(KIWA Staff Photo)Iowa (RI) — A cold case involving the death of an eastern Iowa man more than 50 years ago has taken a major step forward after authorities say they’ve identified the victim.
In 1988, an Iowa Department of Transportation employee discovered skeletal remains near Correctionville along Highway 20. Foul play was not suspected, the cause of death was ruled undetermined, and the case eventually went cold.
Woodbury County Sheriff’s Department Captain Don Armstrong reopened the investigation in early 2025.
Working with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, investigators used modern DNA technology to trace relatives of the victim. Earlier this year, they located a niece in Texas, helping positively identify the remains as Clarence Ames of Dubuque.
Authorities believe Ames was more than 60 years old when he died.
Despite the identification, investigators still do not know how Ames ended up in Woodbury County or exactly how he died.
A funeral for Ames was held Tuesday in Dubuque. Before the service, Armstrong, who is now retired, accompanied family members to the site where the remains were found.
Anyone with information about Clarence Ames or who knew him in the late 1960s to early 1970s is asked to contact the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office at 712-279-6010.
