A WOMAN who thought she’d been abandoned as a baby only to discover her mom had been murdered 28 years before still doesn’t know how she died and is fighting to solve the five-decade-old case.
Wilma June Nissen, 23, was murdered in rural Iowa in 1978, and her daughter Krissi Atkisson, 47, didn’t learn the tragic truth until a fingerprint match revealed her identity in 2006.
Krissi Atkisson thought her mother Wilma (pictured) had abandoned her until she learned of the killing in 2006[/caption]
Krissi Atkisson, 43, is still unraveling the mystery of her mom’s murder nearly 45 years after the horror crime[/caption]
Wilma June Nissen was just 23 years old when she was brutally murdered in rural Iowa in 1978[/caption]
Her body was discovered by a utility worker in a ditch along Highway 182 in Lyon County, four hours northwest of Des Moines, nearly 50 years ago.
Nissen had suffered a violent end.
Her jaw was missing, her teeth smashed, and the cause of death has never been made public by authorities.
Despite inconclusive DNA evidence and limited support from authorities, Atkisson has kept the case alive through advocacy, awareness campaigns, and pushing for advanced forensic testing.
Renowned forensic scientist Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick believes the murder can still be solved with today’s technology — if law enforcement is willing to act.
Meanwhile, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office insists that they have never stopped investigating the case, and made a plea for more information in May.
Atkisson, a jewelry maker from Kansas City, Missouri, said, “When they found her, she was nude from the waist up.
“Her pants and her underwear were around her left leg, and she basically didn’t have a face.”
At the time of her mother’s death, Atkisson — Nissen’s youngest child — was just one year old.
Growing up, Atkisson knew little about her biological mother. She was adopted by her mother’s former foster family and spent much of her life searching for answers.
“I’ve found more about her since she died than I ever did when she was alive, and we have so much in common that I feel like I’m missing a piece of me,” Atkisson said.
For nearly three decades, Nissen was known only as “Jane Doe.”
It wasn’t until 2006, when a forensic technician matched her fingerprints to a card from a prior arrest in Los Angeles, that her identity was confirmed.
The revelation upended Atkisson’s life, who had grown up believing her mother had abandoned her.
A facial reconstruction of Nissen was made based on DNA evidence[/caption]
Nissen’s face was based in when she was killed[/caption]
TRAGIC PAST
Nissen’s early life was marked by hardship. She entered foster care at age 10 after severe neglect and spent her teenage years in a series of foster homes.
Her foster parents — Marshall and Maxine Holte — eventually took her in.
As an adult, Nissen struggled to make ends meet and turned to sex work to survive.
By the time of her death, she was a mother of three, with Krissi being her only daughter.
Since Nissen’s murder, authorities have identified two persons of interest in the case — women known by the aliases “Sugar” and “Peaches,” both believed to have been involved in escort work and suspected of robbing other escorts and clients.
“Sugar” has been questioned multiple times and reportedly failed three polygraph tests, but denies involvement, according to multiple reports.
Atkisson grew up being raised by her mother’s foster parents[/caption]
Atkisson is a jewelry maker who lives in Kansas City, Missouri[/caption]
DNA QUESTION
DNA evidence collected from a rope found at the scene has yielded inconclusive results — a mixture from multiple contributors that has not led to a suspect.
But Atkisson continues to be the driving force behind renewed efforts to solve the case, and her determination has prompted ongoing DNA analysis by investigators.
“If you’re going through the same thing or a similar thing as I am, don’t give up hope,” she said.
“It’s hard. It’s the hardest thing to ever do. It’ll try every chance it gets to break you, but keep going.”
Atkisson met her biological father, Bob Irvin, a few times but “never felt a connection” with him, adding, “there was a weird vibe.”
Irvin, who was in a relationship with Nissen from 1975 to 1977, died in 2000.
The pain of not knowing exactly what happened to her mother lingers.
“The police won’t tell me how she died,” Atkisson said. “They did say that it was very specific, extremely brutal, and was not quick.
“That’s all I know. It sends my brain to the darkest places.”
The lack of closure is compounded by the haunting images used in the investigation.
“Those reconstruction pictures terrified me for a long time. I know that sounds stupid, but I’ve never seen my mom.”
The boots were taken as evidence[/caption]
Atkisson is pushing to reopen the case and look for DNA evidence[/caption]
Nissen was a sex worker at the time of her death[/caption]
NEW EFFORTS
Now, renowned Orange County, California-based forensic scientist Fitzpatrick, 70, president of Identifinders International, is offering her expertise if authorities are willing to take it.
“Technology has advanced along the way,” Dr. Fitzpatrick said, noting she believes Nissen’s murder can be solved.
“Cases that were looked at long ago before DNA came into the picture, you can say now, ‘Hey, we’re testing on something that they didn’t even think about back then.’
“Maybe it’s time to test them again with more sensitive, more sophisticated technology that exists now that didn’t exist the last time they looked at it,” Dr. Fitzpatrick said.
She added, “The stumbling block is getting the cooperation of the sheriff’s department.”
“Sometimes the detectives just don’t have the time. We have violent crimes, we have gangs. So sometimes there’s only 24 hours in a day, and they can’t get to older cases.”
Full statement from the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office
“In 1978, the body of a deceased female was found in rural Lyon County. The deceased female’s identity was unknown until 2006 when she was identified as Wilma Nissen. Though multiple investigators have worked diligently on the case throughout the years, the case has not been solved.
“It has now been approximately 47 years since Ms. Nissen was found deceased. She was a victim who was murdered, and though many years have passed, the investigation is still open, and the goal is to seek justice for Ms. Nissen and her family.
“With the passing of time and a case going from one investigator to the next, there are significant challenges in solving a case. However, with the passing of time advancements are also made in forensic science and technology.
“Over time as these advancements have been made, the investigative team has sought out utilizing these advancements to provide information to further the investigation. This continues today as the investigative team continues to seek out forensic solutions which made lead to additional information for investigators.”
“Despite the passing of time, as this is an active, open investigation, there are many specific details which will not be released. Doing so could compromise the investigation and any potential prosecution.
“There is a two-fold purpose for this update. The first is to communicate that the investigation is open, active, and ongoing. Our office has a significant case load with current cases, but as much as we are able with the resources we have, we continue to investigate this case.
“This includes seeking assistance from other law enforcement agencies.
“Second, with the passing of time those who may have been involved in or have knowledge of what happened to Ms. Nissen age as well. We urge those people to come forward and share any information they may have.
“It may, hopefully, have been weighing on the conscience of those involved or with knowledge of it for approximately 47 years. Our office and the victim’s family urge anyone with knowledge to come forward to assist in moving this investigation forward, obtaining closure for the family, and justice for Ms. Nissen.
“Should you have information to share, please contact the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office at 712-472-8300 or email sheriff@lyoncountyia.com.”
In a statement posted in May, the local sheriff’s office said that even though this is a cold case, their investigation continues.
“With the passing of time and a case going from one investigator to the next, there are significant challenges in solving a case,” wrote Sheriff Brian Hilt.
“However, with the passing of time advancements are also made in forensic science and technology.
“Over time as these advancements have been made, the investigative team has sought out utilizing these advancements to provide information to further the investigation.
“This continues today as the investigative team continues to seek out forensic solutions which made lead to additional information for investigators.”
At the heart of this decades-long search for justice is Atkisson’s deep connection to her mother.
“It’s been 50 years. If you saw something, say something,” Atkisson said. “She’s a part of me.”
