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E272: Wilma June Nissen
1.7k Plays2 days ago
She was tiny, fierce, and fighting for survival from the moment she was born. On October 4, 1978, Wilma June Nissen’s body was discovered along a quiet country road in Lyon County, Iowa. For decades, no one knew her name—only that someone had brutally taken her life. Today, we explore the haunting questions: Who wanted Wilma gone? What really happened at the parties she attended that summer? And why, all these years later, has no one been held accountable?
If you know anything, please contact the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office at (712) 472-8326 or amy.stoner@lyoncountyia.com, call the main office at (712) 472-8300, or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.
To connect with Wilma’s daughter, Krissi Haas, visit Justice4WilmaJuneNissen.com or email justiceforwilma@aol.com. You can also sign and share her Change.org petition to strengthen transparency for families of cold case victims.
If you are interested in bonus content for our show or in getting some Coffee and Cases swag, please consider joining Patreon. There are various levels to fit your needs, all of which can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/coffeeandcases
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Transcript
Daily Struggles and Battles
00:00:00
Speaker
This week, I found myself thinking about the many daily fights we have that take their toll on us. We fight for time and for recognition.
00:00:11
Speaker
We fight for our beliefs. We fight against injustice. And sometimes we fight just to survive. In those contexts, more often than not, the word implies a struggle against overwhelming odds, a battle for something we desperately need but seems just out of grasp.
00:00:31
Speaker
It's funny how that works. Something we're so sure of, held tightly, we're confident in can slip into a grip so fragile that we don't know if we'll ever reach it again.
Wilma June Nissen's Life and Struggles
00:00:43
Speaker
in our case this week, the same could be said for a life. A young woman born into a world seemingly designed to break her fought every single day.
00:00:55
Speaker
She fought for warmth, for food, for safety, and for love. She tasted moments of it, fleeting and precious, only to have it ripped away.
00:01:06
Speaker
Her life was a relentless struggle. While tragic, her life was also a brutal testament to the human spirit's capacity for endurance. In our case this week, even in death, her fight continues through the relentless efforts of a daughter that she never truly knew.
00:01:26
Speaker
This is the story of Wilma June Nissen.
Introducing 'Coffee and Cases' Podcast
00:02:06
Speaker
Welcome to Coffee and Cases, where we like our coffee hot and our cases cold. My name is Allison Williams. And my name is Maggie Dameron. We will be telling stories each week in the hopes that someone out there with any information concerning the cases will take those tips to law enforcement so justice and closure can be brought to these families.
00:02:25
Speaker
With each case, we encourage you to continue in the conversation on our Facebook page, Coffee in Cases Podcast, because as we all know, conversation helps to keep the missing person in the public consciousness, helping keep their memories alive.
00:02:38
Speaker
So sit back, sip your coffee, and listen to what's brewing this week. To start our show this week, I wanted to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of you, our amazing listeners, our sleuth hounds, who continue to support us even when our own lives get overwhelming by reaching out to us or just simply by tuning in for each new episode.
00:03:04
Speaker
Your encouragement fuels our passion. And i just wanted to take a moment because you deserve our thanks. And speaking of thanks, I also want to share a very special thank you to Chrissy Haas, Wilma Nissen's daughter, whom I interviewed for this episode.
00:03:22
Speaker
She helped me to gain so much valuable information about her mother's case that she has painstakingly gathered. Chrissy, thank you so much for entrusting me with your mother's story.
00:03:37
Speaker
Your courage and unwavering determination to seek justice for Wilma's case, despite the profound challenges and setbacks you faced, is truly inspiring. It is an honor to help share your mom's story and to support your mission for answers.
00:03:54
Speaker
Now, let's get into this week's episode.
Wilma's Childhood and Abandonment
00:03:58
Speaker
Wilma June Nissen was born on October 19, 1954 in San Francisco, California to parents Charles and June Nissen.
00:04:08
Speaker
It honestly breaks my heart to have to tell you this, Sleuth Hounds, but from the very beginning, Wilma's life was about survival against unimaginable odds. Her mother, June, abandoned Wilma and her younger sister, Mona, when Wilma was only eight years old and Mona was seven.
00:04:29
Speaker
This is such a crucial time in a child's life, at the age of eight and in their development, socially, emotionally, and cognitively.
00:04:40
Speaker
i mean, you're really just beginning to assert independence and to understand how the world around you works. So think about the impact of your mother willingly leaving you at this age.
00:04:55
Speaker
What's more, Wilma's younger sister, Mona, had special needs. She was both deaf and mute. the girls were left in the neglectful care of their father, Charles.
00:05:08
Speaker
Their home was a place of fear and deprivation. Wilma and Mona were reportedly locked in a closet all day while their father went to work with no food, water, or access to a bathroom.
