Traci Ann Evenson was 22 years old when her life was violently cut short inside her Cedar Rapids apartment in June 1997. Nearly three decades later, her death remains unsolved.
Evenson was found dead on the morning of Sunday, June 22, 1997, at her second-floor apartment at 438 ½ Ninth Avenue SW. She had lived at the residence for only about a month. Her landlords, John and Eileen Balducki, lived in the apartment below her.
Evenson had last been seen alive the previous evening after leaving her job at APAC TeleServices, where she worked as a telemarketer. She also worked at the Collins Road NE Hy-Vee deli and attended Kirkwood Community College.
An autopsy determined Evenson had suffered severe injuries to her face and died from suffocation. Investigators placed the approximate time of death at about 9:30 p.m. on June 21.
Cedar Rapids police collected a large amount of evidence from the apartment, including clothing, bedding, photographs, keys, a kitchen knife, telephone equipment, fingerprints, hairs and biological samples. Investigators also examined Evenson’s vehicle, which was parked nearby.
Police believed Evenson likely knew her killer and had allowed the person into her apartment. Investigators said there was no evidence indicating a sexual assault and initially described the killing as appearing to be an act of rage.
Evenson’s family, however, had their own suspicions. Her mother believed a stranger or stalker could have followed Traci home from work.
In October 1997, a $16,500 reward was offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Evenson’s killer. The reward included $11,000 from her family, $5,500 from APAC TeleServices and $500 from a family friend.
Despite the reward, investigators received very few tips.
A Suspect Who Would Never Face Trial
One of the most significant developments came years later when investigators identified Evenson’s brother-in-law, Anthony Jackson, as a suspect.
Jackson was married to Traci’s sister, Jodi, who provided his alibi for the night of the murder. Investigators became suspicious of Jackson because of his history of violence, his behavior at the crime scene and the fact that he quickly obtained legal representation when questioned.
Detectives later theorized that Jackson may have killed Evenson after she rejected sexual advances or because she knew about problems in his marriage. Investigators also considered the possibility that the crime scene had been staged to make the killing appear to have been committed by a stranger.
But Jackson would never stand trial.
Five months after Traci’s murder, on November 27, 1997, Jackson, his wife Jodi and their two young children were killed in a vehicle crash while traveling to Waterloo.
In 2000, investigators obtained tissue and fluid samples from Jackson’s remains and conducted DNA testing. The testing established that Jackson had raped a relative’s girlfriend the year before Traci’s death, but the DNA did not connect him to Evenson’s murder.
With Jackson dead, investigators could not determine whether he was responsible for Traci’s killing.
Remembering Traci
Evenson was born January 20, 1975, in Ramsey, Minnesota. She graduated from Washington High School in Cedar Rapids in 1994 and later took computer classes at Kirkwood Community College.
Family and friends remembered her as quiet, hardworking and well-liked. She worked two jobs while attending school and received excellent evaluations from her employers.
Following her death, a prayer service was held in Cedar Rapids before her funeral in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was buried at General Lutheran Cemetery, also known as German Lutheran Cemetery, in South St. Paul.
More than 29 years after Traci Evenson was killed, questions remain about what happened inside her apartment that June night.
Was her killer someone she knew? Was Anthony Jackson responsible, as investigators later suspected? Or did another person enter the apartment that night?
Those questions remain unanswered.
Source: Nancy Bowers, Iowa Unsolved Murders
