In the heart of Davenport, Iowa, the chilling murder of Clarence Raymond “Ray” Case remains a haunting mystery more than six decades after it occurred. On February 16, 1961, the 62-year-old World War I veteran was discovered bludgeoned to death inside Ray and Edith’s Travel Inn on W. Locust Avenue. The tavern, which he co-owned with his wife Edith, was a local fixture, and the news of his violent death sent shockwaves through the community.
Ray Case’s lifeless body was found by a customer named William Claussen, who arrived at the tavern around 10:30 a.m. that fateful morning. Upon entering, he was met with a horrific sight: Case sprawled on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood. The scene revealed a brutal attack, with the medical examiner later determining that Case suffered three skull fractures, likely inflicted by a weapon with a sharp edge. It appeared he had been struck from behind while seated at a table near the bar’s entrance.
The investigation that followed was extensive. Detectives scoured the scene for evidence, uncovering bloodstains in a nearby phone booth and even a ripped toilet seat that matched the injuries sustained by Case. Witnesses reported hearing strange noises coming from the tavern in the early morning hours, and a blood-stained pop bottle was found just a few blocks away. Despite the thorough efforts of law enforcement, including fingerprinting patrons and administering lie detector tests, no one was ever charged in connection with Case’s murder.
As the years passed, the case grew cold, but in 2009, it caught the attention of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation when they established a Cold Case Unit. Ray Case’s homicide was among the first cases listed, with hopes that advancements in DNA forensic technology might finally shed light on what happened that night. His daughter, Betty Case Gibbs, who has lived with the pain of her father’s unsolved murder for decades, reached out to the DCI with new information, including photos and articles about her father.
The emotional toll of the tragedy is evident in Betty’s unwavering hope for justice. She recalls the day she learned of her father’s death, a moment that shattered her family. After spending months grieving, she and her family moved to Arizona but eventually returned to their home in Davenport. Today, Betty remains determined to see her father’s case solved, advocating for the use of modern forensic techniques to finally bring a resolution to this cold case.
