The October 12, 1998, Incident: Greenwell Stabbed and Arrested

For additional articles covering The I-65 Killer, please go to ACJ Investigates- The I-65 Killer. For additional updates, resources and information visit our ACJ INVESTIGATES: The I-65 Serial Killer/Days Inn Murders.

On October 12, 1998, Harry Greenwell was stabbed by his 15-year-old stepdaughter Eva Smith in their home on Highway 26, just south of New Albin, Iowa. Greenwell was arrested by the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office for simple assault and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Shortly after Harry Greenwell was identified as the I-65 Killer in what easily is a contender for a spot in the Top 10 List of Worst Law Enforcement Press Conferences in the DNA Era, UK based newspaper The Independent, broke their proverbial necks to interview his former wife, Julie Jenkins.

Those complaints and grievances are for another article.

On October 12, 1998, Harry Greenwell was stabbed by his 15-year-old stepdaughter Eva Smith in their home on Highway 26, just outside of New Albin, Iowa.

Harry Edward Greenwell was arrested by the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office for being a felon in possession of a firearm and simple assault.

To be clear, I’m not “outing Smith”. In the state of Iowa, a juvenile arrest is public record, and her name and age were published by more than a half dozen publications at the time. Besides, based on some of the information we were able to review, this was more than likely justified.

A little over a year later, on November 1, 1999, to be exact- the case was dismissed.

Another failure by law enforcement and the courts, and because Greenwell was not named prior to the press conference on a public scale, law enforcement was able to weasel their way through a press conference. Unchallenged and no tough questions, except from our own Tanna Burnett.

What happened to the gun?

Where is the gun? What happened to it? Could this have been a murder weapon that was confiscated by law enforcement and sat in an evidence room for decades? Not just possibly used in the murders of known victims, but unknown victims.

Was ballistic fingerprinting ever done on the firearm confiscated by convicted felon Harry Edward Greenwell? Is it on file? Has is since been entered with the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN)?

Was it returned it to Julie Jenkins? It is not uncommon for the girlfriends or wives of convicted felons to purchase and hold firearms.