Wilma June Nissen Murdered in Rock Rapids Iowa

The tragic and haunting murder of Wilma June Nissen remains one of Iowa’s most perplexing cold cases. Found in a rural ditch near Rock Rapids, Iowa, in 1978, her case went unsolved for decades. Authorities struggled to identify her, and it wasn’t until 2006 that Wilma was given her name back—nearly 30 years after her brutal murder.

The circumstances surrounding Wilma’s death, the mysterious figures involved, and the lack of conclusive evidence have frustrated investigators and devastated her family. Despite having DNA evidence, key suspects, and eyewitness testimonies, Wilma’s killer or killers have never been brought to justice.

This article delves into the life of Wilma June Nissen, the events leading up to her tragic murder, the investigation, and the enduring mystery that continues to haunt her daughter and law enforcement.

The Early Life of Wilma June Nissen

Wilma June Nissen was born on October 19, 1954, in San Francisco, California. Her childhood was filled with neglect, instability, and abuse, which ultimately shaped the course of her life.

At the age of eight, she and her younger sister, Mona, were abandoned by their mother and taken from their father due to severe abuse. This led to them being placed in separate foster homes, further fracturing their already difficult lives.

Wilma’s upbringing was marred by severe neglect. She had little to no education, and when she was first placed in foster care, she was unable to read, write, or even use a fork. At the age of 10, social workers found that Wilma had been locked in a closet for long periods, completely cut off from the outside world.

Wilma bounced between multiple foster homes throughout her adolescence, struggling to find stability. However, one foster family in Anaheim, California, gave her a brief sense of normalcy. Maxine and Marshall Holt took her in when she was 10 years old and described her as a happy and eager child who loved to learn.

Despite their best efforts, the Holts could not care for Wilma long-term due to health issues, and she was moved to another foster family. Her final foster placement was with Alice and Vince Hos, a couple in Seal Beach, California, who had cared for over 200 foster children.

However, just as she was beginning to adjust to life with the Hos family, Wilma suddenly disappeared on her 18th birthday in 1972.

Wilma’s Adult Life and Struggles

After leaving her foster family, Wilma’s life took a troubled path. She became involved in sex work, moved frequently, and struggled with stability.

In August 1973, she married 25-year-old Donald Eugene Wellington in Hollywood, California. Their marriage did not last long, but during this time, Wilma was arrested multiple times for solicitation.

Between 1973 and 1975, Wilma was arrested on several occasions for sex work-related offenses. Despite being married, her life was marked by instability, poverty, and dangerous circumstances.

By 1977, Wilma had given birth to three children—two sons and one daughter. However, all of them were placed into foster care, repeating the cycle she had experienced in her own childhood.

Wilma’s final child, Chrystal Joy Irvin (nicknamed Chrissy), was born in August 1977 in Long Beach, California. Unable to care for her, Wilma left her with Alice and Vince Hos—the same foster parents who had once cared for her.

After leaving her daughter behind, Wilma moved to San Diego and lived in a camper for a short time. She later traveled across the country to Atlanta, Georgia, where she lived with 54-year-old Charles Inman Belt and his mother.

According to Belt, Wilma left his home without explanation after two weeks, and he never saw her again.

Investigators later traced her movements and found that she had ended up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where she worked at an escort service called Play Girls (or Playmates).

From there, Wilma’s final movements remain unknown.

The Discovery of Wilma’s Body

On the morning of October 4, 1978, a 19-year-old telephone worker named Steve Hong was laying cable near Highway 182 in Rock Rapids, Iowa, when he made a gruesome discovery—a decomposed body lying in a roadside ditch.

Initially, Hong believed the remains belonged to a mannequin, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was a real human body.

Authorities arrived at the scene and noted several disturbing details:

• The victim was a young woman wearing light green denim pants, bikini-style underwear, and knee-high white leather boots.
• Her pants and underwear were pulled down around one leg.
• Her feet had been tied together with a rope.
• She had no top on, and her lower jaw was missing.
• The majority of her teeth had been smashed out, leaving only two remaining teeth in her skull.

Due to the state of decomposition, authorities could not immediately determine her cause of death, and without identification, she was classified as a Jane Doe.

She was buried in Riverview Cemetery in Rock Rapids under the name “Unidentified Female – 1978.”

The Search for Wilma’s Identity

For 27 years, investigators tried to identify the Rock Rapids Jane Doe, but all leads led to dead ends.

Finally, in 2006, a fingerprint analysis breakthrough changed everything. A technician found a match between the Jane Doe’s left thumbprint and an arrest record from 1973 in Los Angeles.

The victim was Wilma June Nissen.

Her daughter, Chrissy, had spent years searching for her mother. When she learned the truth, she was shocked and devastated.

Wilma was only 23 years old at the time of her death.

The Investigation and Suspects

The case remains unsolved, but authorities believe Wilma’s murder was connected to her escort work.

In 2009, authorities arrested 82-year-old John Van Gamera for perjury after he lied about transporting escorts to sex parties in Lyon County, Iowa.

In 2016, police named a suspect known as “Sugar.”

• Sugar was a fellow escort who was known to rob other escorts.
• Authorities believe Sugar and another escort, “Peaches,” may have killed Wilma.
• Peaches, a Black woman with a lighter complexion from Canada, has never been located.

Despite having DNA evidence from multiple individuals, no arrests have been made.

The Fight for Justice

Wilma’s daughter, Chrissy, continues to push for answers. She has urged authorities to use genetic genealogy, a technique that has helped solve numerous cold cases.

Unfortunately, Wilma’s case has been removed from the Lyon County Sheriff’s website, leading many to believe that law enforcement has deprioritized the case.

However, with advancements in forensic DNA analysis, there is still hope that justice will be served.