IA IA - Laura Van Wyhe, 21, Cedar Rapids, 25 Oct 1996

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Just thinking about a couple of things (not accusing):

Rebecca Reynolds-Knight of Bonaparte, an Iowa House Representative who at the time represented Jefferson County and parts of Van Buren and Wapello counties.
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I would think that a person in this position would have to have some pull with LE in the area. Not to mention being able to track someone down if for legal matters (especially involving delivering court papers in order to see a "lost" grandchild.)

Also, why was the baby found naked, and where are the clothes he was wearing? They had to have been taken off for a reason. The burrs? Blood from Laura?

I wonder what other trauma (if any) was found on Laura, and what type of "brain injury" was inflicted. It would be nice to know more details. There is a big difference in trauma caused by beating someone in the head with an object, and trauma caused by striking the ground. I wonder if she was beaten and thrown from a vehicle, then possibly confused and wandered into the field and finally back up to the road? If she was confused from the head injury and looking for her son (maybe she had been feeding him in the car) it is plausible she would wander around.

Another theory... Suppose she was feeding her son in the car, then got into an argument with someone. The driver pulls over and tells her to get out. She begins grabbing some items, and before she can get her son, the car takes off. So... She begins to walk towards where she thinks they will have her son. She is hit by a car (either the one she was in, or a stranger) and they simply leave her to die. Again, with head trauma, she may have wandered around confused before ending up where she was found.

Such a frustrating situation. Definitely a tragic story. :(
 
Friendly reminder:

This thread is for Laura's unsolved murder and should only be about Laura's unsolved murder. Please stay on topic.

If there are any custody or visitation violations or issues regarding Laura's child those must be taken directly to the appropriate authorities and handled through the family court system. This discussion thread is not for family court matters, nor is Websleuths equiped to handle family custody and/or visitation issues. Some posts related to the family court issues which were off topic to Laura's case have been removed. Those I left, I did so as they seemed to pertain to the case and case discussion itself.

Also, anyone who knows a main player in the case, such as Laura or the victims family and wishes to post as an 'insider' to the case must be verified by Tricia Griffith the owner of Websleuths. We do this to protect the integrity of the case and discussion.

Tricia can be emailed at tgrif@xmission.com . She will need a your real name, your WS user name, your telephone number and a good time to reach you (no one but Tricia will have this info),. If anyone wishes to post as an insider please email Tricia so you can be a verified poster.


Thank you,
Cubby
 
@ Cubby - I have emailed Tricia. I wasn't aware of the 'insider' thing or I would have emailed her before.

Just quickly: I do believe that the trauma on Laura was consistent with blunt force not being hit with a car nor falling. I think that's what it says in the newspaper/cold case archives.
 
bumping for Laura...

kyliec, I've checked on your verification... please make sure Tricia has both your websleuths user name and your real name with the info you sent her...

if you don't hear from Tricia within a day or two please send me a private message.

thanks,

Cubby
 
Bumping for Laura...

Hoping that new evidence comes to light and an arrest can be made.
 
Bumping for Laura. This is a strange case, the suggestion of her feeding the baby in the car is the only one that makes any sense but leads to a billion other questions.
 
hayaletcatcher said:
Bumping for Laura. This is a strange case, the suggestion of her feeding the baby in the car is the only one that makes any sense but leads to a billion other questions.
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Make that a Billion and one. One of the strangest cases I've ever read about. I found it on the Iowa Cold Case website as well. I do know the Cold Case squad in Iowa was stopped due to lack of money. But this case cries out for some sort of resolution. I'm sure the police have their POI and a new round of questions from LE may get them the break they need. Godspeed Laura.
 
=kyliec;5659656]:truce: I'm sorry if my comments upset you - I was trying to provide a different view - the one I grew up with.

I did say that I was young at the time - but that is what I remember hearing - whether it is true I can't say. Plus obviously people close to either Donny or Leanne would have different polarized views of the events/situations.

It just seems strange that all these allegations were made - obviously the Judge believed them. I know that people on either side of a custody battle lie and exaggerate still... without basis surely a court would not rule in Leanne's favor.

