IA IA - Patricia Veach, 8, Des Moines, 10 July 1969

[Snick1946]

One of the best regional cold case websites that I know of is the Iowa Cold Cases file. As I had a slight connection to the victim's family in this long-ago murder, I am posting a link to the writeup and especially noting the last personal comment:

http://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/patricia-veach/

I posted the first reply as 'Martin'. I was wondering what advice you'd give the last poster? I would suggest despite all the years, she contact local LE and be sure the original referral was even made or acted upon.

Pathetic that her aunt was so weak; but then if married to a molester, it fits.

 

[Han-Tastic]

Wow! I hope she came forward! Such a sad story, it would be great for her family to at least have an idea of what happened.

 

[Richard]

Case Summary

On Thursday morning, July 10, 1969, 8-year-old Patricia Ann Veach was found dead in her bedroom at her Des Moines home. She had been sexually molested and strangled in her bed.

Patricia’s father said he went to check on her about 7:25 a.m. after discovering the home’s front door screen slashed near the latch.William Veach said he found his daughter lying on her back, uncovered and clad only in her pajama top, and that there was blood on her body and on the bed. ...


... Patricia lived with her parents, William and Etta Veach, and her brother, Billy, at 805 S.W. Lally Street on Des Moines’ south side.

The Veaches told police they’d gone to bed around 2 a.m. and that their daughter was all right at that time. They said they’d heard no unusual noises in the house, and that their dog — who was kept in the basement overnight — had not barked.

The Veaches said their son had spent the night with a relative.

Police canvassed the neighborhood in search of persons who might have seen someone or heard something near the Veach’s home.

In an Associated Press article dated July 14, 1969, Police Detective Capt. Cleatus Leaming said his men had questioned more than 500 persons by Sunday and that there were seven detectives and two identification officers assigned to the case.

Leaming also stated that neither he nor his department had any clues regarding the identity of Patricia's killer.

Three days later on Thursday, July 17, 1969, an AP brief in the Waterloo Daily Courier announced lie detector tests would be given soon to suspects in the case....

More information and photo at link below.

LINK:


http://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/patricia-veach/

 

[scriptgirl]

Lot of predatory males in that family. I am confused about this adopted son, Paul Veach. Did Roy adopt the kid on his own? THat dad sounds REALL Y suspicious

 

[BRONXGRLBLAZIN]

I believe this was an inside job. The family dog was purposely put in the basement that night, noone heard any unusual noises. Is there any evidence of prolonged sexual abuse?

 

[bri.rae.pal]

I was scouring Iowa Cold Cases and was really struck by the murder of Rose Grandanette. I googled her husband, Bernard, and his obit popped up...it said that he had spent the last 28 years of his life with his companion, Etta Veach. Etta is Patricia's mother. I'm not necessarily implying anything bc I can't find a reason the murders would be connected but...isn't that odd?

 

[Richard]

Interesting potential link, but a rather remote one. Did Bernard know Etta in 1969, and if so what would have been his motivation to kill her 8 year old daughter?

LINKS:

On the Front Porch: Murder of Rose Grandanette 1958 - Iowa Unsolved Murders: Historic Cases

Rose Marie Grandanette | Iowa Cold Cases

 

[Betty P]

Reading the Iowa Cold Cases link above, Patricia's case summary states that in 2011, her brother was notified by the state that the DNA tests from evidence showed no one in the family was linked to her murder.

On Tuesday, March 8, 2011, Billy said he received word the family had waited decades to hear; the State Crime Lab had resubmitted evidence to check for familial DNA. According to Sgt. Steve Woody, Billy said, they were “able to definitively exclude my dad, his brothers and myself from any suspicion.”

Such a shame that Patricia's family were forced to live under a cloud of suspicion for so many years. Perhaps LE can submit the DNA profile from the killer to some familial DNA databases.

The Des Moines Register news story from the following day stated that Patricia's bedroom was at the front of the house, adjacent to the front door. Her parents room was farther back in the house. Sadly, anyone who had been stalking her would have seen the easy access to her bedroom. The ME estimated her time of death as between 3 and 4 am. Sure sounds like someone was watching the house.

11 Jul 1969, 1 - The Des Moines Register at Newspapers.com

They stayed up late that night because the Mr. Veach's sister was in town visiting from the Bahamas. They didn't usually stay up that late, but wanted to visit with her. A neighbor also reported a window peeper a few nights before the murder. Another night, his wife had told him she heard someone rattling the front door knob.

 

[callieghkat]

@othram This sounds like a case that could really use your help!