in damages, was not able to be determined.

Beth Ann Ricketts is 31 years old as of the date she went missing in December, 1997. Beth Ricketts is described as a white female standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing approximately 120 pounds. Beth Ricketts has strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. Beth Ricketts was last seen wearing black pants, a white shirt, a zebra styled belt, and a black leather blazer. At the time she was last seen, she was carrying a medium sized black purse.

If you have any information about the whereabouts of Beth Ann Ricketts, contact Sergeant Darren Cornwell with the Des Moines Police Department at 515-283-4811 reference case #1997-57018. (NamUs MP # 17248)

Read more: Beth Ann Ricketts

Beth has been missing for 23 years today, her Charley Project page: Beth Ann Ricketts – The Charley Project.

"Her boyfriend refused to cooperate with the investigation and hired an attorney."

He began cooperating, but later changed his mind. Wonder why?

Beth has been missing for 24 years today.

Beth Ann Ricketts

Ricketts, circa 1997

• Missing Since 12/22/1997
• Missing From Des Moines, Iowa
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Female
• Race White
• Age 31 years old
• Height and Weight 5'8, 120 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description A white shirt, a black leather blazer, black pants and a zebra-print belt. Carrying a medium-sized black purse.
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Blonde hair, blue eyes.

Details of Disappearance

Ricketts was last seen in Des Moines, Iowa at 9:30 a.m. on December 22, 1997. She left home to do some Christmas shopping, driving a gold 1994 Geo Prizm, and never returned. She has never been heard from again.

Later that day, at 2:10 p.m., a fire broke out at her duplex in the 4000 block of Dubuque Avenue and caused $7,500 worth of damage to a bedroom. Firefighters were unable to determine the cause of the blaze, and investigators aren't sure if it was related to her disappearance.

Ricketts's boyfriend said that on December 24, a woman claiming to be Ricketts called him on his cellular phone and said she was fine and didn't want to be found.

However, Ricketts never resurfaced, and on January 7 she was re-listed as a missing person. Her boyfriend refused to cooperate with the investigation and hired an attorney.

Ricketts is a military veteran and lived in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma prior to moving to Des Moines. She left behind two daughters and one son. Authorities believe she may have been taken against her will. Her case is classified as a possible homicide.

• Investigating Agency(s)
  Agency Name: Des Moines Police Department
  Agency Contact Person: Sgt. Darren Cornwell
  Agency Phone Number: 515-283-4811
  Agency Case Number: 1997-57018
  NamUs Case Number: MP17248
  
  
• Iowa Missing Person Information Clearinghouse 800-346-5507

Source Information

• Iowa Missing Person Information Clearinghouse
• The Des Moines Register
• 2739DFIA - Beth Ann Ricketts
  
• Beth Ann Ricketts – The Charley Project
  
• Beth Ann Ricketts
• Beth Ricketts | Iowa Cold Cases

Bumping, yesterday was Beth’s birthday.

Beth has been missing for 25 years today.

Beth Ricketts (Courtesy Iowa Department of Public Safety)

Beth Ann Ricketts​

Homicide​

Name: Beth Ann Ricketts
Age at Report: 31 YOA
4000 Dubuque Avenue
Des Moines, IA
Polk County
Investigating Agency: Des Moines Police Department
Case # 1997-57018
NamUs MP # 17248
Last Seen Alive: Dec. 22, 1997
Reported Missing: Dec. 23, 1997



Polk County in Iowa

Beth Ann Ricketts, a 31-year-old military veteran and mother of three young children, vanished from Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday, Dec. 22, 1997, under suspicious circumstances.

According to Des Moines police, Ricketts left her duplex early that morning to go Christmas shopping for her children. She drove a gold 1991 Geo Prizm and was last seen wearing black pants with a zebra belt, a white shirt, a black leather blazer, and carrying a medium-sized black purse.

Police described her as a caucasian female with strawberry blonde shoulder-length hair, blue eyes, 5-foot-8 and weighing about 120 pounds.

Ricketts disappeared sometime after purchasing Christmas presents for her kids and a dress to wear for New Year’s Eve.

She never got to wrap the presents or wear the new dress.

The same day she went missing, a fire broke out at 2:10 p.m. in the bedroom of Ricketts’ residence, causing extensive damages that totalled $7,500. Firefighters listed the cause of the fire as unknown.


The 4000 Dubuque Ave. duplex in Des Moines where Beth Ricketts lived. (Courtesy Trulia.com)
When Ricketts hadn’t returned home by the following day, friends caring for her children reported her missing.

On Wednesday night — Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 1987 — all three television networks in Des Moines aired a story about Ricketts’ disappearance. At 7:30 p.m., shortly after the story aired, Ricketts’ boyfriend, William Halterman, called police and told them Ricketts wasn’t missing after all.

Halterman told police Ricketts had contacted him via cellular telephone and said she didn’t want to be found and that she was with friends.

Halterman’s allegations didn’t make sense; Ricketts loved her children and had been looking forward to both Christmas with her kids and New Year’s Eve.

The Des Moines Register published a story Christmas Day about Ricketts’ mysterious disappearance, and Halterman quickly lawyered up.

Police initially classified Ricketts’ case as “Endangered Missing” — meaning the missing person is considered to be in physical danger — and Des Moines Det. Dennis O’Donnell said police believed Ricketts had been taken against her will.

Despite Halterman’s report that Ricketts was alive, Police Lt. Randy Dawson said the department reopened the missing persons case Jan. 7, 1998.

About Beth Ricketts​

Beth Ann Ricketts was born October 25, 1966. She was a military veteran and lived in Oklahoma City, Okla., prior to moving to Des Moines.