00:05:23
Speaker
He also did not allow the sisters to attend school, meaning that they didn't know how to read or write. This was their reality as young children.
00:05:35
Speaker
Then things went from bad to worse. Their father lost his job, and the family of three ended up living in a car in the Los Angeles County area.
00:05:47
Speaker
At this point, no longer able to lock the girls in a closet, their father would lock Mona, Wilma's younger sister, in the car's trunk while sending Wilma, just eight or nine years old, to roam the streets alone to find food.
00:06:02
Speaker
Imagine a little blonde girl, described as tiny to begin with, begging on the streets, desperate for survival. There were no typical birthday parties or school trips, no friends coming over, and no Christmases.
00:06:19
Speaker
Heck, Wilma never even learned how to eat with utensils. Lyon County Sheriff Blumendahl told Dolly Butts of the Sioux City Journal, quote, this girl, if it wasn't for bad luck, wouldn't have any luck.
00:06:36
Speaker
If Wilma was here today growing up as a child, you would feel sorry for her. You'd want to just pick her up and take her home, end quote. Chrissy, Wilma's daughter, shared with me in our interview that it was hard to imagine whether her mom, in those moments of begging for food, felt fear as the normal person would feel, or if this was just simply normal to her, to Wilma's way of life, roaming the streets since she'd never known stability nor comfort.
00:07:11
Speaker
I mean, Wilma and Mona were homeless before Wilma was 10 years old.
Temporary Stability with Holti Family
00:07:16
Speaker
Thankfully, in 1964, Child Protective Services finally stepped in and removed Wilma and Mona from their father's custody.
00:07:25
Speaker
And I feel like I have to say, father in quotation marks here. Unfortunately, despite all that Wilma and Mona had been through together up to this point, they When CPS stepped in the sisters were separated.
00:07:41
Speaker
Wilma, at 10 years old, went to her first foster family, Marshall and Maxine Holti in Anaheim, California. This family was truly amazing.
00:07:53
Speaker
They loved Wilma and treated her, along with two other foster children, like their own. Chrissy described Wilma at this point in her life as, quote, basically feral, end quote, when she first went to live with the Holtys, but she was a sweet kid who wanted to learn.
00:08:13
Speaker
The Holtys taught her how to read and write at a first grade level in less than two years. They taught her basic math and how to use a fork. Chrissy, in searching for information about her mom, learned from the Holtys about Wilma's first Christmas in her life when she was 10 years old.
00:08:35
Speaker
She finally felt a sense of belonging with the Holtys. Wilma also immediately bonded with the Holtys family dog as much as she did with the Holtys themselves.
00:08:47
Speaker
She even started calling Marshall Holtys dad. This was Wilma's first taste of stability and love in her life. I asked Chrissy if it eased any part of her mind to know that at least her mother felt, even though it was briefly, what love was.
00:09:10
Speaker
And here's what Chrissy told me. It's bittersweet because she had it and then lost it. And I get it. That is so hard that this taste of love, this glimpse of stability was tragically short-lived.
00:09:27
Speaker
In just under two years, CPS decided that the Holtys could no longer foster because Maxine developed severe rheumatoid arthritis.
00:09:38
Speaker
and they removed all the foster children from the Holti home. How different Wilma's story might be had she been able to remain in such a loving household.
Foster System and Chrissy's Search
00:09:50
Speaker
After this brief period of love, Wilma was shuffled around the Orange County foster system throughout the 1960s and 70s, basically until she was 18. She went through at least four different foster homes and two foster facilities.
00:10:06
Speaker
Her last foster home was with Alice and Vince Haas in Seal Beach, California. When Wilma was 18, she left their care. Chrissy's adopted parents, the Haas family, yes, the same Haas family who fostered Wilma, fostered and later adopted Wilma's daughter, Chrissy.
00:10:28
Speaker
They told Chrissy that after Wilma gave birth to her, Wilma went for a walk and never came back. Or at least that's what Chrissy believed happened when she was younger.
00:10:42
Speaker
But whenever Chrissy would ask the Haas family about her birth mom, whose name she didn't even know when she was younger, she was given no information about her. One thing I know as an educator, though, is that if you act like something can't be talked about or shouldn't be talked about, a preteen or teenager is going to do everything in their power to find out everything they can about that topic.
00:11:08
Speaker
And that's just what Chrissy did when she was a young girl. Chrissy was always curious about her biological mother, and when her adoptive parents refused to talk about her, Chrissy did the only thing left.
00:11:21
Speaker
She went snooping through some old paperwork in her adoptive parents' home to find out at least a name, Wilma Nissen, that was written on Chrissy's original birth certificate, and a photo of Wilma.
