In April 1984, a quiet rural area of Wapello County became the center of a disturbing murder investigation after two women were found dead near Eldon.
The first victim, Sarah Link, was found beaten to death. Just days later, investigators discovered the body of Tina Lade in a nearby ravine.
The two killings quickly raised questions for investigators, particularly because another murder had occurred just across the county line in Davis County. The victim was Justin Hook Jr., and authorities began looking at the possibility that the three deaths could be connected.
The investigation brought a major law enforcement response to the area. Eight agents from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation were sent to Wapello County to assist local authorities. Investigators followed hundreds of leads as they worked to determine what happened to the three victims and whether one person could be responsible.
Despite the number of investigators and leads generated during the investigation, no one was ultimately charged in connection with the deaths.
More than four decades later, the murders of Sarah Link, Tina Lade and Justin Hook Jr. remain a dark chapter in the history of southeast Iowa. The case is a reminder of the difficult and often frustrating work investigators faced in the years before today’s technology and forensic tools were available.
For the families of the victims, however, the passage of time does not erase the questions left behind. Three lives were taken in 1984, and the circumstances surrounding their deaths remain unresolved.
