Nearly 100 years after the fatal shooting of a railroad police officer in western Iowa, the murder of Special Officer Allan F. Shoemaker remains one of the state’s oldest unsolved homicide cases.
On the evening of May 17, 1925, Shoemaker was working as a special officer for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Police in the railroad yards at Missouri Valley. His job was to search freight cars for trespassers, thieves, and other troublemakers, a dangerous assignment during an era when many people traveled the rails illegally.
While inspecting a gondola railcar, Shoemaker discovered nine men hiding inside. As he shined his flashlight on the group and questioned them, one of the men pulled out a handgun and opened fire. Shoemaker was struck by the first shot and, as he fell toward the gunman, three more shots were fired.
The 36-year-old officer was rushed to the railroad office, where he died from his injuries a short time later.
The shooting sparked an intense investigation. Six of the men found in the railcar were arrested and taken to the Harrison County Jail in Logan for questioning. Authorities launched a widespread search for the gunman, with the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad sending two special detectives from Chicago to assist local investigators.
Despite months of investigation, detectives were never able to determine which man fired the fatal shots. In September 1925, a Harrison County grand jury returned a “John Doe” indictment against the unknown killer, but no suspect was ever formally identified or charged.
Born on September 28, 1888, in Elgin, Nebraska, Shoemaker served in the U.S. Army Hospital Branch during World War I, driving ambulances before beginning his career with the railroad police. He had worked as a special officer for approximately four years and had previously been employed in Omaha’s taxicab industry.
Shoemaker is remembered as one of Iowa’s law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. In 2010, his name was added to the Iowa Peace Officers Memorial, honoring his service and sacrifice.
Today, more than a century later, the identity of the man who killed Allan F. Shoemaker remains unknown, leaving the case among Iowa’s enduring unsolved murders.
Source: Nancy Bowers, Iowa Unsolved Murders: Historic Cases
