Gone Cold: Philip Terrell, killed in 1993

Special to the Register

This is a weekly feature highlighting some of Iowa’s unsolved homicides in the hopes that it will lead to new tips and potentially help solve cases. The project is a partnership between this newspaper and other members of the Iowa Newspaper Association.

On Christmas Eve 1993, Phil Terrell went for a walk near his home on Des Moines’ south side. The 42-year-old father of three never returned, and his family reported him as missing. On March 2, 1994, a horseback rider found Terrell’s snow-covered, decomposed body in a creek bed just inside Warren County. Autopsy results showed Terrell died from blunt force trauma to the head.

His body had been dragged to the location where it eventually was found. Some of his clothing had been neatly folded and placed beneath his head. Investigators believed his body had been in that same location since the day he disappeared, but due to time exposed to the elements, said they had no physical evidence.

Terrell, who had always been a hard-working family man, had begun associating with a rough crowd in 1993. He started insisting someone wanted to harm him, and his family began to fear for his mental health.

Terrell’s girlfriend, Julie, had told varying stories to the family and to investigators. FBI agents sorted through Julie’s contradictory statements and explanations, and asked her to submit to a lie detector test. She failed. Still, they had no hard evidence to tie her to the crime.

If you have any information about Phil Terrell’s unsolved murder, please contact the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation at 515-725-6010 or email dciinfo@dps.state.ia.us.

Cold Case breakdown

WHO: Philip G. Terrell

AGE: 42

DIED: Dec. 24, 1993

LOCATION: Warren County

How you can help: If you have any information about Phil Terrell’s unsolved murder, please contact the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation at 515-725-6010 or email dciinfo@dps.state.ia.us.

MORE: Read more stories in our series, explore the database and watch videos on Iowa's unsolved murders, at DesMoinesRegister.com/GoneCold

DATABASE: Explore an interactive map of Iowa's unsolved murders, dating back to 1847, and learn more about each case from information gathered by Iowa Cold Cases

ABOUT THE PROJECT: Gone Cold: Getting away with murder