“Train to Nowhere,” a documentary that investigated the deaths of the 11 undocumented immigrants found in a train car in Dennison, Iowa, was shown Nov. 5 in the Memorial Union.

The showing was part of the AgArts Film Festival sponsored by the student organization AgArts. Filmmaker Colleen Krantz was present and had a discussion open for questions after the showing.

On Oct. 14, 2002, 11 undocumented immigrants were found deceased and decomposing in a grain car. These immigrants were being smuggled into the United States from various countries including Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.

These 11 immigrants willingly got into a grain car that consisted of three different grain bins, the central one being the one they entered. The center bin was 13x13x10 feet and had neither windows nor a source of ventilation.

The grain car could only be opened from the outside, leaving them helplessly once locked inside. Immigrants were told they were only going to be in this specific car for about one hour, which was why they had no food or water. At the time, there was 100 degree temperatures. After their short hour journey, they were going to be let out of the grain car and transported via car to their next destination.

However, the immigrants were never let out of the grain car due to a border patrol check at another station. Due to the unexpected check, the smuggler who was to let them out of the grain car fled, leaving the immigrants still inside the train car.

The grain car went from Texas to Oklahoma, where it sat for four months before it arrived in Dennison. Once in Dennison, a routine check was done to see if there was any mold or any type of debris in the car. By this time it was too late, the 11 immigrants’ bodies had been decomposing. The immigrants’ cause of death was announced by forensic officers as “hyperthermia and dehydration.”

“Train to Nowhere” presents interviews with family members of victims along with personnel who were working on the investigation. Filmmaker Colleen Krantz is a graduate of Iowa State’s Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication and a former employee of The Des Moines Register.

While she did not actively cover the case at the time it was happening for The Des Moines Register, she said the story always stuck with her.

“[While] I really was not involved as far as covering it, I did later pay attention to the case, looked at the court records and checked in on it to see if there was any updates,” Krantz said.

The film is available at DocumentaryTV.com. “Train to Nowhere” was also written as text is available for purchase.