00:11:35
Speaker
Chrissy tried searching newspapers and wasn't able to find any information. In fact, Chrissy spent years searching for her mother, beginning at around 11 or 12 years old. Before the internet era, she even reached out to talk show hosts like Sally Jessie Raphael.
00:11:53
Speaker
Her hopes were simple yet profound. Here's Chrissy. My unrealistic fantasy is that we would meet and be friends and we'd sit talk and have coffee or something on a porch.
00:12:08
Speaker
And, you know, I figured she had a new life, a new family. I was never mad at her for not keeping me. Yeah. I just, I wanted to meet her. I wanted to get to know her.
00:12:21
Speaker
Chrissy was never angry about being given up. She simply wanted to know her mother. But again, All Chrissy really had was a name, nothing else.
00:12:34
Speaker
Years after beginning her search for her mom, Chrissy finally got news that changed everything. Chrissy's friend's mom, Starla Patterson, saw a newspaper clipping about a Jane Doe identification and broke the news to Chrissy.
00:12:50
Speaker
The Jane Doe had been identified as Wilma Nissen, Chrissy's biological mom. No wonder Chrissy hadn't been able for years to find contact information for Wilma or any recent news about her.
00:13:07
Speaker
Chrissy described her feelings at hearing the news that her mother had been found, yet was the victim of a violent crime, as a mix of shock and confusion with the emergence of a a billion new questions.
00:13:23
Speaker
Now, as an adult, Chrissy wonders whether the little that her foster parents told her about her mom, Wilma, was even true. They told Chrissy that Wilma walked away and they never heard from her again.
00:13:35
Speaker
But now, now that Chrissy knows who her mother is, she's She also knows that Wilma always came back to all of her previous foster families. She even stayed in touch with her first foster family, the Holtys, all the way up until the time that Wilma vanished.
00:13:54
Speaker
She must have kept in contact with the Haas family too, especially knowing that they later adopted her daughter, Chrissy. Perhaps it's this act of hiding the truth from Chrissy that prompted her to begin her fight to fill in all the missing pieces.
00:14:13
Speaker
Here's what Chrissy was able to piece together over the years. Chrissy's mother Wilma married young. Her first husband was Donald Eugene Wellington, whom she married in August 1973 in California.
00:14:28
Speaker
In yet another relationship, Wilma was not treated with the love and respect that every person deserves. Instead, Donald Wellington is believed to have acted more as a pimp than as a husband, having a record that included pandering, in other words, compelling a person to become a prostitute.
00:14:49
Speaker
Chrissy shared that her mom, Wilma, never knowing stability nor healthy relationships, was likely easily drawn into sex work, thinking that a wife does what her husband says, or that at least someone who loves her wouldn't possibly have her do something that could be dangerous for her.
00:15:09
Speaker
But shortly after her marriage to Wellington, Wilma's arrests for prostitution began. During this time, I don't know if Wilma and Wellington's marriage dissolved or whether Wilma was married but also in a relationship with another man, but in 1973, Wilma entered into a relationship with Michael Pizarro Pizarro in may nineteen seventy four wilma welcomed her first child
00:15:40
Speaker
a son named michael pizarro jr Then, seven months later, in December 1974, Wilma had another son, Donald Wellington Jr., clearly the son of Donald Wellington, which is why I'm not sure of their marital status.
00:16:00
Speaker
Not that it mattered to Wellington, since he was making her sleep with other men. And before you go telling me that it's not possible that she gave birth to Michael Pizarro Jr. in May and Donald Wellington Jr. in December of the same year, both boys were born prematurely at around seven months.
00:16:21
Speaker
Even with now having children of her own, Wilma wasn't able to create the family life that she had always dreamed of, especially given her living situation. So both children were eventually removed from Wilma's custody and placed into foster care.
Life, Marriage, and Loss of Custody
00:16:39
Speaker
Both were taken as infants by CPS. Chrissy has never met her half-brothers, and she doesn't know if they are even still alive. Eventually, Wilma would marry another man, Robert Irvin, with the pair giving birth to a baby girl named Crystal, Chrissy, Joy Irvin in 1977.
00:17:02
Speaker
Remember that the Haas family told Chrissy that Wilma walked out of their lives and away from Chrissy just after giving birth. But knowing the information I shared with you about Wilma losing both of her other children just after birth to CPS,
00:17:18
Speaker
It has made Chrissy wonder if that's the reason her mom may have left immediately following giving birth to her as well, with the belief that CPS would step in to take this child, Chrissy, just as they had the other two.
00:17:33
Speaker
Wilma's marriage to Irvin also did not last. In February 1978, Wilma left California with a much older man named Charles Inman Belt.
