In 1975, 26-year-old teacher Jane Ellen Wakefield disappeared from Iowa City just months after filing for divorce from her husband, John. She never returned home, never contacted loved ones, and was never seen again. Even after an infrmant comes forward with an alarming story of what happened, the case went cold faster than anyone could have expected. Nearly fifty years later, the mystery surrounding Jane’s disappearance remains unsolved.

Anyone with information regarding Jane Wakefield's disappearance or possible murder is asked to call the Iowa City Police Department at 319-356-5451, the case number to reference is J16-75.


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"1000 Reward. (1976, September 19). The Des Moine Register, 77.Blog, A. B. (2026, April 17). Jane Ellen Hallberg-Wakefield. Another Bundy Blog. https://anotherbundyblog.com/2026/04/12/jane-ellen-hallberg-wakefield/Brandau, R. C. (1976, September 17). Reward offered in Wakefield case. The Daily Iowan.Burnham, J. (1992, March 19). Proving murder without a body: It’s not impossible. The Gazette, 8A.Clark, F. (1976, September 19). Disappearance of Iowa City Woman still being probed. The Gazette, 10.Dayton, T. (1985, September 9). Wakefield disappearance: Authorities mystified 10 years later. Iowa City Press-Citizen, 1A.File suits in Johnson deaths. (1968, October 11). The Gazette, 8.Ingalls, M., & Ingalls, M. (2015, March 13). IC History: Reexamining the cold case files. Little Village. https://littlevillagemag.com/ic-history-reexamining-the-cold-case-files/Iowa Cold Cases, Inc. (2025, December 18). Jane Ellen (Hallberg) Wakefield | Iowa Cold cases. Iowa Cold Cases. https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/jane-wakefield/Jane Ellen Hallberg marries John Wakefield in Minneapolis. (1967, October 9). The Sioux City Journal, 8.Jeff Burnham. (1992, March 19). Police suspect 3 killed but lack bodies [Newspaper; Print]. The Gazette, 70, 1A-8A. https://iowacoldcases.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/1992-3-19-MMU-2pgs.pdfKucharski, Z. (2006, December 12). Cracking cold cases. The Gazette, 1A-6A.Missing: Jane Wakefield | Iowa City, IA | Uncovered. (n.d.). https://uncovered.com/cases/jane-wakefieldNo evidence found in drained ponds. (1975, October 3). Iowa City Press-Citizen.The Associated Press. (1985, September 16). She’s been missing for 10 years. The Gazette, 5A.Two men killed in Iowa City crashes. (1967, July 20). The Gazette, 4.Two ponds are drained in search for woman. (1975, October 3). The Gazette, 4.Wakefield Reward Fund started. (1977, March 7). Iowa City Press-Citizen, 2A.

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