A remote cabin near the small community of Agency became the scene of a mysterious homicide during the winter of 1983, a case that still remains unsolved decades later.
Melvin Royale “Mez” Adams was found murdered at the isolated cabin in rural Wapello County. Due to the remote location and limited investigative resources at the time, the case received little public attention and few details were ever widely released. Over the years, no major breakthroughs or suspects have emerged, leaving the homicide as one of the county’s enduring cold cases.
Adams was born on February 8, 1928, in Norwich, Vermont, to Nellie Franceine Ackerson and Leon Henry Adams. He grew up alongside his three siblings: Raymond Ross Adams, Victor Adams, and Evelyn Mamie Adams.
During World War II, Adams served in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Friends and acquaintances later described him as intelligent, kindhearted, and personable. Those who knew “Mez” often remembered his strong Vermont accent and said he was considered quite handsome in his younger years.
Adams was married to Betty Mae Pentzer Shoemaker. The couple did not have children together, although Betty had two children from a previous marriage. At the time of Adams’ death, the two were no longer living together. Betty later passed away in 1988.
People close to Adams also acknowledged that he struggled with alcohol use, something they said often made maintaining relationships difficult and may have played a role in the circumstances surrounding his death.
Today, Melvin Royale Adams is buried in an unmarked grave at Ottumwa Cemetery.