00:17:46
Speaker
They went to Atlanta, Georgia, staying with Belt's mother. But from everything Chrissy has been able to learn, Wilma only stayed in Atlanta for a couple of weeks, and then she was gone.
00:17:58
Speaker
Belt told investigators Wilma left when he wasn't there, and he thought she had hitched a ride back to Southern California. You see, Wilma didn't have a car, so disappearing at all would have required the assistance of someone else.
00:18:14
Speaker
Belt has been completely cleared by police and is not considered a suspect. But here's the detail that stands out.
Discovery of Wilma's Body
00:18:25
Speaker
Wilma didn't return to California.
00:18:28
Speaker
Chrissy 100% believes her mother met someone in the Atlanta area who convinced her to go with them because Wilma's last known whereabouts, where her murder took place, was in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area.
00:18:48
Speaker
Thousands of miles away. it is possible, even, that Wilma was trafficked to South Dakota. There were also rumors circulating that Wilma may have left California to begin with and gone to Atlanta because someone was trying to harm her.
00:19:07
Speaker
This too could possibly be a reason why she may not have returned there. Perhaps she sought a rural unknown location to hide. Or a third possibility, like Chrissy believes, is that Wilma met someone who made the possibility of a new life in Sioux Falls seem like a welcomed escape.
00:19:30
Speaker
In Sioux Falls, Wilma was working for an escort service called either Playgirls or Playmates. This service sent girls to the Sioux Falls and Northwest Iowa areas and even sent them to what we now believe were frequent sex parties in the area.
00:19:49
Speaker
Wilma may have believed a life in Sioux Falls was a new start, but instead, Wilma arrived in a place where she knew no one, where secrets festered, and where her fight for survival was about to meet its brutal end.
00:20:06
Speaker
On October 4, 1978, a telephone company employee, a 19-year-old named Steve Hassong, was laying cable along a county road in western Lyon County, Iowa.
00:20:20
Speaker
he stumbled upon a severely decomposed body in a ditch. The body was hidden by tall weeds and had likely been undiscovered for several months, with investigators estimating that this, for now, Jane Doe, had been murdered in the summer of 1978, just months after Wilma had traveled there.
00:20:44
Speaker
The body was found nude from the waist up. Around the ankle of her left leg were her pulled-down pants and her bikini-style underwear. She was still wearing her white calf-length go-go boots and a gold friendship ring on her right ring finger.
00:21:01
Speaker
The cause of death was extremely brutal, though law enforcement has not released specific details. Her body was so decomposed that her face was unrecognizable.
00:21:14
Speaker
Almost all of her top teeth were smashed out, and her lower jaw was completely missing and never found. Chrissy has been told by police that the jaw was not missing due to wildlife, but instead that it indicated a deliberate and violent act.
00:21:34
Speaker
The 1978 autopsy report noted a dislocated right elbow, which seemed to show she struggled with her killer, and a, quote, suggestion, and quote, of a dislocated cervical vertebrae, which could have occurred after death.
00:21:51
Speaker
There was also a skull injury, a depression above her right eye, but it's unclear if that wound was fatal. While law enforcement have not specifically stated the cause of death, they have stated that they believe that there was more than one perpetrator.
00:22:09
Speaker
A rope was tied between the ankles of the woman's go-go boots. This rope was not used to bind her, but to drag the woman's body face down into that ditch.
00:22:22
Speaker
Her position indicated that she was deceased when she was dragged. The fact that her pants and underwear were wrapped around her left leg indicated a sexual assault might have occurred before her death, during which the woman may have initially been willing, but the act had turned violent.
00:22:43
Speaker
Crime scene searches for her missing jaw, teeth, and other belongings yielded nothing, nor did the killer seem to leave behind much evidence. Sheriff Blumendahl told reporter Dolly Butts of the Sioux City Journal, quote, in every crime scene, something is taken and something is left behind.
00:23:03
Speaker
At this crime scene, everything left behind seems to be personal to Wilma, not personal to the killer, end quote. But police wouldn't know that it was personal to Wilma June Nissen for decades to come.
00:23:20
Speaker
For 27 years, Wilma June Nissen remained a Jane Doe. She was buried with a simple stone that read, Unidentified Female.
00:23:31
Speaker
Local residents took to calling her Our Girl, which gives me at least some peace because the use of that pronoun Our meant she finally belonged to a place.
00:23:42
Speaker
The locals also brought flowers to her grave.
00:23:56
Speaker
The reason it took so long to identify her was because early efforts to identify her were limited. Her fingerprints were only entered into local databases, yielding no matches. Remember, she had only been in Sioux Falls for a very short time.
