On May 31, 2014, James Allan "Jim Bob" Booher, a 51-year-old Caucasian male from Marion, Iowa, was last seen in Cedar Rapids. His sister reported him missing on June 3, 2014, sparking an investigation that would uncover a grim story of a drug deal gone wrong. What began as a missing person case was soon treated as a homicide as investigators delved deeper into the circumstances surrounding Booher's disappearance.
The investigation led law enforcement to an Ely farmhouse rented by Matthew
Robbins. It was there that the horrifying final moments of Booher's life unfolded. He had been lured to the farmhouse under the pretense of a drug deal. An accomplice, Danielle Busch, had arranged to meet Booher at the farmhouse, offering him sex in exchange for methamphetamine. This was a setup orchestrated by Robbins and another man, William L. Yancey.
Upon their arrival, an enraged Robbins confronted Booher, reportedly angry over being sold diluted methamphetamine. Robbins, armed with a sawed-off shotgun, was heard yelling and striking Booher before fatally shooting him. The scene that followed was one of brutal violence. Busch testified to seeing a significant amount of blood and witnessing Robbins dismembering Booher's body with a hatchet. Human bone fragments were later discovered in a burn pit on the property, and Booher's DNA was found inside Robbins' house.
The investigation culminated in the arrests and convictions of those involved. Matthew Robbins was convicted by a federal jury on May 3, 2021, for his role in the robbery and fatal shooting of Booher. William L. Yancey pleaded guilty to robbery and a firearms charge resulting in murder. Danielle Busch also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery. Each faced significant prison sentences for their parts in the violent end to James Booher's life.
