
Arrest Made in 40-Year-Old Cold Case of Iowa Teen Terri McCauley
If you have ever been the victim of a crime, you may understand some of what this family has had to go through. The idea that the person who wronged you got away and is not subject to the laws of Iowa or the US is a hard pill to swallow. Sometimes, that's the way life is. Here, a little bit of justice shines through even after 40 years.
Who Was Arrested in the Terri McCauley Homicide?
Terri McCauley, an 18-year-old from the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, was tragically murdered in 1983. After 40 years of searching for answers, her family finally got a break. Thomas Duane Popp has been indicted for first-degree murder, thanks to a grand jury finding enough evidence to charge him. He was arrested in Washington state and is now awaiting trial.
What Happened to Terri McCauley?
According to The Cedar Rapids Gazette, Terri disappeared after a night out with friends in Sioux City, Iowa, and her body was later discovered shot to death in a wooded area. For years, the case went unsolved, but her family, along with local groups and movements like Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR), kept pushing to keep her story alive.

The fight for justice was kept alive by advocacy groups fighting for missing and murdered Indigenous people, an issue that has gained more attention in recent years.
Finally, after decades of uncertainty, there’s movement in Terri McCauley’s case. Her family is one step closer to seeing justice, and her story serves as a painful reminder of the ongoing violence against Indigenous women, with groups continuing to push for more awareness and action on this issue.
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