An Iowa woman claims that her late father was a serial killer who murdered up to 70 women

 

An Iowa woman claims that her late father was a serial killer who murdered up to 70 women.

She claims to know where the bodies are. Authorities are currently investigating the scene for evidence.

According to Lucy Studey, her late father Donald Studey murdered “five or six” women a year over the span of decades. Lucy estimates her father murdered up to 70 women. The alleged victims were mostly sex workers and runways and were said to be buried on a property he owned near Thurman, Iowa. Thurman is about 40 miles south of Omaha, Nebraska near the Iowa-Nebraska border. Authorities are actively investigating these claims. Authorities have currently found no evidence to corroborate Lucy’s claims, only “hits” from cadaver dogs that suggest the possibility remains may be present in the area. Cadaver hits aren’t considered evidence, but according to Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope, the investigation and the search more evidence continues. Aistrope said, “We're going to do everything we can to prove or disprove there may be a crime scene," also noting that he believes the cadaver hits lend credibility to Lucy’s claims. Local, state, and federal agencies are involved in the investigation, including the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI in an effort to provide manpower and resources. Aistrope said he and his deputies looked into Lucy’s claims in 2021 when she contacted the Sheriff's department for at least the second time to report her story. Lucy reported that her father buried the bodies in and around an old well in a wooded area that was later logged. Authorities spent the last year locating the well and seeking permission from the property owners and neighbors to conduct a search of the area. The well has since been filled in and is about 90 feet deep. Other than being an extremely laborious task, another challenge with excavation is that it would be costly, about $300,000. In the meantime, authorities are coming up with the best strategy for uncovering what’s inside the well. Lucy told authorities that her father had his children, including her, help dispose of the bodies. Lucy claims that most of the victims were killed in the 70s and 80s, and were lured by her father from Omaha back to his property in Iowa. Lucy alleges that she had reported her father to Nebraska and Iowa authorities as well as local priests and teachers over the years dating back to her childhood, but found that her attempts were futile as she was unable to get anyone to take action. According to news reports, Lucy had a brother and two sisters. Lucy’s brother reportedly committed suicide at 39, and one of her sisters, Susan Studey, rejects Lucy’s claims. Susan Studey, who recently spoke to Newsweek, said, “The first time I ever heard about bodies was when I talked to Lucy about a year ago… My father was not the man she makes him out to be. He was strict, but he was a protective parent who loved his children... Strict fathers don't just turn into serial killers... I'm two years older than Lucy. I think I would know if my father murdered. I would know if my dad was a serial killer. He was not, and I want my father's name restored." Susan believes that the cadaver hits were due to the dogs picking up on animal remains, including a golden retriever said to have been buried there, and the remains of a stillborn sister of Donald Studey, also buried there. However, according to Newsweek, both the dog handler and sheriff said they believed the cadaver dogs found human remains as they are trained to ignore animal remains. Lucy maintains that she is telling the truth. As for Aistrope, he at least believes in the possibility that there are bones on the property, saying, “I really think there's bones there… It's hard for me to believe that two dogs would hit in the exact same places and be false. We don't know what it is. The settlers were up there. There was Indian Country up there as well, but I tend to believe Lucy… Right now, we don't even have a bone. According to the dogs, this is a very large burial site." Donald Studey passed away at the age of 75 in 2013. According to Lucy, her father was an alcoholic, addicted to gambling, and often stole from jobs he held over the years. Lucy said that Donald had two wives who committed suicide - one who self-inflicted a gunshot to her head, and another who strangled herself with an electrical cord. Donald Studey had a history of arrests for petty larceny and a drunk driving offense, but no arrests for violent crime. Donald had reportedly attempted suicide at least twice. When Newsweek asked how Lucy feels about her father now, she said, "I don't feel anything for my father. Nothing at all. I wanted justice when my father was alive, but he's gone. I just want for the families some closure and a proper burial." Authorities continue to investigate Lucy’s claims and search for evidence, or lack thereof. ...cadaver dogs, trained to detect human remains, went directly to the spots where Studey had said since she was a child that bodies had been buried. They went without being led by their handler... ...One of the dogs signaled likely human remains by barking, the other by sitting still where remains were potentially located. The dogs, Australian cattle dogs – or Heelers – called Jojo and Jetti, scented remains at four locations, with the last getting multiple 'hits' where bodies might be buried. ...The next step would be to use sonar where the land allows it, then dig the sites to search for human remains, Peters and investigators said. Many of the victims were buried in the 90-to-100-foot well, clothed and wearing jewelry, Studey said.