Do you know why Donny's family failed to answer LE questions or take polygraphs?

The case is so strange - Sam left naked at the house (either because Laura had to leave him or because he was brought back from somewhere), evidence that Laura had been moved after being struck in some way, finding Laura's bag up in a tree etc.

Are the police involved in looking for Sam? If Donny has a legal right they should be involved. I actually do know exactly how it can be with one parent/guardian taking a child and trying to disappear - my uncle has tried to do this with my cousins. My aunt has had to travel OS to get them back.

I hope that the case is solved soon as well.[/QUOTE]
 
people know what happened sometimes people talk to save themselves how the rest of you guys sleeping
azure said:
Are you hoping this will happen, or are you privy to rumors that the case is going somewhere?
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SunnieRN said:
This story has so many twists and turns! Laura's Mom got temporary, then permanent custody of Laura's son, then they both disappeared. I wonder what happend to make her leave?

snip:

In December 1996, a judge awarded temporary custody of Laura Van Wyhe's and Donald Knight's son to Van Wyhe's mother, Leanne Thomas of Iowa City, and in January 1997 she was awarded permanent custody with weekly visitation rights granted to Knight.

When Samson was three years old, Leanne Thomas abruptly left the state with him. Birthday cards and gifts, Christmas presents and other items Knight sent his son were soon returned with the postmark "Return to Sender."


I also can't believe that Laura left her 'brother in laws' house without shoes, her purse or her son, but was carrying baby food on a paper plate?

snip:

Clemonds said that when Van Wyhe was found, she had several items with her including baby food on a paper plate, a baby bottle and a blanket, and that the number of items suggested she'd had to leave in a hurry. Her purse and the diaper bag, however, had been left behind in Bonaparte.

A cocklebur branch was found lying next to Van Wyhe's body, and cockleburs were stuck to her body. Clemonds said there was a cocklebur bush in the cornfield across the highway from where she was found, indicating a struggle may have occurred there. The Bergmans lived about one-tenth of a mile east and two-tenths of a mile north of the cornfield. One footprint found in the cornfield matched Van Wyhe's shoes, though she was not wearing any shoes when found.

In a Cedar Rapids Gazette interview, Clemonds detailed "suspicious" and bizarre elements surrounding Van Wyhe's death, including his theory that she was in the process of fleeing; that she was found barefoot carrying baby items, with cockleburs stuck to her body; and that her tote bag was discovered in a nearby tree.


Also, when LE went to the house, the baby was found naked?


This is totally strange! I wonder what in the heck the families story was, or if her babies daddys Mom, Rep. Reynolds-Knight, interceded and prevented their questioning?
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The fam circled the wagons. They didn't talk. Crooked aholes
 
That this case is odd is obvious. I wonder why Laura would have gone willingly with the Bergmans if there was tension with Donald. I wonder if this was pre planned. Is Donald's mom still alive, is she still working in the government? What about the Bergmans? Are they still married? If Leanne left the state with Samson, she most likely had legit reason and I strongly believe Donald's family left no stone unturned in trying to track Samson and Leanne down. And the fact that they have not, says quite a bit. Of course now, Samson is an adult. I wonder what he knows about his mom's death?
 
This is an incredibly sad case. If not the 'paternal side,' who could have hurt Laura and known to take young Samson back to that house and relieve him of his (most likely bloody or soiled) clothing?
 
This is truly a mystery. So much makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I'm completely intrigued by what could habe happened and the family dynamics. I wonder if the request to come for a visit could have been a ruse to get Laura yo a place near a family whom would be an easy target to frame for murdering <modsnip> if Sam's father worked for Laura's mother, why would she employ an abusive drug addict to live and work for her? Hmm, interesting!

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Laura was murdered. The person (s) responsible should be brought to justice. Laura was& still is loved. She was a daughter, mother, and friend who deserves so much more than being found in the state she was. Stories change, but people and the truth don't. May justice come soon.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk
 
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