IA IA - Rodney Olsen, 32, Farmer from Mason City, Oct 1986

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tifflee

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Rodney Olsen is an Iowa farmer who disappeared into the night in October of 1986. His family is still searching for answers in recent interviews (linked below).

1. Doe Network Case File: http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/120dmia.html
2. Charley Project Case File: http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/o/olsen_rodney.html
3. Iowa Missing Person Information Clearinghouse: http://www.iowaonline.state.ia.us/mpic/Controller.aspx?cmd=personDetailCommand&id=16900
4. Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Department: http://www.co.cerro-gordo.ia.us/Sheriff/Most_Wanted/sheriff_Missing.cfm

The Doe Network:
Case File 120DMIA

olsen_rodney.jpg


Rodney John Olsen
Missing since October 18, 1986 from Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa.
Classification: Endangered Missing

Vital Statistics
* Date Of Birth: October 1, 1954
* Age at Time of Disappearance: 32 years old
* Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 6'0; 210 pounds
* Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Brown hair; brown eyes.

Circumstances of Disappearance
Olsen was last seen on October 18, 1986 in Mason City, IA. Olsen, the father of a young son, farmed a rural farm northeast of Mason City. Olsen moved from his native Britt area not too long before he disappeared.

Olsen left his rural home at 01.00 to visit someone. Several months later, Olsen’s car, a black 1978 Pontiac Sunbird, was found in a Forest City trailer park. No clues were found to indicate what happened to Olsen.

Investigators
If you have any information concerning Olsen's whereabouts, please contact:
Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office
515-421-3000
OR
Iowa Missing Persons' Clearinghouse
800-346-5507
Email

All information may be submitted on an anonymous basis.

NCIC Number: M-2211723913

Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.
 
Additional information (including description of his clothes and hair highlighted in blue) from the Iowa Missing Person Information Clearinghouse: http://www.iowaonline.state.ia.us/mpic/Controller.aspx?cmd=personDetailCommand&id=16900.

Name: Rodney J Olsen
Age At Report: 32
Age Now: 56
Weight: 210 lbs.
Height: 6'00"
Race: White
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Sex: Male
Incident Type: Endangered / physical

Rodney Olsen was reported missing to the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office, in Mason City on October 18, 1986. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a brown shirt. He has shoulder-length hair.

 
News articles profiling Rodney's disappearance.

Finding the lost, naming the unnamed - Globe Gazette on March 30, 2008
Rodney J. Olsen. Olsen, a rural Mason City farmer, was 32 when he was reported missing on October 18, 1986. Olsen was the father of a young son and farmed northeast of Mason City. He had moved from his native Britt area not too long before he disappeared.

He reportedly left his rural home at 1 a.m. to visit someone and has not been seen since.

Several months later, Olsen’s car, a black 1978 Pontiac Sunbird, was found in a Forest City trailer park. No clues were found to indicate what happened to Olsen, according to reports at that time.

Twenty-one years later, Olsen’s family still thinks of their lost son.

“You always want to know,” said his father, Myrlen, who lives in Britt. “We always have hope.”

Myrlen believes that Rodney, one of his three children, “went off in the middle of the night by himself — and after that, we just don’t know.”

Rodney Olsen’s son today lives in California, Merlyn said.

Myrlen Olsen keeps in contact with the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department, in hopes new information about the case can be developed.

Description: height, 6 feet; weight, 210 pounds; white male with brown hair and brown eyes.
Click to expand...

More North Iowa Cold Cases - Globe Gazette on June 27, 2010
• Mason City-area farmer Rodney John Olsen, 32, was reported missing Oct. 18, 1986.

Olsen farmed northeast of Mason City. He had moved from the Britt area.

He reportedly left his home at 1 a.m. to visit someone and has not been seen since.

Olsen’s car, a black 1978 Pontiac Sunbird, was found several months later in a Forest City trailer park.

Officials reviewed the case around 2007, Cerro Gordo County Sheriff Kevin Pals said, but there were no new leads.

No clues were found to indicate what happened to Olsen, according to reports at that time.

“I wouldn’t say that it’s cold on the shelf yet, but we’re still considering some options on trying to drum something up,” Pals said.
Click to expand...

Article that requires a subscription to read from the Des Moines Register on July 16, 2004: Huisentruit family let down
MISSING Investigators spoke Thursday with the exwife of Rodney John Olsen a 32 year old Mason City man who disappeared Oct 18 1986...
Click to expand...

