An Iowa Cold Case Has Finally Been Solved After Almost 40 Years

37 years after the disappearance of Barbara Lenz, her family finally has some answers about what happened to her. This week, an Iowa man was convicted of second-degree murder in the 1989 cold case.

The Case

According to the Iowa Cold Case website, 31-year-old Barbara Lealyn Lenz of Woodbine, Iowa was reported missing by her family back in May of 1989. Her mother, who was in the hospital with pneumonia at the time, became concerned after Barbara had stopped coming to visit her, something she had been doing every day. After two days of no visits, her mom sent relatives to Barbara's home to check on her. The website reads:

"Inside the home, they found Lenz’s coffee pot half-full and still switched to the “on” position, a pile of half-folded laundry, and Lenz’s keys and her purse. It appeared she’d been interrupted in the middle of folding her laundry and taken from the home against her will."

Barbara was reported missing by her family on May 6th of 1989, with their last contact with her being May 3rd. The last person to see her alive was her boyfriend, 25-year-old Robert Allen Davis, who told police that he had dropped her off at her apartment on May 6th. It was reported that Barbara was supposed to visit John Crews, the father of her 3-year-old daughter Lindsy, in Omaha that afternoon, but had never made it there. She has never been seen again, and her body has never been located.

The Resolution

In March of 2025, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird held a press conference to inform the public that an arrest had been made in regards to Barbara's 1989 disappearance. With the help of the Iowa Cold Case Unit, 61-year-old Robert Davis (now 62) was arrested in Council Bluffs, Iowa and charged with first-degree murder.

It was revealed on March 31st of 2026 that Robert Davis has now officially been convicted of second-degree murder. His trial began on March 24th, and the jury took less than four hours to determine the verdict. KCCI reports:

"A criminal complaint said Davis had assaulted Lenz several times during their two-year relationship, including multiple incidents where he strangled her. The documents show Davis admitted in 1989 to assaulting Lenz and having a violent temper and, days before her disappearance, Lenz told others she was scared of him and feared he would 'kill her if she ever left.'"

Barbara's daughter Lindsy Baumgart and Lindsy's father John Crews were both in court to hear the verdict this week, and expressed great relief that the case had been solved after 37 years. Robert's sentencing is set for May 22nd, 2026.

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