On the evening of May 11, 2011, a grim 911 call was received by the Clarinda Dispatch Center in Page County, Iowa. The caller was 68-year-old Frank Harley McCoy of Shambaugh. In a chilling confession, McCoy stated that he had killed his wife and that he was going to kill himself. This call set in motion a response that would end in the discovery of a tragic murder-suicide.
Local law enforcement, with assistance from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Iowa State Patrol,
were immediately dispatched to the McCoy residence at 506 2nd Street in the small community of Shambaugh. Upon arrival, officers secured the home and made multiple attempts to contact the occupants inside. When those attempts were met with silence, an entry team was formed to breach the home.
Once inside, the authorities discovered the bodies of Karen K. McCoy and her husband, Frank McCoy. Karen, a 68-year-old White / Caucasian female, had been shot and killed by her husband. Frank McCoy was also found deceased, having turned the gun on himself after taking his wife's life. The investigation concluded that there were no other suspects involved in the incident. Autopsies were later performed at the State Medical Examiner's Office in Ankeny. The case, a clear act of domestic violence, was closed with the identification of Frank McCoy Sr. as the sole perpetrator, leaving no need for arrests or further legal proceedings.