00:24:13
Speaker
Law enforcement also tested for blood and semen on her clothing for information about the perpetrator or perpetrators, but none was identified. Then, in January 2006, remember that this crime happened in 1978, a lab technician ran the
Challenges with DNA Evidence
00:24:33
Speaker
Sioux City Jane Doe's prints nationwide, finally matching Wilma Nissen's left thumbprint to a 1975 prostitution arrest card from the Los Angeles Police Department.
00:24:49
Speaker
Recall that I told you Wilma had been arrested several times for prostitution, during her first marriage to Donald Wellington. This discovery solved the mystery of Jane Doe's identity.
00:25:00
Speaker
When her identity was finally published in the paper, that is how Chrissy's friend's mom had seen the story printed and hearing Chrissy provide her biological mother's name before, had made the connection and delivered the news to Chrissy that sadly, the mother she had dreamed of coming back to her couldn't fulfill that dream.
00:25:24
Speaker
A memorial service for Wilma was held in June 2006 in Rock Rapids, Iowa, attended by her former foster parents, the Holtys, and other community members.
00:25:36
Speaker
Now, Chrissy was on a new mission. to find her mother's killer. And it has been Chrissy who is now showing up each and every day for her mother.
00:25:48
Speaker
But this new mission has not been easy. The news that her mother had been murdered profoundly impacted Chrissy, who had been searching for her mother her whole life.
00:26:00
Speaker
Here's what Chrissy said of learning the news. This friend's mom comes over with a newspaper clip and goes, what's your mom's name? And I'm like, why? And she's like, what's your what's your mom's name? And I tell her and she's like, oh my God, I'm so sorry.
00:26:13
Speaker
And um it was my mom. They had a snippet in the newspaper that a Jane Doe was identified after 27 years from a fingerprint.
00:26:26
Speaker
Wow. How did that news affect you after you'd been looking for her for all these years? um i no and don't really have a good answer for that. um it it it there
00:26:43
Speaker
ah God, there were so many feelings. It answered a bunch of questions, but it brought up a billion more. And i think I was kind of in shock and don't remember a whole lot of what mean I know. what I know we called the Rock Rapids Sheriff's Department.
00:27:01
Speaker
and told them, hey, I think you've got my mom. So they had me go down to the police department and do a DNA test. And it came back that, yes, it was my mom.
00:27:14
Speaker
Sheriff Blumendahl, who worked on the case for several years, became deeply committed to Wilma's case. He felt like he knew Wilma through researching her life, something I imagine is true for many law enforcement officers.
00:27:27
Speaker
In September 2007, Blumendahl helped to lead the effort that resulted in Wilma's body being exhumed in hopes of collecting new DNA evidence. Unfortunately, during the exhumation process, they found that the coffin was filled with water.
00:27:45
Speaker
destroying, as you can imagine, much of the potential DNA evidence that the sheriff had hoped to find. Blumendahl described the site of the waterlogged coffin in a September 8, 2007 article for Sioux City Journal, noting, quote, DNA is just blown now, Blumendahl said after the coffin was opened.
00:28:05
Speaker
Seeing it, he said, was like getting punched in the gut. I was so disheartened, end quote. On a positive note, investigators were able to determine Wilma's cause of death during that exhumation, though, as I said before, they have never released that cause of death publicly, stating it's a detail only the killer would know.
00:28:28
Speaker
During the exhumation, they also sent water samples to be tested. I don't know what those samples could show, but I know that they were sent away. They also sent Wilma's preserved fingernails for testing, hoping for DNA under them, but found nothing there.
00:28:46
Speaker
Despite the condition of Wilma's remains, all was not lost. A private lab hired by the Lyon County Sheriff's Office was able to find and amplify DNA from Wilma's clothing and from the rope found on her ankles.
00:29:03
Speaker
This amplified DNA was a mixture of more than one person's DNA. However, the FBI's criminal DNA database, CODIS, currently does not accept amplified DNA, making it unhelpful for direct identification at this time.
00:29:22
Speaker
Chrissy explained that amplified DNA is a very tiny amount that can be sequenced to narrow a pool of suspects. It can help to rule people out, but cannot be used to identify the perpetrator without doubt.
00:29:37
Speaker
That's why Chrissy hopes more can be done.
Theories and Suspects
00:29:40
Speaker
She believes modern advancements could make it more effective, potentially even CODIS viable, especially with the work being done by expert scientists specializing in forensic genetic genealogy.
00:29:54
Speaker
like Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick of Identifiers International. She also co-founded the DNA Doe Project. However, Chrissy told me that all of her insistence that the DNA be sent to outside organizations equipped with testing amplified DNA has been met not just with silence, but with refusal.
00:30:16
Speaker
Until we get those answers, all we have are theories. So I'll share a few of those with you. you'll find that several of them are related to those known parties in Western Lyon County, the ones where escorts were called in during the summer of 1978.
