Murder charge filed in the death of a 17-year-old Iowa girl

UPDATE

CALHOUN COUNTY, Iowa (KTIV/KCCI) - Murder charges have been officially announced after the body of a 17-year-old girl was found in the Northwest Iowa town of Farnhamville.

As of Wednesday, Sept. 25, court documents show 21-year-old Nathaniel Bevers-McGivney has been charged with first-degree murder in the teenage girl’s death.

According to KCCI, the girl has been identified as Michele “Luna” Jackson of Farnhamville.

Bevers-McGivney, of Gowrie, Iowa, was detained shortly after Michele was reported missing.

Michele’s mother reported her missing on Sunday, Sept. 22 at about 11 p.m. While Michele’s mother and sister were out looking for her, court documents show they came across Bevers-McGivney.

In court documents, authorities say Bevers-McGivney was covered in what looked like blood and had several of Michele’s personal effects, including her scooter.

Bevers-McGivney was taken to the Carroll County Jail and on the morning of Monday, Sept. 23, Michele’s body was found by authorities.

On Monday, Bevers-McGivney was charged with abuse of a corpse - failure to disclose a known location, meaning he was accused of hiding the girl’s body to conceal a crime. The murder charge wasn’t announced until Wednesday morning.

Iowa’s online court system shows Bevers-McGivney is expected to be in court on Oct. 4 for his preliminary hearing.

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CALHOUN COUNTY, Iowa (KTIV/KCCI) - The teenage girl found dead in a Northwest Iowa county has been identified.

KCCI is reporting that 17-year-old Michele “Luna” Jackson was reported missing on Sunday, Sept. 22, and her body was found early in the morning on Monday, Sept. 23.

Jackson’s obituary states a private funeral will be held this week and a public celebration of life will be held later.

Authorities have yet to release details on how Jackson died but have confirmed a body was found in Farnhamville, Iowa.

Court documents show at least one person has been arrested in connection to her case, 21-year-old Nathaniel Bevers-McGivney of Gowrie, Iowa.

Bevers-McGivney is charged with abuse of a corpse - failure to disclose a known location. He is accused of hiding the girl’s body in Calhoun County to conceal a crime. He is currently being held in the Carroll County Jail.

A criminal complaint says late Sunday night a mother reported her daughter missing to the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office. She and her other daughter were out walking and looking for Jackson when they came across Bevers-McGivney, who was covered in what appeared to be blood. Authorities claim he was also in possession of the missing daughter’s scooter and other personal effects.

No other charges have been filed in this case as of Tuesday, Sept. 24.

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CALHOUN COUNTY, Iowa (KTIV/KCCI) - An Iowa man has been arrested and charged in connection to a teenage girl’s death.

Court documents show 21-year-old Nathaniel Bevers-McGivney of Gowrie is charged with abuse of a corpse - failure to disclose a known location. He is accused of hiding a girl’s body in Calhoun County, Iowa to conceal a crime.

On the morning of Monday, Sept. 23, authorities say they found the body of a 17-year-old girl in Farnhamville, Iowa. She is only being identified as Jane Doe but court documents confirm she was a Farnhamville resident and was reported missing the previous night, Sunday, Sept. 22.

In court documents, authorities say Jane Doe’s mother reported her missing. While the mother and her other daughter searched for Jane Doe, they reportedly came across Bevers-McGivney. Authorities report Bevers-McGivney had Jane Doe’s scooter, which she was last seen riding.

According to court documents, Bevers-McGivney was also covered in blood and had other personal effects belonging to Jane Doe. When asked about the blood, Bevers-McGivney requested to speak to a lawyer.

Bevers-McGivney has been taken to the Carroll County Jail and is expected to remain there until a further investigation is conducted.

“The location in which Jane Doe’s deceased body was discovered suggests that Bevers-McGivney hid Jane Doe’s deceased body to conceal a crime. Additionally, Bevers-McGivney failed to disclose the location of the corpse with the intent to conceal a crime,” said authorities in court documents.

Following the body’s discovery Monday, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office said they did have one person in custody. It is unclear if further charges are pending.

During the investigation Monday, KCCI reported seeing crime scene tape blocking off Farnhamville City Park, where more than a dozen evidence markers noted possible clues for investigators. KCCI also saw apparent blood stains on the ground at the park as officials were investigating the area. Deputies from the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office and the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, as well as authorities from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, were on scene.

In an email to parents Monday, officials with the Southeast Valley School District said:

“We are all saddened to hear of the tragic death of a Jaguar high school student. Out of respect for the feelings of those impacted by this event, all district competitions and practices are canceled for this afternoon and evening (September 23, 2024). Counseling services are available for those who need assistance. Please call your attendance center office for a referral.”

The school district has buildings in Farnhamville, Dayton, Burnside and Gowrie.

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CALHOUN COUNTY, Iowa (KTIV/KCCI) - One person is in custody after an Iowa teenager was found dead.

According to KCCI, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says authorities have found the body of a missing 17-year-old girl from Calhoun County, Iowa. KCCI is reporting the girl’s body was located in Farnhamville.

A press release from the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office says a juvenile girl from Farnhamville was reported missing on Sunday, Sept. 22.

On the morning of Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, the sheriff’s office said they found the body of the missing girl. She has only been identified as Jane Doe.

As part of the initial response to the missing person report, the sheriff’s office detained a male subject. This man has yet to be identified but a DCI official told KCCI that he is 20 years old.

KCCI says authorities used crime scene tape to block off Farnhamville City Park, where more than a dozen evidence markers noted possible clues for investigators. There were also apparent blood stains on the ground at the park as officials were investigating the area.

The sheriff’s office says charges are pending for this death and there is no threat to the public.

In an email to parents Monday, officials with the Southeast Valley School District said:

“We are all saddened to hear of the tragic death of a Jaguar high school student. Out of respect for the feelings of those impacted by this event, all district competitions and practices are canceled for this afternoon and evening (September 23, 2024). Counseling services are available for those who need assistance. Please call your attendance center office for a referral.”

The school district has buildings in Farnhamville, Dayton, Burnside and Gowrie.

No other details have been released on the death as the investigation is still active.

This is a Developing Story. We’ll update this article as more information becomes available.