In the quiet farming community of Algona, Iowa, the holiday season of 1987 was shattered by a horrific act of violence that claimed the life of 79-year-old John Dreesman, a white male, and six members of his family. On December 30th, what should have been a festive family gathering turned into a scene of unimaginable tragedy inside the Dreesman's ranch-style home.
John, a respected millionaire farmer, former city councilman, and a director of the Interstate Bank, was known for his quiet and highly regarded nature.
The family had come together to celebrate Christmas, including John's wife Agnes, 74, their daughter Marilyn Chuang, 48, and her three children, Jason, 12, Jennifer, 11, and Joshua, 8, who were visiting from Honolulu. As the family sat down for a meal, they were brutally shot and killed. The entire devastating event is believed to have transpired in a matter of 15 to 30 seconds. The scene was discovered later that day after a family friend alerted authorities. An officer who first arrived at the home opened the door, saw the horrific scene, and immediately called for state investigators.
The investigation quickly identified the perpetrator as John and Agnes's 40-year-old son, Robert Dreesman. After shooting his parents, sister, niece, and nephews, Robert turned the gun on himself, committing suicide in a hallway of the home. Authorities found two weapons at the scene and concluded that Robert was responsible for the six murders and his own death, leaving no suspects to be arrested. Friends and neighbors described Robert as a loner who, despite his intelligence and various academic pursuits, was moody, withdrawn, and didn't relate well to people. Some believed that he may have felt neglected and that the attention his sister and her children received during the holiday visit might have been a catalyst for the tragic events. Several weeks before the killings, Robert had changed his will, leaving only one dollar to each of his family members and the bulk of his substantial estate to the World Wildlife Fund, an organization he was not a member of.
