October 4, 1978. Lyon County, Iowa. The decomposed body of a murdered young woman is discovered in a ditch next to a rural road, but since she carries no identification, she remains a Jane Doe for the next 27 years. The victim is eventually identified as 23-year old Wilma June Nissen, who originally hailed from California and lived a transient lifestyle prior to her death. Investigators discover that Wilma was involved with an escort service and two women she worked with may have been responsible for her death, but there...
October 4, 1978. Lyon County, Iowa. The decomposed body of a murdered young woman is discovered in a ditch next to a rural road, but since she carries no identification, she remains a Jane Doe for the next 27 years. The victim is eventually identified as 23-year old Wilma June Nissen, who originally hailed from California and lived a transient lifestyle prior to her death. Investigators discover that Wilma was involved with an escort service and two women she worked with may have been responsible for her death, but there is not enough evidence to charge anyone with the crime. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, at the personal request of her daughter, we will be exploring the tragic life of Wilma June Nissen and attempting to seek justice for her unsolved murder.
If you have any information about this case, please contact the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office at (712) 472-8300 or their anonymous tip hotline at (712) 472-8334. The case number is 78-06487.
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Additional Reading:
https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/wilma-june-nissen/
https://www.nwestiowa.com/news/new-lead-for-lyon-county-cold-case/article_31e9c062-1961-11e6-a014-53443c67e206.html
https://kiwaradio.com/local-news/suspect-photo-released-in-1978-murder-case/
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2016/05/14/gone-cold-wilma-nissen-killed-1978/84379226/
https://www.dglobe.com/news/1363563-motions-filed-cold-case-perjury-charges
https://www.dglobe.com/news/1343416-foster-parents-sheriff-pay-respects-wilma-nissen
https://qconline.com/news/iowa/jane-doe-for-27-years-wilma-june-nissen-has-name-funeral/article_e9f7b862-0ef0-5147-8479-6c5d35d1c9c0.html
https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/local-news/search-for-clues-in-the-murder-of-a-siouxland-prostitute-almost-40-years-ago-is-heating-up-again/
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The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.
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