Melisa Lynn Gregory

Melisa Lynn Gregory was a 17-year-old girl from Newton, Iowa, with her life ahead of her. In the winter of 1983, she was dating 20-year-old Steven Fisher. Friends and family remembered their relationship as a happy one. Fisher worked at the Copper Dollar Ranch, a horse ranch located about four miles northwest of Newton, and was separated from his wife, Theresa "Terri" Supino, with whom he had two children.

The morning of March 3, 1983, brought a horrific discovery at the ranch. The bodies of Melisa Gregory and Steven Fisher were found inside a trailer on the property. Both had been brutally bludgeoned to death, having sustained massive head injuries. The shocking violence of the double homicide stunned the small Iowa community and launched an investigation that would span decades, leaving a trail of unanswered questions and enduring grief for the victims' families.

The Jasper County Sheriff's Office led the investigation, conducting hundreds of interviews over the years. Despite their efforts, the case grew cold, becoming one of Iowa's most infamous unsolved mysteries. For more than three decades, the families of Melisa and Steven waited for a breakthrough, holding onto hope that the person responsible would one day be brought to justice. A vigil was held outside the Jasper County Courthouse to honor the victims' memories and keep their case in the public eye.

Then, on March 3, 2014, the 31st anniversary of the murders, authorities announced an arrest. Altoona police and Jasper County deputies took Theresa Supino, then 53, into custody at her apartment. She was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her estranged husband and his teenage girlfriend. Melisa's sister-in-law, Karen Gregory, expressed a long-held suspicion, telling reporters, "Deep down, I think everybody has known there was a connection there somewhere."

Theresa Supino's trial was moved from Jasper County to Waterloo in Black Hawk County due to the substantial pretrial publicity the case had generated over the years, including an episode of the television show "Cold Justice" that focused on the investigation. Jury selection began in early February 2015. Prosecutors presented their case, but after just over six hours of deliberation, the jury returned its verdict on February 20, 2015.

Theresa Supino was found not guilty on all charges. The acquittal meant that, in the eyes of the law, the person authorities believed was responsible was cleared, and the case was once again without a resolution. Following the verdict, Jasper County Attorney Mike Jacobsen stated that his office would not have brought charges if they didn't believe they could secure a conviction.

As of April 2018, the double homicide of Melisa Gregory and Steven Fisher remains officially unsolved. Following the trial, Jasper County Sheriff John Halferty said that while the case is considered closed, his office would remain open to investigating any new leads that might point to a different suspect. The community and the families are left to grapple with the fact that, decades later, no one has been held accountable for the brutal end to two young lives.

Authorities ask that anyone with information about the murders of Melisa Gregory and Steven Fisher contact the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office at 641-792-5912.