In the late summer of 1985, the quiet community of North Liberty, Iowa, was unsettled by the death of 22-year-old Lance Lee DeWoody, a White male who had recently moved to the area. A native of Olin, DeWoody was starting a new chapter in his life, working in the Iowa City area. His life, however, was cut tragically short. On the morning of August 13, 1985, his body was discovered on the floor of a picnic shelter on the University of Iowa's Oakdale campus in Coralville. An autopsy would later reveal that he had died from two gunshot wounds.
For decades, the case of who killed Lance DeWoody remained a painful mystery for his family and a frustrating cold case for investigators. The initial investigation had identified a person of interest, but lacked sufficient evidence to bring charges, leaving a cloud of suspicion and unanswered questions hanging over the community. The passage of time did little to erase the memory of the young man's violent death, and law enforcement periodically revisited the case, hoping for a breakthrough.
More than 30 years after the discovery of DeWoody's body, a breakthrough finally came. In March 2016, authorities announced the arrest of Anthony W. Burtch, then 57, of Iowa City. Investigators revealed that Burtch had been a suspect from the very beginning. The motive, they explained, stemmed from a romantic relationship that had developed between Lance DeWoody and Burtch's wife. A fresh look at the case, aided by advancements in technology that were unavailable in 1985, allowed investigators to build a case against him.
The renewed investigation included re-interviewing individuals and re-examining evidence. When interviewed again, Burtch's story reportedly changed. Authorities also obtained a DNA sample from him to compare against evidence from the crime scene. With this new momentum, the Johnson County Attorney's Office felt confident in charging Burtch with first-degree murder, bringing a long-awaited measure of resolution to the family of Lance Lee DeWoody.
