A Mount Ayr man was arrested Wednesday in an ongoing homicide investigation that began as a missing-person case out of Urbandale, according to a statement released by the Polk County Sheriff’s office.
James Shiloh Klever, 46, of Mt. Ayr was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death and disappearance of Rachel Reuter, 30, of Cassville, Wisconsin.
Reuter was originally reported missing June 16, 2021, by her father, who alerted the Urbandale Police Department. The Urbandale Police Department requested assistance from the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and both agencies investigated the reported missing person, according to the statement.
Evidence in the case eventually lead investigators to a residence in Bondurant, and the Polk County Sheriff’s office began to assist with the case.
As law enforcement gather information and evidence, the incident shifted from a missing-person investigation to a homicide investigation. Investigators believe that during the early morning hours of June 13, 2021, Klever killed Reuter at the Bondurant residence, although her remains have not been located.
The investigation is an ongoing and active, the sheriff’s statement said.
Investigators are asking for help from the public. Anyone who had contact with or saw Reuter or Klever in June 2021 is asked to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 515-286-3334.
*A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
