More than 160 years later, the identity of a man murdered in central Iowa remains uncertain, leaving behind a mystery that may never be fully solved.
In late April 1866, a group of emigrants was traveling through Beaver Township in Polk County, near the small community of Apple Grove. The area, located about three miles south of what is now Mitchellville, was a stopping point for travelers heading west.
According to research by Nancy Bowers, two groups of emigrants were camped near Camp Creek when a heated argument broke out between two men. The disagreement was described as a violent “knock-down argument.”
On May 4, 1866, a man searching for a stray horse discovered a body near the creek. Investigators found drag marks extending roughly 50 yards and defensive wounds on the victim’s wrists. A double-bitted axe was found nearby, and the victim had been robbed of his money and identification.
The unidentified man became known as “Apple Grove John Doe.”
He was believed to be between 35 and 40 years old, about 5 feet 8 inches tall and solidly built. He was wearing well-made clothing, including a velvet-collared coat, a plush vest, boots and a Union Army cavalry overcoat.
That overcoat provided investigators with what may have been the most important clue.
Written inside was the name “S.D. Cooper.”
Research into military and census records led to a possible identification: Stephen D. Cooper, a stone mason and Union Army veteran from Illinois who served with the 5th Illinois Cavalry during the Civil War.
Cooper’s age, height, hair color and physical build appeared to match the description of the unidentified victim. His military service also made the cavalry overcoat a potentially significant connection.
But there is a major problem.
Records indicate Cooper’s wife later identified herself as his widow, and another historical account states that Stephen D. Cooper died in Illinois in 1875. If that date is accurate, Cooper could not have been the man murdered near Apple Grove in 1866.
That leaves the identity of Apple Grove John Doe unresolved.
An inquest determined the man had likely been dead for seven to 10 days and concluded he had been killed by axe blows “by some person unknown.” He was buried near Camp Creek without a known name.
More than a century and a half later, questions remain. Who was the man? Where was he going? Who was traveling with him? And what happened during the argument that may have preceded his death?
The answers may have disappeared with the people who knew him.
Today, the grave of the unidentified traveler is believed to remain somewhere near the former community of Apple Grove — a reminder of a 160-year-old murder that may forever remain unsolved.
Source: Nancy Bowers, Death Going West: Murder of Apple Grove John Doe 1866, published June 2012, via Iowa Unsolved Murders
