Elizabeth Syperda, 22 years old, was last seen on July 16, 2000, at her apartment in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Almost immediately, her estranged husband, Michael Syperda, was suspected of having harmed her. The relationship between Elizabeth and Michael was extremely abusive, with Elizabeth having left him just a month before her disappearance.

With no sign of Elizabeth, the case went cold. However, seventeen years after her disappearance, Michael Syperda was charged with first-degree murder, despite Elizabeth's remains never being located.

In this episode, we discuss Elizabeth and Michael's relationship, his unrelenting abuse, and his eventual murder trial.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of Elizabeth Syperda, please contact Iowa’s newly established Cold Case Unit at 800-242-5100, or email coldcase@ag.iowa.gov.

If you are in an abusive relationship, there is help. Check out https://www.thehotline.org for resources.

The Danger Assessment Tool also can aid in identifying risk factors showing an abusive relationship potentially turning homicidal.

https://www.dangerassessment.org/DA.aspx

SOURCES:

• State of Iowa vs Michael Lee Syperda, No. 18-1471, December 18, 2019
• Family offers reward for missing woman, September 24, 2000, Globe Gazette
• Vigil for missing woman marks sad day, May 15, 2001, Globe Gazette
• Mount Pleasant woman missing more than year: estranged husband won’t cooperate with police, July 17, 2001, Globe Gazette
• Jeff Reinitz, Man charged with murder in case of missing Decorah teen, August 22, 2024, Globe Gazette
• Luke Nozicka, Man guilty of killing wife, whose body was never found, June 27, 2018, Iowa City Press Citizen
• Court places man on ‘intense supervision’, November 11, 2000, Quad City Times
• Colorado man charged with killing wife in Iowa in 2000, December 2, 2017, Quad City Times
• Man gets probation in wife-attack case, November 12, 2000, Des Moines Register
• Annual vigil held for missing woman, July 19, 2004, Des Moines Register
• Angela Ufheil, Man faces murder charge, December 2, 2017, Des Moines Register
• Iowa trial begins for woman’s disappearance 17 years ago, May 3, 2018, Des Moines Register
• Sentence, September 10, 2020, Des Moines Register
• Friends, family gather to recall missing woman, July 19, 2004, The Gazette
• Andy Hoffman, Colorado man arrested in cold-case killing, March 3, 2018, The Gazette
• https://www.amestrib.com/story/news/2020/09/08/convicted-murderer-michael-syperda-gets-reduced-sentence-after-appeal/5745914002/
• https://charleyproject.org/case/elizabeth-nicole-forshee-syperda
• Elizabeth Klinge, Eric Hanson, Cold Case Arrest, KCCI 8 News
• Michael Syperda Murder Trial Clips from The Hawk Eye YouTube

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In this episode, I had the opportunity to speak with Garrett B., a male victim of intimate partner violence. We have heard from victims of intimate partner violence before, but all of those were from a woman’s perspective. In this conversation, we talk about the barriers men face as victims of domestic violence, including not being believed, being laughed at, and not recognizing that they are being abused.

If you are in an abusive relationship, there is help. Check out https://www.thehotline.org for resources.

The Danger Assessment Tool can also aid in identifying risk factors showing an abusive relationship potentially turning homicidal.

https://www.dangerassessment.org/DA.aspx

Research and Resources on Domestic Violence:

https://www.thehotline.org/stakeholders/domestic-violence-statistics/

https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037/men0000222

https://socialwork.gmu.edu/resources-male-victims-domestic-violence

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In December of 1993, two senior citizens - Gladys Held and Jacob Biretz - were murdered within one day and three blocks of one another, and their cases remain unsolved to this day. Residents of Waterloo, Iowa in the 1990’s were frustrated with what they perceived to be rising rates of violent crime, and specifically crimes targeting seniors. Who murdered these two elderly Waterloo residents? Did the perpetrator go on to kill again?

