(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa State University criminologist is the author of a new book that examines more than 100 cold cases that were resolved using D-N-A evidence. Matt DeLisi says he collected information on the cold cases as part of his overall work and then decided to zero in on them.”One of the things I noticed over the years as I gathered more and more of these cases is that they really started to review a lot of what criminologist know about serious criminal offenders in terms of their behavioral tendencies and characteristics,” he says. DeLisi says it breaks down the individual issues with each case.

“I believe there’s about 120 of them in the book. And each chapter profiles a specific feature or scientific feature about serious criminal offenders,” DeLisi says. “And so it’s a book that’s sort of brings together the worlds of academic criminology or cold case criminology, and what the D-N-A evidence and the testing of it can reveal about the perpetrators.” DeLisi says one of the subjects that is mentioned for the book is Richard Cottington. who was convicted of multiple murders and was known as the “Torso Killer.” Cottington’s case was featured in a series on Netflix as prosecutors used what’s called “clearing a case by exceptional means” to get him to reveal more of his victims.

“They just simply have the offender provide the information and effectively acknowledge responsibility for it without receiving any additional legal punishment. And the value of this is it allows the justice system to resolve unsolved cases and that can be very meaningful and important to the family to give them some legal closure,” he says.

DeLisi’s book is available through Innovativelink Publishers in Dubuque or through Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites.

(Radio Iowa) – One county in northeast Iowa reports a large increase in tuberculosis cases, a boost well above state and national averages. According to the Black Hawk County Public Health Department, the number of T-B cases roughly tripled in the past three years. Kaitlin Emrich, the county’s public health director, says the increase stems in part from native Pacific Islanders living in the county who didn’t have access to preventative care in their home countries. Black Hawk County is averaging about 12 T-B cases per 100-thousand people, while the national average is about two-point-five cases per 100-thousand, and the rest of the state averages almost two cases. The county averaged about four cases in 2021.

(Radio Iowa)- A University of Iowa men’s basketball student manager agrees to a plea deal in a sports gambling case, that involved betting on his own team. Evan Schuster was originally charged with tampering with records involving sports betting. That included betting on his own team. But according to a court filing, Schuster plead down the original charge to gambling under the age of 21. That’s the difference between a serious misdemeanor and and a simple misdemeanor. The charges originated from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s probe into sports wagering at two state universities, which found that Schuster placed nine bets on the Iowa team using his father’s name. Schuster will pay a fine of 645 dollar fine.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Red Oak was arrested Monday night on drug charges, following a traffic stop in Red Oak. Authorities say 34-year-old Cesar Miguel Ruiz Velasco-Cruz was arrested at around 7:25-p.m. at Broadway Street and 3rd Avenue, on charges that include: Possession of Methamphetamine with the intent to deliver – a Class B Felony; Poss. of Marijuana/1st offense – a Serious Misdemeanor; Person ineligible to carry a dangerous weapon – a Serious Misdemeanor, and Keeping a vehicle or premises for Controlled Substances, an Aggravated Misdemeanor.

Velasco-Cruz was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail. Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies were assisted by Red Oak Police in handling the incident.

ZEARING, Iowa — Four people, including one teenager, have been arrested following an extensive investigation into the abuse of a family member. The Story County Sheriff’s Office said 44-year-old Gary Graham, 42-year-old Danielle Graham, 20-year-old Aaron Williams and 16-year-old Kaitlynn Williams, all of Zearing, are charged with first-degree kidnapping and willful injury.  First-degree kidnapping is a Class A felony, while willful injury is a Class C felony. The four defendants are being held in the custody of the Story County Jail.

According to the sheriff’s office, an investigation was launched after an adult man was admitted to an area hospital in January with severe and life-threatening injuries and signs of malnutrition — he weighed only 70 pounds.

Story County S/O photos

The investigation found the man suffered several injuries caused by abuse, including a brain bleed, fractured ribs and other wounds in several stages of weighing. The Story County Sheriff’s Office alleges that all family members in the victim’s household knew about and participated in the abuse.

The family is accused of handcuffing the victim’s wrists and ankles to his bed while physically abusing him. Investigators believe the alleged abuse escalated in early November 2023.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Senate has voted to give school officials the option of bypassing Area Education Agencies and providing services to students with disabilities by hiring private contractors or district staff. Senator Lynn Evans of Aurelia, a retired superintendent, is among the 28 Republicans in the senate who voted for the bill.

“The AEAs need to earn the business of school districts through increased transparency, accountability and quality of services…That’s local control,” Evans said. “Who knows your children better than the people sitting at your local school board’s table?” Iowa is the only state where state and federal funds for special education services, like speech therapy, are sent directly to Area Education Agencies. Evans says schools have never seen a bill of sale for what they’re getting from the A-E-As.

“The goal is to get the best return on investment for the most efficient delivery of special ed service for kids who need them,” Evans said. Governor Reynolds has called for similar changes. Evans says putting the Iowa Department of Education in charge and giving schools control over 90 percent of the state and federal funds set aside for special education will force A-E-As to show how much each service costs.

“The people who are on the ground, working for the AEAs, they do God’s work and they’re great people. Their hearts are in the right places,” Evans said. “but they’re hampered and their handcuffed by a system that has been in need of reform for many years.” Six Republicans joined all the Democrats in the Senate in opposing the bill. Senator Janet Petersen, a Democrat from Des Moines, says Republicans who back the bill are following the governor over a cliff.

“Iowans have seen this drill before and we know it will hurt our kids,” Petersen said. “This is another attempt to privatize our prized public education system.” Senator Molly Donahue, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, has been a special education teacher for 33 years. She says the bill will destabilize the A-E-A system. “Teachers, parents and children, particularly in our rural areas, who are on edge because of the services they may no longer have available to them,” Donahue said. Senate Democratic Leader Pam Jochum of Dubuque spoke emotionally of her late daughter, Sarah, who had an intellectual disability and received A-E-A services.

“Rural Iowa, they’re the ones that are going to pay the biggest price for this,” Jochum said. “The AEAs economy or scale and safety net is going to be gone.”

House Republicans passed their own plan at the end of February that calls for a study of the A-E-A system and maintains A-E-A services for students with disabilities for at least a couple of years.Governor Reynolds issued a written statement thanking the Senate for acknowledging the A-E-A system needs reform. She pledged to work with G-O-P leaders in the House and Senate to find a compromise plan.