More than 60 years later, the murder of Francis John Rafferty remains one of Dubuque’s enduring unsolved homicide cases.
On the night of February 8, 1964, 58-year-old Francis John Rafferty was found dead inside the downtown Dubuque home he shared with his sister, Gretta. She had returned home from work shortly after midnight and discovered the horrifying scene.
Investigators found Rafferty bound with telephone wire that had been torn from the wall. His hands, feet, and legs were tied, while electrical tape had been placed over his mouth. An autopsy later determined he died of asphyxiation, not because the tape completely blocked his airway, but after choking on regurgitated food while unable to free himself. Authorities estimated he died around 10 p.m.
The investigation was led by Dubuque Police Captain Byrne O’Brien, Detectives Gus Ferkers and William Johanningmeier, with assistance from the Iowa Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Although detectives questioned numerous people, no arrests were ever made.
Robbery quickly became the leading motive. Rafferty had been known to keep a large amount of cash hidden in his home, but after a burglary several months earlier, he reportedly moved the money to a local bank. Investigators were unable to determine whether anything had actually been stolen because the house was already in disarray.
Evidence collected from the scene, including the tape and telephone wire, was sent to the FBI Laboratory in Washington, D.C., for forensic testing. The results of those examinations were never publicly released, leaving investigators with few answers.
Born on December 22, 1905, in Dubuque, Francis John Rafferty spent much of his life working as a millworker for the Carr, Adams and Collier Company, one of the world’s largest woodworking manufacturers at the time. He never married and shared his home with his sister after the rest of their family had either passed away or moved away.
Rafferty was laid to rest at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Dubuque, but the person responsible for his death has never been identified.
Today, the bound-and-gagged murder of Francis John Rafferty remains an unsolved mystery, serving as a reminder that some of Iowa’s oldest cold cases are still waiting for answers.
Source: Nancy Bowers, Iowa Unsolved Murders: Historic Cases.
