A brutal double homicide inside an eastern Iowa hotel room during a morticians’ convention remains one of the state’s most haunting unsolved murder cases more than four decades later.
On September 12, 1980, 22-year-old nursing student Rose Z. Burkert and 32-year-old telephone company employee Roger E. Atkison, both of St. Joseph, Missouri, checked into Room 260 at the Amana Holiday Inn near Williamsburg, Iowa. The pair had traveled roughly 265 miles from home for what investigators described as a secret romantic getaway.
According to historical accounts of the investigation, the motel was filled with attendees of a morticians’ convention that weekend, leaving Burkert and Atkison with the final available room. Staff later reported nothing unusual during the evening, though the couple reportedly received several phone calls and had room service delivered.
The following day, after the couple failed to check out, a housekeeper entered the room and discovered a gruesome crime scene. Investigators said both victims had been struck repeatedly with an ax, roofing hatchet, or similar sharp-bladed weapon. Authorities described the attack as “overkill,” noting Atkison suffered defensive wounds while attempting to protect himself.
Evidence suggested the killer may have known the victims. Authorities found no signs of forced entry or a major struggle inside the room. Two chairs had been positioned near the bed, leading investigators to believe a conversation may have taken place before the killings.
Investigators also uncovered several bizarre details inside the bathroom. Blood was reportedly found in the sink, toothpaste had been splattered around the tub, and soap shavings littered the floor after someone carved a bar of motel soap. Authorities said a message had been written on the mirror and mostly wiped away, leaving behind only the word “this.”
Over the years, numerous theories and suspects emerged in the case, including jealous lovers, acquaintances of the victims, and even convicted killers who were in the region at the time. Despite decades of speculation and investigation, no one has ever been charged in the murders.
The case continues to stand as one of Iowa’s most notorious unsolved killings, remembered not only for the disturbing crime scene but also for the lingering mystery surrounding who killed Rose Burkert and Roger Atkison inside the crowded hotel that September night in 1980.
