THE DARK SIDE OF IOWA
Unsolved
Dennis Dwaine Washburn
photo courtesy Iowa Cold Cases
Dennis Dwaine Washburn – a 69-year-old United States Navy and Vietnam War veteran who didn’t have a vehicle and walked with the assistance of a walker – was found unconscious with head injuries near Longfellow Elementary School in Waterloo on Memorial Day, May 26, 2014. Dennis sustained blunt force trauma injuries and a broken neck. He died from his injuries on June 5, 2014.
Friends last saw Dennis leaving the Jet Lounge on West Parker Street around 9:00 PM on May 25. According to a newspaper article, a passerby found Dennis unconscious in the grass near the former Longfellow Elementary School on Edwards Street around 12:30 AM on May 26. The Longfellow location was on Dennis’ path home.
Medical personnel rushed Dennis to the hospital but he never regained consciousness. “He’s basically in a coma. They have him on a ventilator. He has a broken neck, fractures in his face, he has a big, baseball-sized knot on his forehead,” his daughter, April, told the WCF Courier. April said doctors drilled a hole in her father’s skull to drain off fluid.
Investigators believe Dennis’ injuries resulted from more than just a simple fall and suspect he may have been the victim of a robbery. April said that her father’s wallet was located about 100 or 200 feet away from his body and it was empty. His walker was found closer to him on the sidewalk.
Dennis had withdrawn money from his bank account that day, filled a prescription at CVS Pharmacy, bought some groceries at the Family Dollar store and later stopped by the Jet Lounge. Family members believe Dennis was mugged because his purchases hadn’t totaled the amount of cash he’d withdrawn from the bank.
April said she last saw her father around 10 AM on Sunday, May 25, and he appeared fine. He was later seen alone at the Jet Lounge on West Parker Street – about half a mile from the former school on Edwards Street – and left the lounge around 9 PM, walking east. Dennis didn’t drive and lived on Leland Avenue, more than two miles from the Jet. It wasn’t known how he arrived at the nightclub. When Dennis left the Jet, he had a crate of groceries mounted on his walker, and though his wallet was emptied, the groceries were found with the walker.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Waterloo Police Department at 319.291.4340, ext. 3, or Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers at 855.300.8477.
Friends last saw Dennis leaving the Jet Lounge on West Parker Street around 9:00 PM on May 25. According to a newspaper article, a passerby found Dennis unconscious in the grass near the former Longfellow Elementary School on Edwards Street around 12:30 AM on May 26. The Longfellow location was on Dennis’ path home.
Medical personnel rushed Dennis to the hospital but he never regained consciousness. “He’s basically in a coma. They have him on a ventilator. He has a broken neck, fractures in his face, he has a big, baseball-sized knot on his forehead,” his daughter, April, told the WCF Courier. April said doctors drilled a hole in her father’s skull to drain off fluid.
Investigators believe Dennis’ injuries resulted from more than just a simple fall and suspect he may have been the victim of a robbery. April said that her father’s wallet was located about 100 or 200 feet away from his body and it was empty. His walker was found closer to him on the sidewalk.
Dennis had withdrawn money from his bank account that day, filled a prescription at CVS Pharmacy, bought some groceries at the Family Dollar store and later stopped by the Jet Lounge. Family members believe Dennis was mugged because his purchases hadn’t totaled the amount of cash he’d withdrawn from the bank.
April said she last saw her father around 10 AM on Sunday, May 25, and he appeared fine. He was later seen alone at the Jet Lounge on West Parker Street – about half a mile from the former school on Edwards Street – and left the lounge around 9 PM, walking east. Dennis didn’t drive and lived on Leland Avenue, more than two miles from the Jet. It wasn’t known how he arrived at the nightclub. When Dennis left the Jet, he had a crate of groceries mounted on his walker, and though his wallet was emptied, the groceries were found with the walker.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Waterloo Police Department at 319.291.4340, ext. 3, or Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers at 855.300.8477.
Source: Iowa Cold Cases