The Iowa Murders: A Shocking True Crime Story

by Rod Kackley

Someone you know or even love is the person who will kill you. Usually, that’s true.But that is not what happened in 2018 to two college students in Iowa.

Two young women who had everything to live for, were killed by two men with nothing to lose. Completely random attacks. Neither case had anything else in common except they both shocked the nation and even the world.

What’s worse, being murdered by a loved one or a stranger who jumps out of the bushes when you are most vulnerable?

Previously published as We’ll Find You and Let’s Do Murder, The Iowa Murders tells the shocking true crime stories of the senseless deaths of Mollie Tibbetts and Celia Barquin Arozamena.

When Mollie Tibbetts disappeared on July 18, 2018, her mother, Laura Calderwood, promised she would never quit searching.

For five weeks in the summer of 2018, she searched, and the whole world watched Brooklyn, Iowa because this was more than a murder story — it also became one of the top political stories of 2018.

Then, just after her killer led police to Mollie’s body, hidden in a cornfield, news of another shocking, senseless homicide came from Iowa.

Celia Barquin Arozamena was ready to begin the next phase of her life, including a professional career and marriage.

Collin Richards only wanted a woman to rape and murder.

Celia had everything to live for, and Collin had nothing to lose.

They would come together one day in September 2018.

Only one would survive.

The Iowa Murders is the shocking true crime story of two communities and two families coming to grips with the worst crime imaginable, knowing that even if the killer’s put behind bars today, another could be waiting tomorrow.

The Iowa A Shocking True Crime Story is a heartbreaking, gripping, page-turning thriller that you won’t want to miss.

Genres: True Crime, Crime

134 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2021

About the author

I quit my job to write. That’s how much love writing. It’s also an indication of how utterly frustrated I was with my life as a middle manager in a national corporation. Mid-life crisis? No, I don’t think so. It’s more that I saw the finish line approaching more rapidly than I expected thirty years before.

What I am is what I write.

The characters in the St. Isidore Collection, the people who live in this town I have created in my mind, all contain some thread of me. Let’s be honest. I write what I know. And I know the frustration of listening to the millennials at work talk about their plans for the next thirty years, and suddenly realizing I don’t have thirty years left.

For Henry Branson, the protagonist in the short story, Revenge is Best Served Bloody, you’ll see that thread taken to its extreme.

Adam King, a central player in Wicked Revenge: Book 2 From the St.Isidore Collection is a middle-aged guy who quit his job to follow his dream and open a bookstore.

Bree, the protagonist in A Wicked Plan: Book 1 From the St. Isidore Collection is not a middle-aged woman. She’s a teenager. But Bree already feels the frustration that people more than twice her age experience. She feels like others are holding her back and Bree is willing to do whatever it takes to get them out of her way.

There are others in St. Isidore, who only want to love and be loved. They believe the fantasy and are willing whatever they have to do to make it come true.

Beth is the perfect example of that. She is a supporting player in A Wicked Plan, but a central character in Wicked Revenge. Beth loves Bree. She wants Bree. All Beth wants is for Bree to want and adore her. Then Beth finds out Bree is cheating on her with Melinda. What do you think Beth does?

What would you do?

And then there is Tim. Destined to become St. Isidore's most celebrated criminal, all he wants is to be loved. Does he have to kill all the women who reject him?

I see myself in all of my friends in St. Isidore. Well, maybe not Tim, but most of them. Hopefully, you will too.

Welcome to the St. Isidore Collection. It's more than a series of dark, realistic and sometimes supernatural, paranormal, noir fiction.

The St. Isidore Collection is a community. Want to be our neighbor?

Rod

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

I enjoyed reading about the facts of these cases - I was not as familiar with the Ames case with Celia, as I am with the Mollie Tibbett's case. I felt the book was rushed and covered the bare basics. There were also several text and grammatical errors, especially in the last two chapters - the author mixed up the prosecuting attorney and defense attorney when describing closing arguments on the Mollie Tibbett's murder case. I'm disappointed that the editor did not correct that.

[Lindsey Albright · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected something this short to be more essay style and frankly, I wish it had been. It was disjointed and there were times when it dragged because it seemed like we were circling back over and over to the issues that had more to do with how these murders were used by the public than the murders themselves. I also wish we could have had more information about who the victims were as people. There were tidbits but I wanted more because I felt like the most we learned about them is how the loss of them affected others than the people themselves.

The back cover does more for this book than the book does for itself as far as interest.

The issue of how the media and the public handles murder is an interesting one in itself, but that is not what I came into this book wanting to know more about. If that is the subject matter the author wanted to stress, I wish he lead with that.

[julia rood · Rating 1 out of 5]

So Tiresome

I had just finished another book by this man. He writes very well and I looked forward to reading this one. He made every effort to regurgitate his political views throughout that ones left wondering why he could not restrain his sarcasm and vitriol for the political party he despises. The book would have benefitted from sticking to the facts without seasoning it with his personal opinions.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book isn’t very long. It’s a sad moment in the world as I live in iowa and this was a huge thing and I live not far from where she was murdered.i didn’t like that the book was pretty much what we all knew and seemed to go by fast. I don’t like that they used her death as a way to force immigration laws. I think regardless even a white person can do this crime but a part of me doesn’t believe Christian did this and because another boy was missing and found not far from where she was I still think they are connected some how.

[Margaret Kounkel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing new

I was hoping to get more insight to Mollie Tibet's murder but was very disappointed. The information in the book is a repeat of the repetitive coverage in the media. A superficial rendering of a complex case.

[Vikki Erdmann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very well written

I remember this story on the news, when it first happened. It seems as though the writer simply repeated much of what was said at the time.
Awkward verbiage and choppy transitions made the flow of the two accounts difficult.

[Dona · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seems like it was written in a couple of hours. The two murders examined--and I use that word very loosely--are not related, other than occurring around the same time. Scant information and research was done about victims and perpetrators. A reader could find out more from wikipedia.

[Lisa Baker-Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading true crime. I was familiar with one of these cases, but not the second. I liked this and will read more true crime by this author.

Reads very much like a news story and does include biased opinions.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read

I love reading about true crimes. This book is another hard one to put down. The author keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time.

[Eileen Granfors · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author has a good and readable style, but the book is short of details in every category.

[Cathleen Ploessl · Rating 1 out of 5]

What's the Point?

Not well written nor captivating. I was disappointed. I'm also not sure why these 2 crimes were chosen. Political? Social? Just not sure what the point is.

[Nan Tuttle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Abrupt nothing ending

This was really not very well and could have used some serious editing. Very disappointing.It was like someone cherry picked daily newspaper articles.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being from Iowa, not much more than what was shown on the news, but interesting book anyway. The audible version is terrible with using AI narration.

[Dubistarmsn.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read, sad story

Author writes very well. Doesn’t let the story drone on and repeat itself.
Keeps it interesting and can’t put it down.

[Holly Zegalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short retelling of these crimes. The virtual voice leaves something to be desired.