Authorities say a man once considered a possible lead in the decades-old killing of an Iowa college student is no longer believed to be connected to the crime, narrowing the focus of an investigation that has remained unsolved for more than 30 years.
Tammy Jo Zywicki, a 21-year-old student from Grinnell, Iowa, disappeared on August 23, 1992, while driving from Evanston, Illinois, back to school. Her car reportedly broke down along Interstate 80 near LaSalle, Illinois, and she was last seen waiting for assistance. Days later, on September 1, her body was discovered in Lawrence County, Missouri. Investigators determined she had been stabbed and sexually assaulted.
The case has long been handled jointly by the Illinois State Police and the FBI, with authorities pursuing numerous leads over the years. Recently, attention turned to Clark Perry Baldwin, an Iowa man charged in several killings from the early 1990s, raising hopes that a connection might finally bring answers.
However, officials now say Baldwin “does not appear to have been involved” in Zywicki’s death, effectively ruling him out as a suspect. While the update closes off one potential lead, investigators emphasize that the case remains active and that they are still committed to identifying whoever is responsible.
Zywicki’s killing has remained one of the region’s most haunting unsolved crimes, remembered both for its brutality and for the promise of a young life cut short. Authorities continue to urge anyone with information to come forward, stressing that even small details could help move the investigation closer to resolution.
