Peacock is out on $2,000 bail pending further proceedings in the case and that bail was posted by his brother, Stephen, who now resides in Darlington, court records show.
The brothers were labeled "persons of interest" by Dubuque police after the 2001 disappearance of Crystal Arensdorf, who was last seen on July 4...
I moved to Dubuque from Illinois to continue my college education just months after Crystal disappeared. My GF and I were both in 2 different colleges in Dubuque. Dubuque is a town of 60000 population. At the time approximately 80% of the population were students. There are 8 colleges there so as you can imagine the parties were great, both at peoples homes and dorms, and the bars. In Dubuque their are over 30 bars (at least back then there was). It borders the river (as stated in this thread) to Illinois. Immediately over the bridge in to Illinois is a small town called EAST DUBUQUE. Again at that time the entire 6 blocks were filled with nothing but bars, strip clubs and places for food. My girlfriend was also 20 so even though she did not have a fake ID she was always let in to these bars both in Dubuque and East Dubuque. Dubuque bars would close at 1AM and E Dubuque bars would remain opened till 3AM, thus the need for Crystal to have easily wanted to get a ride from the bar she was last seen at to East Dubuque. Most everyone drank at that age and their friends were of all ages because all of these bars are riddled with locals and college students between the ages of 19 and 30s (by majority).
Back then that IS exactly what we heard thru the town, that the two brothers had taken her, connived her into getting in to their truck, took her to a remote wooded location, raped and brutally beaten her to death, and left her there. That is what everyone said. Unfortunately it was common talk. I also knew some of the officers (as my degree was in criminal law) and not only did they often talk about this case, they were actively seeking information all the time.
Just thought I would give everyone a little insight about those days, weeks, months and years after she went missing.
I praise the officers who constantly search for her.
I pray she is found and I pray for justice.
I pray for the family and those that loved and knew her.
Just want to clear this up,
Dubuque is definitely not 80% college students. The 2000 census states there was about 4,500 people out of 57,000 who were of the age group 20-24, and another 4,500 in the age group 15-19. I went to HS in Dubuque, and only about 40% of my graduating class went to college of some sorts (although important to note that people did come to college here from the smaller towns, and just a handful of out-of-staters).
There are a few small four year colleges -- Loras College (pop. ~1,500), Emmaus Bible College (pop. ~250)
Two small universities -- Clarke University (Clarke College at this time, pop. ~1,000), University of Dubuque (pop. ~1,800)
And then one small community college -- Northeastern Iowa Community College (pop. ~5,000, not all for associate degrees, served partly as an extension school). There is a branch of NICC downtown.
Over the bridge in Wisconsin, there is University of Wisconsin, Platteville about 30-40 minutes from downtown Dubuque (where Crystal went missing from, pop. ~8,000)
There is also one cosmetology school, Capri College located in downtown.
However, July 3rd is famous in Dubuque as it is the big celebration for the 4th of July. Annually, it pulls in anywhere from 150k-250k people. Hotels are
packed! Many people from all the small and rural towns in a two hour radius come in for it. The downtown area is set up perfectly for it, and there is a lot going on on the river. Massive fireworks displays (larger than I've seen in many of the metro areas I've since lived in since moving away from the Midwest) and air shows.
This means a lot of people that would know some other areas in the tri-state area outside of Dubuque really well, and have a place to take her to. Also a lot of unsavory characters, and a ton of drinking. It isn't uncommon for out of towners to stay with family through the 4th, or in a hotel, and make it a long weekend. The 3rd and 4th are a HUGE deal there.
There's usually a lot of people walking in and out of other people's houses, friends of friends, stopping by a friend's family member here, there. A lot of super intoxicated people out and walking. So she could have easily been lost in the crowd and no one paying attention to another girl downtown drunk on the 4th.
It is also notoriously easy for underage people to get into bars in DBQ, I am not surprised she was there. It's a smaller town with little to do besides drink. There was also quite a bit of a meth epidemic going on at this time, lots of houses randomly blowing up in this downtown area. Not the best place for a gal to be at at night.
East Dubuque is also right near downtown DBQ, and it's downtown is literally to the left as you immediately get off the bridge. It had one of the only active strip clubs for a while, and the downtown was all late night bars and was very run down and trashy. You didn't go to East DBQ unless you were getting into some trouble or wanted to get stupid drunk and be debaucherous.
I actually loosely knew Crystal's family shortly before I left. It hung a very dark cloud over the family. I think they all are pretty convinced she has been gone long, long ago.
I remember seeing her fliers everywhere, I'm sure a few shops still have them up. I hope this case is solved and her family can finally get some answers, one of these days. It's not on the forefront of the town's mind anymore, though. I really hope they look into Peacock, because that stuff with his girlfriend is pretty damning.
