Who Killed Anna Miller? The Cold Case That Still Haunts Des Moines

Anna Miller had perfect attendance at work

Jul 11, 2025

In the peaceful neighborhoods of Des Moines, Iowa, July 10, 1978, started like any other summer Monday. But by midday, everything changed. What was once an ordinary morning quickly unraveled into one of the city’s most chilling unsolved murders—a brutal slaying that would leave a family shattered, a community shaken, and a mystery that remains unsolved more than 45 years later. ❄️🕊️

This is the haunting cold case of Anna Miller—a quiet, dependable woman whose life ended in violence, and whose story still cries out for justice. 💔⚖️

👩‍💼 A Quiet Life: Who Was Anna T. Miller?

Anna Miller, 57, was a lifelong Des Moines resident and a devoted secretary at the Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Company. Described by her coworkers as reliable, warm, and soft-spoken, Anna lived alone in a modest home on 3531 54th Street, just north of Beaverdale. 🏠🌳

She had no known enemies. No scandal. No secrets. Her days were predictable. She walked to the bus stop. She worked 9 to 5. She paid her bills on time and called her family regularly. 📞🗂️

To those who knew her, Anna was “the type of person who would never hurt a soul.” 💐

That’s what makes what happened on July 10 so deeply unsettling.

🚨 A Horrific Discovery

On that Monday morning, Anna didn’t show up for work. That was completely out of character. She hadn’t called in sick. She hadn’t asked for time off. Her supervisor grew concerned. So did her brother, Merle Miller, who went to her home to check on her.

What he found would change his life forever. 💔

Anna was lying dead in her living room. She had been viciously beaten, and the scene showed clear signs of a violent struggle. The coroner later determined she died from blunt force trauma—blows that were forceful and repeated. 🩸🔨

The violence stunned police. This wasn’t a random accident. This wasn’t a break-in gone wrong. This was personal.

🧩 The Investigation Begins

Des Moines detectives quickly descended on the scene. There were no obvious signs of forced entry. No valuables were missing. Her purse was still in the house. Her car was in the driveway. 🚗🔍

That raised questions.

Had she let someone in?
Was it someone she knew?
Was it someone pretending to know her?

Despite canvassing the neighborhood and questioning family, friends, and coworkers, no suspect was ever arrested. No weapon was ever found. There were no fingerprints, no surveillance, and DNA testing was still decades away. 🕳️🚫🧬

What the police did find, however, would make the case even more bizarre.

📞 The Threatening Calls & Notes

Just days after Anna’s murder, other women in her neighborhood began receiving frightening phone calls and notes. One woman reported a message that said:

"Axes, axes, we all fall down."

Another said she was told her house would be "blown up." 💣📜

The language was chilling. The threats felt eerily personal. And they seemed connected to Anna’s murder.

Police began to suspect that the same person who killed Anna was now terrorizing other women, possibly for thrills, attention, or out of a twisted sense of power. 😨🧠

Yet, again, there were no fingerprints. No recordings of the calls. And in 1978, tracing a phone call was a slow, unreliable process. 📞📉

🔎 Theories & Suspects

With no solid evidence and no arrests, theories began to swirl around Des Moines.

1. Someone She Knew

Many believed Anna had known her killer. She was careful. She kept her doors locked. It would’ve taken someone she trusted to get inside her home without a struggle. 🤝🔐

But no one in her close circle had a known motive.

2. A Stranger Stalker

Others speculated the killer may have been a stranger with a fixation on Anna. A neighbor perhaps. Someone who watched her come and go. Someone who saw her as vulnerable, alone, and easy to overpower. 😈🚶‍♂️

The post-murder phone calls seemed to support this theory—suggesting someone who enjoyed the fear and attention.

3. A Serial Offender?

Still others questioned if Anna’s death was the work of a serial predator—possibly linked to other unsolved attacks in Iowa and surrounding states during the late 1970s. 🕸️📂

But again, without physical evidence, these ideas remained only speculation.

🧬 A Case Frozen in Time

In the decades that followed, Anna’s case sat cold in the files of the Des Moines Police Department. Her brother, Merle, continued to hope for answers, but as time went on, even he began to doubt justice would ever come. 🗃️❄️

Forensic technology eventually caught up to many cases from the '70s and '80s. Across the U.S., DNA was unlocking mysteries once thought unsolvable.

But in Anna’s case, there simply wasn’t enough physical evidence preserved. No known DNA. No clothing retained. No blood spatter or skin under fingernails saved. 💼🔬🧪

And so, the case remained stuck in 1978.

📣 Renewed Attention in 2024–2025

In recent years, thanks to the rise in true crime podcasts, YouTube channels, and cold case blogs like TheColdCases.com, Anna’s story has begun to receive renewed attention. 📰🎧

Articles in the Des Moines Register, Yahoo News, and community platforms have brought her name back into the public eye.

As of July 2025, Des Moines police have confirmed that Anna Miller’s case is still open. It is now part of a wider cold case review effort in Iowa.

Could advances in forensic genealogy, AI photo enhancement, or new witness interviews finally break this case open? Hope remains. 🧬📸🧠

🧠 Why This Case Still Matters

Anna Miller’s story isn't just a mystery—it's a reminder of how violence can strike even the most ordinary, peaceful lives.

Her case matters because:

Her family deserves closure 🕯️
Her community deserves safety 🛡️
And her killer—if still alive—deserves accountability ⚖️

Every time we say her name, we keep her memory alive. Every time we share her story, we increase the chances that someone, somewhere, remembers something. 💡👁️‍🗨️

🙏 A Family's Plea

Anna’s relatives have long since aged or passed on. But the community she left behind still remembers.

If you're reading this and you lived in Des Moines in 1978... if you remember odd behavior from someone you knew... or if you heard whispers about that summer… now is the time to come forward. 📣👂

Even the smallest tip can break open a cold case.

📞 How to Help

If you have any information about the 1978 murder of Anna T. Miller, contact:

Des Moines Police Department Cold Case Unit
📍 Des Moines, IA
📞 (515) 283-4864
📧 Submit an anonymous tip via CrimeStoppers of Central Iowa: www.crimestoppersofcentraliowa.com

💬 Final Thoughts

It’s been 47 years since Anna Miller was taken from this world. Her murder remains one of the oldest unsolved homicides in Iowa history. ⏳🕯️

But time does not erase pain. And justice does not expire. Her name still echoes in the streets of Beaverdale. Her story still lingers in the hallways of the police department. And her memory lives on—waiting for resolution. 🕊️

Let’s not let her be forgotten.

🕯️ Justice for Anna. Answers for Des Moines. Hope for the truth. 🕯️