SOURCES:

• Ann Langel, Nancy Raffensperger, Waterloo woman’s death investigated as a homicide, The Courier, December 10, 1993
• Tim Jamison, Larry Ballard, Ann Langel, 87-year-old man found dead in apartment, The Courier, December 12, 1993
• Heather Clark, It’s official: Waterloo breaks record for most homicides, The Courier, December 12, 1993
• Metro Deaths: Gladys D. Held, The Courier, December 12, 1993
• Ann Langel, Man died of suffocation, report says, The Courier, December 14, 1993
• Jennifer Jacobs, Police, guards give Walnut Court residents secure feeling, The Courier, December 26, 1993
• Ann Langel, Death certificate shows elderly murder victim was strangled, The Courier, December 31, 1993
• Waterloo investigating deaths of man, woman, The Daily Nonpareil, December 11, 1993
• Autopsy on elderly man shows suffocation, The Daily Nonpareil, December 14, 1993
• Colleen Bradford, Man found dead in Waterloo, The Des Moines Register, December 11, 1993
• Debora Wiley, Victims lived, died in different ways, The Des Moines Register, December 12, 1993
• Suspicious death probed, The Gazette, December 10, 1993
• 2nd body found in 2 days, The Gazette, December 11, 1993
• Murder victim suffocated, The Gazette, December 14, 1993
• Waterloo trying to bash image as crime-infested, The Gazette, December 16, 1993
• Police probe woman’s death, The Muscatine Journal, December 11, 1993
• Nancy Raffensperger, Crime: The eight people who were murdered in Waterloo in 1993, The Courier, January 2, 1994
• Ann Langel, Son offers $1000 reward for information on woman’s death, The Courier, January 7, 1994
• Heather Clark, Waterloo crime figures indicate decrease in ’93, The Courier, January 21, 1994
• Jeff Kart, It’s the not knowing: Two murders, one day apart. Still unsolved, the families are having to live with grief and frustration, The Courier, December 11, 1994
• Suzanne Behnke, Elderly targets of recent crimes, The Courier, January 1, 1998
• Jeff Reinitz, The murders of 1993: Death taking its toll, The Courier, December 19, 1999
• Luke Jenneti, Unsolved killings might be related, The Courier, August 14, 2005
• Jeff Reinitz, In 1993, retirees were killed in homes, blocks apart, The Courier, July 29, 2015
• Erin Schulte, Waterloo man, 83, was slain, police say, The Des Moines Register, November 14, 1997
• https://cvcrimestop.com/unsolved-case/gladys-dorothy-held/
• https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/jacob-biretz/
• https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/gladys-held/

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In this episode, I chat with Julia Cowley, a former FBI Profiler and forensic scientist with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the host of The Consult podcast. We talk about her path to working for the FBI and how she then became a Profiler with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). We talk about analyzing criminal behavior, victimology, and crime prevention.

Julia’s podcast The Consult is one of the best in the "true crime" genre. Julia and her colleagues, all former FBI Profilers, discuss criminal behavior in depth, reviewing cases they worked on during their time at the BAU and other lesser-known cases. You can check out their podcast at the link below!

https://www.truecrimeconsult.com/

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On May 26, 1998, Patricia Jauron, a middle school secretary beloved by her community, was found brutally murdered outside of her old home in Sioux City, Iowa. Patricia had reportedly gone to her old home to meet someone interested in purchasing an old bed, that person, and the red car seen near her home, were never located.

Decades later, this murder remains unsolved. Was this a random act of violence, or was the killer someone closer to home?

SOURCES:

• Michele Linck, Police investigate woman’s death, The Sioux City Journal, May 27, 1998
• Maggie O’Brien, Woman found dead at rural home; investigators suspect homicide, The Des Moines Register, May 27, 1998
• Maggie O’Brien, Woman stabbed multiple times, autopsy shows, The Des Moines Register, May 28, 1998
• Michele Linck, Car sought in probe of murder, The Sioux City Journal, May 28, 1998
• Michele Linck, Investigation continues into woman’s slaying, The Sioux City Journal, May 29, 1998
• Patricia A. Jauron Obituary, The Sioux City Journal, May 29, 1998
• Followup: Sioux City slaying, The Des Moines Register, June 7, 1998
• Michele Linck, Reward offered for information in woman’s death, The Sioux City Journal, June 5, 1998
• Murder probe awaits test results, The Sioux City Journal, June 13, 1998
• Lynn Zerschiing, Red car may hold key to Jauron murder, The Sioux City Journal, July 30, 1998
• Followup: Authorities stymied, The Des Moines Register, August 2, 1998
• Jason Clayworth, FBI help sought in identifying killer, The Des Moines Register, November 7, 1998
• Michael Koehler, Murder case analyzed to get profile of killer, The Sioux City Journal, November 7, 1998
• Jim Jenkins, Authorities will review unsolved homicide, The Sioux City Journal, June 20, 2002
• https://www.facebook.com/iowacoldcases/posts/17-years-ago-today-pat-jauron-45-was-viciously-stabbed-to-death-at-her-former-ru/914092618613919/
• Melissa Lanzourakis, Interview with Gene Jauron, KTIV News Channel 4, 2005
• https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/patricia-jauron/
• https://database.projectcoldcase.org/?name=&city=&state=Iowa&year=

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In this episode, I talk with Brett Talley from The Prosecutors Podcast. Brett knew early on that he wanted to be a lawyer. After graduating from Harvard Law School, he decided against the “standard” law firm track and went into public service as a prosecutor in 2018. We talk about sexual assault conviction rates and rehabilitation programs, and I get his perspective on decriminalization and “crisis response teams”.

