The following is a series of articles telling the story of Sheila Jean Collins, an Iowa State student who was murdered in 1968. The articles, along with a podcast, were produced by Greenlee Investigates, a group of students from the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication. The group spent the fall semester researching the case and talking to former ISU students, law enforcement and individuals familiar with the case to produce this project. Quotes in these articles are pulled from newspaper clippings, interviews from 1968 and from interviews conducted by students. Sheila’s murder was never solved, and no suspects were ever arrested. The suspects listed in these stories, with the exception of one, are not referred to by their real names to presume innocence until proven guilty. An interactive timeline can also be found here. 

Part one: The murder of Sheila Jean Collins

Part two: The end of an age of innocence

Part three: The investigation begins

Part four: Theories, but no arrests

Part five: Unsolved