A decades-old disappearance in western Iowa has finally led to a conviction, bringing long-awaited answers to a family that spent nearly 37 years searching for justice.
Brenna Bird announced that Robert Davis of Council Bluffs has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Barbara Lenz, who vanished in 1989. The conviction marks a major milestone—it is the first case successfully closed by the state’s newly formed Cold Case Unit.
Lenz was last seen on May 6, 1989. At the time, Davis—her boyfriend—told authorities he had dropped her off at her apartment in Woodbine. When she didn’t resurface, her family reported her missing on May 17. Despite years of investigation, multiple leads, and repeated searches, she was never found…