00:30:35
Speaker
Residents in the area have historically been very defensive when questioned about these parties, but investigators still hope that someone will come forward who saw Wilma at those parties or even Wilma with one of the other escorts from Playgirls or Playmates.
00:30:51
Speaker
Someone who went by the name sugar, which leads us to theory number one, sugar and peaches. Law enforcement looking into Wilma's case after the discovery of her body have learned the names of other escorts who likely worked alongside Wilma in Sioux City, and officials now believe these other escorts may know something about Wilma's death, two women in particular.
00:31:20
Speaker
These two women went by the stage names Peaches and Sugar. They were both described as African-American women who would have been in their mid to late 20s in 1978.
00:31:33
Speaker
The problem is, even all these years separated from the crime, we don't even know if Peaches even exists, which is why i didn't mention her name initially.
00:31:45
Speaker
Sugar, on the other hand, law enforcement have been able to identify and to locate. While she denies any involvement in Wilma's death, Sugar has failed at least three polygraphs when questioned about Wilma's case.
00:32:03
Speaker
Sugar and Peaches were allegedly known for robbing other dancers, escorts, and clients. I bring this up because law enforcement have said that they believe robbery is the motive in Wilma's murder.
00:32:19
Speaker
Investigators strongly believe she was killed by people who wanted to steal money she had earned at a party. since Peaches and Sugar were known for robbing other escorts, would have likely known how much money Wilma had received that night, and because police believe that more than one person was involved in Wilma's murder, you can see why this is a viable theory.
00:32:43
Speaker
Additionally, shortly after Wilma's murder, Sugar reportedly fled to Canada, but later had to return to the United States after stabbing a person there. could she have been the one who violently attacked Wilma as well?
00:32:59
Speaker
I was curious about one thing, though, related to this theory when I spoke with k Chrissy because I remember the detail that Wilma wore a gold ring. If robbery were the motive, I wondered why something of value like a gold ring would have been left.
00:33:14
Speaker
But Chrissy quickly cleared that up for me. She confirmed that Wilma's ring was more like a friendship ring and was not real gold. In fact, Chrissy called it, quote, gumball machine gold, end quote.
00:33:26
Speaker
which explains why it wasn't taken, even if robbery was the motive. Theory number two, authorities also investigated a local man named John Van Gameron.
00:33:38
Speaker
Van Gameron's name emerged in the investigation into Wilma June Nissen's murder due to his proximity to where her body was found and his alleged involvement in illicit parties.
00:33:51
Speaker
He lived at the same address in Lyon County, Iowa in 1978, where Wilma's decomposed body was discovered in a ditch nearby. Law enforcement, particularly Chief Deputy Jerry Berkey, focused on parties in western Lyon County where escorts from Sioux Falls, including those working for Playgirls or Playmates, the service that Wilma worked for, were called.
00:34:16
Speaker
Chrissy herself mentioned that Van Gameren's name appears numerous times in connection with these parties. Given that investigators believe Wilma was likely murdered at one of these Lyon County parties before her body was dumped miles away, Van Gameren's role as a host of such gatherings made him a person of significant interest.
00:34:39
Speaker
Further solidifying his connection, Van Gameren was charged with six counts of perjury in August 2009 for allegedly lying to investigators on multiple occasions.
00:34:50
Speaker
These lies pertain to several material facts, including knowing a woman named Annette or Nett Jacobson, transporting strippers or prostitutes from Sioux Falls to his residence,
00:35:03
Speaker
having dancers or prostitutes at his home on more than two occasions, and even arranging strippers for a bachelor party. Notably, he was also accused of lying about having his wallet stolen while with a prostitute, perhaps even by sugar or peaches.
00:35:21
Speaker
These specific allegations suggested a deep involvement in the local escort scene, which aligned with Wilma's known activities. Even though none of the sources, nor Chrissy, know of any connection between Wilma and the Annette Jacobson that law enforcement continually asked Van Gameren about that is somehow related to this case.
00:35:45
Speaker
However, despite these strong connections and initial suspicions, John Van Gameren was ultimately ruled out as a suspect in Wilman Nissen's murder. His six perjury charges were dismissed in February 2010, with prosecutors citing, quote, substantial new information, end quote, in the investigation.
00:36:06
Speaker
While he had lied about his involvement with escorts and parties, his cooperation with law enforcement and the subsequent dismissal of charges indicates a shift away from him as a perpetrator in Wilma's homicide.
00:36:19
Speaker
Law enforcement have explicitly stated that Van Gameren is not a suspect any longer in Wilma's murder. Other potential suspects include the serial killer Robert Ben Rhodes.
00:36:32
Speaker
Theory number three. Robert Ben Rhodes, infamously known as the truck stop killer, was at one point considered a significant person of interest in Wilmanesson's murder investigation.
