Case Details

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This person was missing Missing Since 04/20/1983

Missing Since:

Missing Since 04/20/1983

Missing From:

Missing From Washington County, Kansas

Classification:

Classification Endangered Missing

Gender:

Male

Race:

Race White

Date of Birth:

Age:

Age 66 years old

Height and Weight:

Height and Weight 5’11 – 6’1, 200 pounds

Clothing/Jewelry Description:

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Due to a hip injury, Iwert uses a cane to walk, and has difficulty walking without one. His nickname is Fred.

Details of Disappearance:

In April 1983, a Kansas farmer named Iwert disappeared. He was last seen on his farm near Washington County State Lake. He loved his cows and bulls, which had belonged to his deceased wife. His brother saw him that morning; Iwert said his neighbor, a chiropractor named J. Ted Garner, was coming to help with chores and give him a treatment.

That same day, Iwert handled some farm finances at the bank, denying rumors he had a girlfriend or was selling his property. Then, he vanished, leaving everything behind: his canes, wallet, checkbook, and medicine.

Garner claimed Iwert had met a woman, Martha Kline, through a personal ad and left with her. He said he drove Iwert to meet Kline, who supposedly owned land in Mississippi. However, police couldn’t find any record of this woman, and experts determined that documents supposedly showing Iwert sold his farm to Garner were forged.

Because of the forged documents and Iwert’s disappearance, Garner was charged and convicted of Iwert’s murder, even though Iwert’s body was never found. To this day, Iwert remains missing.

Agency:

Washington County Sheriff’s Office 785-325-2293

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