We also touch on ethics in "true-crime" and how social media has changed how high-profile cases are covered and portrayed.

I hope you enjoy this episode, and check out The Prosecutors Podcast at the link below!

https://prosecutorspodcast.com/

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/from-lovable-serial-kille_b_1024230

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Send us an email with your questions, feedback, and topics/case suggestions to cardinalcrimes@gmail.com.

In this episode I sit down with Janine Latus, an award-winning journalist, domestic violence survivor, and author of the New York Times and Internationally bestselling book If I am Missing or Dead: a Sister’s Story of Love, Murder, and Liberation.

In April 2002, Janine received a call that her younger sister, Amy, was missing. Janine’s response was, “That bastard killed her.” Amy had been murdered. Janine’s book is phenomenal, tragic, eye-opening, and relatable. It is a beautifully written account of a woman who escaped years of domestic violence and abuse by men and her sister who did not.

Janine and I have a really meaningful conversation about body image and self-worth, the subtle “red-flags” in abusive relationships, and the importance of sharing our stories. We talk about the difficult balance of wanting to help the people you love in abusive relationships, but not wanting to push too hard. You can purchase Janine’s book below, which I highly recommend!

If you are in or believe you may be in an abusive relationship, help is available. You can visit thehotline.org, call 1.800.799.SAFE (7233), or text “START” to 88788.

Buy Janine’s book: https://www.janinelatus.com/writer/book/buy-book/

Information on the Duluth Power and Control Wheel: https://www.thehotline.org/identify-abuse/power-and-control/

The Danger Assessment: https://www.dangerassessment.org/

Support the show

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The best way to support the podcast is to follow/like/subscribe, share with friends and family, and write us a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Send us an email with your questions, feedback, and topics/case suggestions to cardinalcrimes@gmail.com.

In this episode, we dive into the tragic murder of Mary Bernice Lange, a mother of three and respected clerk with the Burlington, Iowa Municipal Court. We review the timeline of her last known movements, discuss the evidence in the case, and discuss her relationships.

Despite investigators at the time indicating they had a clear suspect who could be arrested at any time, Mary’s murder remains unsolved to this day.

If you have any information on the unsolved murder of Mary Bernice Lange please contact Iowa’s new Cold Case Unit at coldcase@ag.iowa.gov or by calling 800-242-5100.

Sources:

• Dave Collogan, Find body of murder victim, The Burlington Hawk Eye, 12/20/1970.
• Death notices, The Burlington Hawk Eye, 12/12/1970
• Dave Collogan, Victim of slaying laid to rest here, The Hawk Eye, 12/22/1970
• Dave Collogan, No sign of major break in slaying investigation, The Burlington Hawk Eye, 12/23/1970
• Mrs. Lange drowned, The Burlington Hawk Eye, 12/24/1970
• Try to fill gap in Mrs. Lange’s acts, The Burlington Hawk Eye, 12/27/24
• Judge would disqualify himself in Lange case, The Burlington Hawk Eye, 12/28/1970
• Don Henry, Investigators probe Lange divorce record, The Burlington Hawk Eye,12/29/1970
• Dorothy de Souza Guedes, Revisiting the Past: Cases Unsolved, The Burlington Hawk Eye, 07/25/2004
• Dorothy de Souza Guedes, Only information can reopen cases, The Burlington Hawk Eye, 07/27/2004
• Bob Wilson, In Lange case: Another suspect cleared, The Burlington Hawk-Eye, 01/13/1971
• Dave Collogan, Lange death still a mystery, The Burlington Hawk-Eye, 02/17/1971
• Nick Lamberto, Unsolved Iowa killings: friends ‘still feel scars’, Des Moines Sunday Register, 11/8/1974
• Find missing woman’s body, The Des Moines Register, 12/20/1970
• Nick Lamberto, Victim knew her slayer, The Des Moines Register, 12/29/1970

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The best way to support the podcast is to follow/like/subscribe, share with friends and family, and write us a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Send us an email with your questions, feedback, and topics/case suggestions to cardinalcrimes@gmail.com.