George Albert Leonard, a 53-year-old White male, was a painting contractor and a former milkman for Elmwood Dairy in Clinton, Iowa. To supplement his income, he worked a second job as a bartender at The Inn tavern, a local establishment at 902 S. 14th Street. It was here, in the early morning hours of Saturday, November 28, 1981, that his life was tragically cut short.
While on duty, Leonard was shot and killed during what authorities believe was a robbery.
The scene of the crime suggested a violent encounter. Leonard was discovered behind the bar, having succumbed to a fatal gunshot wound. Shortly after the shooting, another individual entered the tavern and came face to face with the assailant. The suspect, described as a young white male, proceeded to beat this second person before making his escape, fleeing down the south side of the building. This witness provided authorities with a description of the man responsible for the homicide.
Despite the presence of a witness and an immediate investigation, an arrest in the murder of George Leonard has never been made. The case grew cold over the years, leaving behind a lingering sense of injustice for his family and the community. Investigators at the time publicly stated they were searching for a young white male in connection with the killing. The murder of Leonard was noted for its temporal proximity to another unsolved homicide in Clinton, the shooting death of 19-year-old Pamela Rae Hinrichs ten months earlier, though law enforcement officials at the time said they had no information to officially link the two cases.