00:36:44
Speaker
This consideration stemmed from his reputation as a serial killer and his geographical presence. You see, in 1978, the same year Wilma Nissen was murdered, Rhodes was living in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
00:36:58
Speaker
This placed him in the immediate vicinity of where Wilma was working as an escort and dancer. Given that Wilma's body was discovered in a rural ditch in Lyon County and her violent death, it was a logical step for law enforcement to investigate a known serial offender operating in the area.
00:37:17
Speaker
Lyon County even secured federal funds specifically to investigate whether Rhodes was responsible for Wilma's death. However, despite the initial compelling connections, Robert Ben Rhodes was, quote, more or less ruled out, end quote, as a suspect in Wilma Nesson's murder.
00:37:36
Speaker
According to Detective Jerry Berkey, who interviewed Rhodes in an Illinois prison, Rhodes' pattern of what he called stealing hubcaps a reference he made to his violent crimes, had not yet begun until after Wilma's death.
00:37:52
Speaker
This crucial detail suggested that Wilma's murder did not fit within the established timeline of Rhodes' serial killing activities. Chrissy, Wilma's daughter, has also been informed that law enforcement, quote, really, really don't think it was him, end quote, indicating that the investigation, like with Van Gameren, ultimately shifted away from Rhodes after a thorough review of his known patterns and the specific circumstances of Wilma's death.
00:38:22
Speaker
Then there's theory number four. Other locals who may have attended those parties I previously mentioned, Chrissy shared with me in our interview some intriguing details about rumors and odd coincidences she's heard from a resident of the area, rumors which surfaced during her advocacy efforts to solve her mother's case.
00:38:45
Speaker
These coincidences involve a farmhand and hidden car seats pointing to a potential though unconfirmed connection to Wilma's murder.
00:38:56
Speaker
According to Chrissy's source, who was 10 years old at the time, his older brothers, then around 17 and 20, and a local farmhand went away for a weekend, ostensibly to a concert.
00:39:09
Speaker
This farmhand had a peculiar pattern of working for a few weeks, then going on a two-week bender before returning to work, almost like a schedule. When this group returned from this particular weekend trip, the farmhand, quote, immediately bailed town for years, end quote, according to k Chrissy's source.
00:39:30
Speaker
Even more strikingly, the two brothers who had gone with the farmhand exhibited significant changes after that weekend, which One developed a drinking problem.
00:39:41
Speaker
Both came back with crabs and their attitudes, according to Chrissy's source, quote, had completely changed, end quote. They never acted the same after that.
00:39:54
Speaker
But here's the detail Chrissy told me that stands out. Her source told her that his brothers took the seats out of their car and hid them in an unused hayloft in a barn.
00:40:07
Speaker
Chrissy found this detail particularly weird. Years later, in 2016, according to Chrissy, Detective Jerry Berkey and another deputy actually went and retrieved these hidden car seats.
00:40:21
Speaker
But despite this, Chrissy states she has, quote, never heard anything of it, end quote, since. And her source also received no updates. It could be the case that law enforcement is still waiting on DNA results or is running other tests on the items or even that they've ruled out any connection between Wilma and the seats.
00:40:43
Speaker
With no update, we don't know. However, it's this lack of follow-up on the seats and on other details, especially considering Wilma's remains are still held in an evidence locker, partly due to hopes for future DNA advancements, that is a point of frustration for Chrissy, who, she told me, has had her own Freedom of Information Act requests denied.
Chrissy's Quest for Justice
00:41:08
Speaker
It is Chrissy's belief, as she expressed in our interview, that the brothers, or at least one of them, may have seen something or were doing something, and that their younger brother, her source, only put these pieces together after seeing Chrissy's posts about her mother's case.
00:41:26
Speaker
An FBI profiler has also been hired at some point, but their conclusions have not been made public, at least not in any of the sources that I've seen. At one point, I do know there was a suspect list containing eight names, but it's also unclear if this list has been narrowed since then.
00:41:46
Speaker
Chrissy's advocacy efforts have revealed disheartening truths about the current state of her mother's cold case. She states that the case seems stalled and her disappointment mounted when she told me the Lyon County Sheriff's Department website no longer featured a reward nor tip line for Wilma and old links to information are now dead ends.
00:42:09
Speaker
Chrissy told me that she even offered to contact media outlets and update broken links herself, but has been refused. For their part, the Lyon County Sheriff's Department issued a written statement about Wilma Nissen's case recently on May 8th, 2025, writing, quote, "'Despite the passage of time, as this is an active, open investigation, there are many specific details which will not be released.'" Doing so could compromise the investigation and any potential prosecution.
