On a late spring morning in Nodaway, Iowa, a horrifying discovery shattered the small town's peace. On June 20, 2015, the mother of Allen Pafford, a 44-year-old White/Caucasian male, found her son deceased in his bedroom. She placed a 911 call around 11:19 a.m., and when the Adams County Sheriff's Office responded, they found a grim scene. Pafford was on his knees, slouched over with his head on the floor. A bed sheet had been wrapped around his head and neck.
His hands were bound with a blue nylon strap, similar to a ratchet tie-down, and his feet were bound with a rope that was connected to the hand restraints. An autopsy would later confirm the cause of death was a homicide, the result of a single gunshot wound to the back of his head. Investigators found a fired 9mm cartridge casing and a bullet near his body.
The investigation into the murder of Allen Pafford quickly crossed state lines. Agents from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation traveled to Hiawatha, Kansas, to interview persons of interest. The trail led them to two men, Jon Rubendall, age 41, and James Bost, age 39. During questioning, a motive for the brutal killing began to emerge. Bost revealed to investigators that Pafford owed Rubendall $3,000 for a drug debt. He stated that he and Rubendall had traveled to Iowa to collect the money they believed Pafford owed. A search of Rubendall's residence in Hiawatha uncovered several items belonging to Pafford. Both Rubendall and Bost were arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
Following their arrests, Jon Rubendall and James Bost were held on a one-million-dollar bond each. They were extradited from Kansas back to Iowa to face the charges. Initially, both men pleaded not guilty. However, as the case progressed, they accepted a plea deal. In April 2016, both Rubendall and Bost pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder, avoiding a trial for first-degree murder and robbery. During his hearing, Bost stated that the initial plan was to "rough him up" to get the money. He admitted to hitting Pafford and acknowledged he knew Rubendall was armed with a gun and subsequently shot Pafford. A female witness who was with the men also placed both of them inside the room where Pafford was killed. The plea agreement resulted in a mandatory 50-year prison sentence for both men for their roles in the death of Allen Pafford.
