THE DARK SIDE OF IOWA
Finus Atwood
#0081259
Full Name: Finus Freemont Atwood
DOB: October 30, 1963
Charge: 1st degree murder
County: Polk
City: Des Moines
Current Status: Fort Dodge Correctional Facility
Partners in Crime: Cheryl Kase, Craig Bowerbank, Fannie Williams
Date of Crime: June 7, 1982
Tentative Discharge Date: Life
Victim: Terry B. Vaughn
DOB: October 30, 1963
Charge: 1st degree murder
County: Polk
City: Des Moines
Current Status: Fort Dodge Correctional Facility
Partners in Crime: Cheryl Kase, Craig Bowerbank, Fannie Williams
Date of Crime: June 7, 1982
Tentative Discharge Date: Life
Victim: Terry B. Vaughn
Terry B. Vaughn’s 19-year-old body was found on June 7, 1982, floating in a quarry pound four miles southwest of Burlington. His body, wrapped in a blanket and tied to a concrete block, was strapped inside the blanket at the ankles, waist and neck. The block was attached by a cord to the ankles. Clad only in trousers, Terry’s body was decomposed. He lived alone and no one had reported him missing.
Finus Freemont Atwood, 18, was one of four people charged in the slaying of Terry. Finus was found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder and received a life sentence. Cheryl Janice Kase, 31, was found guilty of first-degree murder as well. Craig Eugene Bowerbank, 18, pleaded guilty of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years. Fannie May Williams, 26, pleaded guilty of being an accessory after the fact. She received a deferred sentence and was placed on probation.
**I could not find Craig or Cheryl on the Iowa Inmate Database, so I'm not sure what happened to them and I have not created pages for them on this site. Any information is appreciated.
Authorities believed that Terry was beaten and stabbed to death because two of his assailants believed he had been telling authorities about their illegal activities.
In December 1982, Finus, then-19, made an unsuccessful attempt to escape from the Des Moines County Jail. He used a homemade knife to force jailers into a cell, but Chief Jailer Linda Johnson managed to trip an alarm.
In June 1983, Finus set fire to his cell at the Iowa State Penitentiary. He suffered burns in his mouth, throat and bronchial tubes from breathing in heated air from the fire.
Finus Freemont Atwood, 18, was one of four people charged in the slaying of Terry. Finus was found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder and received a life sentence. Cheryl Janice Kase, 31, was found guilty of first-degree murder as well. Craig Eugene Bowerbank, 18, pleaded guilty of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years. Fannie May Williams, 26, pleaded guilty of being an accessory after the fact. She received a deferred sentence and was placed on probation.
**I could not find Craig or Cheryl on the Iowa Inmate Database, so I'm not sure what happened to them and I have not created pages for them on this site. Any information is appreciated.
Authorities believed that Terry was beaten and stabbed to death because two of his assailants believed he had been telling authorities about their illegal activities.
In December 1982, Finus, then-19, made an unsuccessful attempt to escape from the Des Moines County Jail. He used a homemade knife to force jailers into a cell, but Chief Jailer Linda Johnson managed to trip an alarm.
In June 1983, Finus set fire to his cell at the Iowa State Penitentiary. He suffered burns in his mouth, throat and bronchial tubes from breathing in heated air from the fire.
Source: Des Moines Register