00:42:41
Speaker
There is a twofold purpose for this update. The first is to communicate that the investigation is open, active, and ongoing. Our office has a significant caseload with current cases, but as much as we are able with the resources we have, we continue to investigate this case.
00:42:59
Speaker
This includes seeking assistance from other law enforcement agencies. Second, with the passing of time, those who may have been involved in or have knowledge of what happened to Ms. Nissen age as well.
00:43:13
Speaker
We urge those people to come forward and share any information they may have. It may hopefully have been weighing on the conscience of those involved or with knowledge of it for approximately 47 years." and quote Because the department has amplified DNA evidence and because they've shared in that written statement that they are willing to work with other agencies, Chrissy can't understand why it seems local law enforcement is resistant to sending Wilma's DNA to a private lab.
00:43:46
Speaker
such as Identifiers International, Othram, or Parabon, to gain more information in the case, especially since, according to Chrissy, there are offers on the table that would mean the testing would come at no cost to the department.
00:44:02
Speaker
But more than anything, Chrissy Haas simply wants her mother, Wilma June Nissen, to rest. Until there can be any level of closure, Chrissy finds strength and connection to her mother through many parallels in their lives.
00:44:19
Speaker
Both were described as tiny. Both are animal lovers. Wilma was known by the nickname Boots because she always wore them, and Chrissy shares this love, being a boot fiend herself.
00:44:30
Speaker
Both experienced early involvement with the foster system. Both possessed a wanderlust and spontaneity, leading them to new places without overthinking.
00:44:42
Speaker
Chrissy feels a profound need to protect her mother. Here's Chrissy. Protect her. I'm old enough to be her mom. I'm old enough to be her grandma, probably. Well, I don't know. Yeah. But, I mean, she never had anybody watch out for her.
00:44:59
Speaker
and i hope i hope you know And I hope that she and in a better place, because God knows this place was horrible for her. this was Her life was a living hell.
00:45:11
Speaker
One thing we know for sure is that Wilma June Nissen fought for her survival every day of her life. And in her tragic death, that fight continues through her daughter, Chrissy.
00:45:25
Speaker
Her story, though filled with pain, is also one about the enduring power of a daughter's love. Chrissy shared that her husband often asks what happens if her mother's case is solved or if it isn't.
00:45:40
Speaker
Chrissy's response, quote, I don't know. That hasn't happened yet. I can't answer that yet, end quote. This unanswered question hangs heavy, but it's the driving force behind Chrissy's unwavering determination to get answers.
00:45:58
Speaker
Chrissy urged the following. Sign the petition, go to the website. If you knew her, please contact me. I don't care how you knew her Maybe you saw something trivial and you didn't think it had anything to do with her death, but it might have.
00:46:13
Speaker
I don't care if you were at a sex party. I don't care if you met her as an escort or if you picked her hitchhiking. If you knew my mom in any capacity, I would love to talk to you.
00:46:25
Speaker
Here's how you can help bring justice for Wilma. First, if you have any information, you can contact the Lyon County Sheriff's Office directly through Deputy Detective Amy Stoner at 712-472-8326 or via email at amy.stoner, S-T-O-N-E-R, at lyoncountyia.com.
00:46:42
Speaker
or via email at amy a m y dot stoner s t o n e r at lion county i a dotcal You can also call the main office at 712-472-8300. Additionally, Crime Stoppers also offers an anonymous line at 800-222-TIPS.
00:47:01
Speaker
additionally crime stoppers also offers an anonymous tip line at eight hundred two two two tip Alternatively, you can contact Chrissy directly.
Call for Information and Listener Engagement
00:47:12
Speaker
If you knew Wilma or have any information for Chrissy, you can reach her through her website,
00:47:23
Speaker
Her email for the case is justiceforwilma at aol.com. Wilma's aliases were Wilma June Nissen, Amy, Boots, Wilma Wellington, amy Wellington,
00:47:38
Speaker
Wilma Irvin, Amy Irvin, Wilma Belt or Amy Belt. You can also support Chrissy's Change.org petition to mandate transparency between law enforcement and the families of cold case victims nationwide.
00:47:56
Speaker
And you can help spread awareness by sharing Wilma's case on social media and with anyone who will listen. All links and contact information can be found in the show notes for this episode.
00:48:10
Speaker
Chrissy's fight is far from over. She channels her mother's fierce spirit, knowing that every share, every question, every voice raised is a step closer to justice for Wilma June Nissen, a woman who, in death, finally has someone fighting for her.
00:48:34
Speaker
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00:48:53
Speaker
Please tell your friends about our podcast so more people can be reached to possibly help bring some closure to these families. Don't forget to rate our show and leave us a comment as well. We hope to hear from you soon. Stay together.
00:49:05
Speaker
Stay safe. We'll see you next week.