DES MOINES, IOWA (March 11, 2025) — Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has announced an arrest for the murder of Barbara Lenz, who disappeared in 1989. This is the first arrest made in a case that the Iowa Cold Case unit has helped investigate. AG Bird launched the statewide unit in July 2024.
Lenz was last seen on Saturday, May 6, 1989. Her boyfriend at the time, Robert Davis, reported dropping her off at her Woodbine, Iowa, apartment earlier that day. Lenz was supposed to visit her former boyfriend, and father of her three-year-old child, in Omaha, Nebraska, but she never arrived.
Her disappearance was reported to the Woodbine Police Department. Investigations at Lenz’s home suggested she had been taken against her will. Over the years, investigations pursued numerous leads and searches, but Lenz was never found. The Iowa Cold Case unit brought fresh eyes and a focused team to dig through information, meet with witnesses, and loosen up leads in Lenz’s case.
“This arrest is a milestone in securing justice for Barbara Lenz,” said AG Bird. “We are hoping to soon bring peace and answers to Barbara’s loved ones, who have waited 35 long years in the dark. I am deeply grateful to my team in the Iowa Cold Case unit, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa State Patrol, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, the Harrison County Attorney’s Office, and the Woodbine Police Department who have, and continue to, work diligently to crack Barbara’s case. No one should get away with murder.”
Robert Davis, a 61-year-old man from Council Bluffs, and Lenz’s boyfriend at the time of her disappearance, was arrested on March 10. He was charged with First Degree Murder.
A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office and Harrison County Attorney’s Office will prosecute the case in Harrison County.
The investigation into Barbara Lenz’s case is still active.
Read the complaint here.
Any Iowan who would like to submit a cold case tip can contact the Iowa Attorney General’s office at 1-800-242-5100 or coldcase@ag.iowa.gov.
