SIOUX CITY (KTIV) - It's been labeled the "most heinous" crime in Sioux City history. Seven people murdered, in two different homes, all by the same man.
Twenty years ago, on August 30, 2001, police discovered the bodies of Leticia Aguilar, and her five children, inside their home at 311 West Street. They had been beaten with a hammer as they slept. Across town there was another home, and another crime scene. The body of local businessman, Ron Fish, was found in the entryway to his home on Sylvian Way.
The connection between the two crime scenes? Suspect Adam Moss. He was a friend to Fish, and was also Aguilar's boyfriend. Moss was captured on August 31, 2001. He later confessed to the killings before his trial could start. Sentenced to seven life prison terms, Moss hung himself in his cell on June 26th, 2013.
Moss' guilty plea, and prison sentence gave the families of the victims closure. That's what some officers, investigators, and first responders are still searching for. "I can remember it like it was yesterday," said Chad Sheehan, Woodbury County Sheriff.
Twenty years ago, then-Sioux City Police Officer Chad Sheehan was wrapping up an accident report when he heard a call about a body found in a home just a few blocks away. "It was just different," said Sheehan. "You could tell that the call was different… the way the information was coming out it was a different call." The body was found inside the home of Ron Fish on Sylvian Way. "Myself, and another officer, started putting up the crime scene tape around… really the whole perimeter of the residence." said Sheehan.
Then, Sheehan heard a call from another officer about a similar scene on Sioux City's west side. "At some point there was confirmation that there were bodies found inside the West Street address," said Sheehan. The bodies were later identified as Leticia Aguilar, and her five children. And, a manhunt was already underway for the suspect, Adam Moss. "You're listening to the national news on the radio, and they're saying, 'In Sioux City, Iowa, authorities are looking for Adam Matthew Moss, who's wanted for questioning for seven homicides.'," said Sheehan. "And, you're thinking 'this cannot be real!'."
Just up the street was then-Sioux City Police Officer Rex Mueller had helped cordon off West Street before leaving work early to get prepare for his wedding just two days away. Even he was shaken. "We all have things in our careers that we remember and that stick with us," said Rex Mueller, Sioux City Police Chief. "I think, for every officer, anything involving children is something that you never forget."
The police department offered counseling for all of the officers and investigators involved. "I think a lot of the support was peer support," said Mueller. "It was just talking, diffusing. Some of your officers could speak about it. Some couldn't speak about it." "I knew from experiencing other traumatic incidents how important it was to be able to go and talk," said Sheehan.
And, while both men say they rarely think about the murders-- now two decades ago-- they admit it's something they'll never forget. "It stays with you your entire career, and is something that you carry with you," said Mueller.
To honor six of Moss' victims-- Leticia Aguilar, and her five children-- Sioux City's Neighborhood Network and the Westside Coalition teamed up to buy new equipment for a park at 15th and George Streets.
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August 31, 2021 at 06:41AM
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Officers remember brutal 2001 killings of five children, two adults - KTIV
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