A former Iowa City woman was extradited from Missouri to Iowa City and formally charged with first-degree murder in the 1992 death of an infant found at the city’s landfill.
116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
A former Iowa City woman was extradited from Missouri to Iowa City and formally charged with first-degree murder in the 1992 death of an infant found at the city’s landfill.
A Cedar Rapids man was arrested Thursday night after police say he went to a bar and threatened patrons with a gun.
The former Elgin city clerk, originally charged with theft in the alleged misuse of $131,213 in taxpayer money, has been fined $430 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor offense.
A Cedar Rapids woman faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute meth in 2024. She traveled to Arizona to pick up drugs and was nabbed in Oklahoma on the way back to Iowa.
An Iowa City man was arrested Thursday at Bread Garden Market in the Iowa City Pedestrian Mall, by three plainclothes men who — in a bystander video of the incident — identified themselves only as “federal agents.”
Dakota Van Patten, 19, of Cedar Rapids, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole for the kidnapping and strangling of 20 year-old Melody Hoffman of Marion, on Feb. 18, 2024. The jury deliberated for about three hours.
Dakota Van Patten repeatedly told police he had no knowledge and wasn’t involved in Melody Hoffman’s assault and strangulation in February 2024. He wouldn’t be able to “live with himself” if he killed someone, he told investigators.
A Cedar Rapids man was arrested Tuesday after police say he fired a gun into the air to scare four people.
An Iowa City couple and their son have been arrested after a police investigation into two massage parlors owned by the couple, where police say employees were providing sex acts to clients.
A North Liberty woman arrested last year in Minnesota after crashing a car with the dead body of her ex-girlfriend inside has been convicted of murder by a Hennepin County jury.
A state medical examiner testified Tuesday 20-year-old Melody Hoffman was strangled from behind by her attacker and likely died within minutes on Feb. 18, 2024.
Dakota Van Patten took 200 selfies of himself wearing Melody Hoffman’s glasses after she was killed Feb. 18, 2024. An investigator found the photos on his cellphone during the investigation.
The Iowa City Police Department is investigating a shots fired incident that happened early Sunday morning, according to a press release from the department.
Marion police investigators testified Friday about how traffic cameras and cellphone data helped them piece together what happened to Melody Hoffman, who was kidnapped and killed in February 2024.
At The Gazette, we know crime and courts are among the most closely read – and most sensitive – topics in the news. Our goal is to provide coverage that is accurate, fair and responsible, while giving readers the context they need to understand what’s happening in their communities.
We don’t treat every arrest, charge or court filing as a story. Decisions about coverage depend on factors such as the seriousness of the offense, the level of public interest, community safety and whether public officials or institutions are involved.
When we do cover crime and courts, we aim to:
Our newsroom ethics guide challenges us to be especially careful with sensitive information:
To learn more, email newsroom@thegazette.com or call 319-398-8219.
Article Removal Requests
Using the criteria on our article removal request form, The Gazette will consider requests for removal of non-felony and non-violent criminal offenses. Other cases will be handled on an individual basis.
Daily Newsletters