Another Globe Gazette mention from August 17, 2008 that does not add much detail: Iowa cold case proposal in the running for funds

 
Copying and pasting my update on the Vernon County John Doe thread:
I emailed the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff and to his credit, Sheriff Pals sent me a prompt reply. I asked if Rodney has been compared to the Vernon County John Doe and if he will be added NamUs. The reply I received was:

Mr. Olsen is in the Iowa Missing Person files. I am not sure who puts the missing person on other web site. We have received two calls from the national missing person database comparing his information with others. I am not sure if he was specifically compared to the John Doe in Vernon Co., MO.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, it sounds like he may not be added to NamUs soon.

I did contact the Iowa MPIC email that was listed on Rodney's Doe Network profile as well as the NamUs case manager listed for this John Doe. No replies yet, but will keep you posted!
Click to expand...
 
A bit of good news on the NamUs front. I followed up with my January email to Iowa MPIC since I had not heard back and received a prompt reply from Ms. Linda Mason on my second try. She wrote that she will be in contact with the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office to get Rodney into NamUs. Also, she is hoping that his dental records are on file so that he can be compared to the Vernon County John Doe.

I am feeling encouraged! Even if the long shot match does not occur between Rodney and the John Doe in Vernon County, at least Rodney is taking another step towards being listed in NamUs.
 
Ms. Mason and I received an email from Lt. Hunt of the Cerro Gordo Sheriff's Department yesterday that he checked with Rodney's dentist to see if dental records are available. The dentist has retired and his son now runs the practice. His staff searched records and it turns out they shred them after ten years. He also checked with the DCI (Division of Criminal Investigation). It looks like there is no mention of DNA in the case file since back then, it probably was not standard to collect.

As a follow-up, I sent Lt. Hunt the 2008 Globe Gazette article mentioning that Rodney's family is still searching for him. Maybe DNA can still be collected given it sounds like Rodney left behind several family members. As a long shot, maybe his family has a copy of his dental records given they have been searching for him this long.
 
Rodney J. Olsen is now in NamUs: https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/10207/.

His case was entered April 12, 2011.

New details not mentioned before:

* His hair is described as "Dark shoulder-length curly hair."
* He was clean shaven when last seen.

Unfortunately, dentals, DNA, and fingerprints all show as still unavailable.

The LE contact is Lt. Hunt from the Cerro Gordo Sheriff's Office and the case administrator is Ms. Sutherland from the National Forensic Science Technology Center (NFSTC).

Many thanks to Ms. Mason, Lt. Hunt, and Ms. Sutherland for their help in getting Rodney into NamUs.
 
Rodney's NamUs profile has been updated to show that DNA samples were submitted and tests are complete. He isn't listed as an official rule-out from the Vernon County John Doe, but since both have DNA samples available with tests complete, I think that means a match would have been flagged if there was one?
 
Ambercat said:
This is really a long shot. http://www.ocgov.com/ocgov/Sheriff-...roner/Unidentified Dead/John DOES/87-05618-MA
Unidentified Person Case
Is there any background information about Rodney prior to his disappearance? Had he ever left home in the middle of the night before?
Click to expand...

A friend of Rodney's son stayed there and asked where Rodney was going one night. He was immediately told they were not allowed to ask. Rodney's wife was in a bad relationship, because she was very nice religious person. It was known that Rodney was most likely involved in the drug trade there. People knew him as a compulsive liar. It's an interesting coincidence that his brother-in-law was Timothy Cutkomp(Dustin Honken's best friend). It appears Rodney's wife and son know what most likely happened, and are not involved in the case. Rumors at the time were that people in the drug world killed him.
 
Mr Obvious said:
A friend of Rodney's son stayed there and asked where Rodney was going one night. He was immediately told they were not allowed to ask. Rodney's wife was in a bad relationship, because she was very nice religious person. It was known that Rodney was most likely involved in the drug trade there. People knew him as a compulsive liar. It's an interesting coincidence that his brother-in-law was Timothy Cutkomp(Dustin Honken's best friend). It appears Rodney's wife and son know what most likely happened, and are not involved in the case. Rumors at the time were that people in the drug world killed him.
Click to expand...
I have read a bit and apparently he was involved with drugs and his wife, as you say, was religious, logically, he would not accept someone with that type of problem... at least his son and ex-wife did not die... perhaps that is also why he moved away from they..
anyway rest in peace
 
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