Nearly 51 years later, the murder of 43-year-old Billy Lee Clark remains an unsolved case in Wapello County.
Clark, an Ottumwa resident who had been living in the city for nearly 15 years, was shot in the back sometime on August 1, 1975. His body was discovered the following afternoon at about 2:23 p.m. in a rural pasture approximately seven miles west of Ottumwa on Route 4.
Investigators found Clark lying near his pickup truck on a farm owned by Martin Bergland. The pasture was about a half-mile from the nearest road, surrounded by wooded, rolling terrain.
An autopsy conducted in Des Moines determined Clark died from a shotgun blast to the back.
The investigation quickly became a major effort for local and state authorities. Wapello County Sheriff Bud Erwin later said more than 50 people had been interviewed, but no arrests were made.
Special Agent Wayne Sheston of the Iowa Bureau of Criminal Investigation assisted the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office. Additional BCI investigators, agents from surrounding territories and laboratory personnel also worked on the case.
In December 1975, Sheriff Erwin said investigators had conducted a thorough investigation but needed more evidence than the circumstantial information they had collected.
Several circumstances made the case especially difficult. The remote location meant there were few likely witnesses. The hot, dry weather left little usable evidence in the hard ground, and Clark’s body was not discovered until the day after the shooting.
Investigators also believed the killer had enough time to leave the area and potentially remove evidence.
The case was never officially closed. Authorities later indicated they believed the person responsible may have died sometime after the murder.
Clark was born August 9, 1931, in Iowa Falls. He had most recently worked at John Deere Ottumwa Works and was only days away from his 44th birthday when he was killed.
His funeral was held August 6, 1975, at Jay Funeral Home. Clark was buried at Shaul Cemetery in Ottumwa.
More than five decades after his death, questions remain about what happened to Billy Lee Clark and who was responsible for his murder.
Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office at 641-684-4350.
Source: Iowa Cold Cases
