The Murder of Marshal Meadows: Iowa Time Machine January 23, 1961

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On January 23, 1961, a single rifle shot echoed through the silent streets of Plainfield, Iowa, and extinguished the life of Town Marshal William Meadows. The 36-year-old lawman was shot through the heart while investigating a burglary in progress at the Hartmann Packing Plant. The still unsolved murder lives on in cold case files and in the memories of those who refuse to let Meadows be forgotten.

Meadows served in WWII and the Korean Conflict and collected antique guns and handcuffs, making him a natural fit to become the part-time Plainfield Town Marshal when he moved from Seattle, Washington, to Bremer County in 1949 to operate a farm that belonged to his aunt's grandfather. The position paid modest hourly wages, averaging $200-$250 per month. Meadows furnished his own uniform and equipment, treating the position with professionalism despite its part-time nature.

Mrs. Ernest Buckman, who lived above the drugstore she and her husband operated, heard a loud noise around 2:30 a.m. that jolted her from sleep. Looking across Main Street toward the Hartmann Packing Plant, she saw two men moving inside. She called Marshal Meadows, who radioed for backup from Waverly police, thirteen miles away, before heading to the scene. He walked through the door of the Hartman Packing Company and was shot through the heart with a high-powered rifle before he had even unclipped his gun from its holster.

Authorities believed the weapon was a 30-30-caliber deer rifle. The burglars, who had been attempting to crack the safe, fled in a flurry of gunfire. Despite extensive investigation by local authorities and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, no arrests were ever made. The National Peace Officers Association presented the Medal of Merit for Valor Award to Meadows' family and placed his name on the Memorial Roll of Honor at the Police Hall of Fame and Museum in Port Charlotte, Florida. #Iowa #OTD #History #TrueCrime #UnsolvedMystery