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Gitchie Manitou murders

SOLVED1973Gitchie Manitou State Preserve, Lyon County, Iowa3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Fryfer Bros capture
Fryfer Bros capture — Credit: Unknown · Public domain

On the evening of November 17, 1973, five teenagers from Sioux Falls, South Dakota — Roger Essem (17), Stewart Baade (18), his younger brother Dana Baade (14), Michael Hadrath (15), and Sandra Cheskey (13) — gathered around a campfire at Gitchie Manitou State Preserve in Lyon County, Iowa. Brothers Allen, David, and James Fryer, who had entered the preserve intending to poach deer, encountered the group and, believing they possessed marijuana, decided to rob them by force. Retrieving shotguns from their truck, the brothers opened fire from a ridge, killing Roger Essem instantly and wounding Stewart Baade. After falsely claiming to be narcotics officers, the Fryers separated the survivors: Allen drove away with Cheskey while James and David rounded up and killed Dana Baade, Michael Hadrath, and the wounded Stewart Baade. Cheskey was taken to an abandoned farmhouse near Hartford, South Dakota, where she was raped by James Fryer before Allen drove her home, dropping her off around 5 a.m.

The bodies of Hadrath and the Baade brothers were found along a roadside the next afternoon by visitors to the park; Essem's body was found at the campsite the following day. Investigators initially questioned Cheskey's credibility given her composure and recall of detail, but she passed a polygraph test. On November 29, 1973, while driving the countryside with Sheriff Craig Vinson, Cheskey identified the farmhouse by a distinctive fuel tank, and the pair then happened to see Allen Fryer driving the same truck used in the crimes. He was arrested on the spot, and David and James Fryer were arrested shortly afterward. Cheskey identified David and James Fryer in a police lineup on November 30, 1973. All three brothers were arraigned on December 1, 1973, on four counts of murder, with bond set at $400,000 each.

The brothers were tried separately. David Fryer pleaded guilty on February 12, 1974, to charges including murder and manslaughter and admitted to killing Stewart Baade; he was sentenced to life without parole. Allen Fryer was tried before Judge James P. Kelley in May 1974 and, following testimony from Cheskey, was found guilty on May 20, 1974, of four counts of first-degree murder, receiving four consecutive life terms. After his trial, Allen Fryer and James Fryer escaped from the Lyon County Jail on June 18, 1974, fleeing to Wyoming, where they were involved in a hit-and-run and later arrested after a high-speed chase. James Fryer's trial, moved to Dickinson County, Iowa, concluded on December 20, 1974, with a guilty verdict on three counts of first-degree murder and one count of manslaughter; he was sentenced on January 7, 1975, to three concurrent life sentences plus eight years for manslaughter. All three brothers received sentences of life imprisonment without parole, and their appeals were rejected. In 2016, David Fryer's request to the parole board to allow eventual parole eligibility was denied following testimony from Cheskey and Lynette Hadrath, sister of victim Michael Hadrath. As of 2024, Allen Fryer was incarcerated at the Anamosa State Penitentiary, while David and James Fryer were held at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility, both in Iowa.

Key facts

Victims
Stewart Baade, Roger Essem, Dana Baade, Michael Hadrath, Sandra Cheskey
Date
1973
Location
Gitchie Manitou State Preserve, Lyon County, Iowa
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1973-11-17

    Five teenagers camping at Gitchie Manitou State Preserve are ambushed by the Fryer brothers; four are shot dead and 13-year-old Sandra Cheskey is kidnapped and raped before being released.

  2. 1973-11-18

    Bodies of Michael Hadrath and Stewart and Dana Baade are discovered along a roadside by visitors to the park.

  3. 1973-11-19

    The body of Roger Essem is found at the campsite.

  4. 1973-11-29

    Sandra Cheskey identifies the farmhouse where she was held, leading to the arrest of Allen Fryer; David and James Fryer are arrested shortly after.

  5. 1973-11-30

    Cheskey identifies David and James Fryer in a police lineup.

  6. 1973-12-01

    All three Fryer brothers are arraigned and charged with four counts of murder; bond set at $400,000 each.

  7. 1974-02-12

    David Fryer pleads guilty to murder and manslaughter charges and is sentenced to life without parole.

  8. 1974-05

    Allen Fryer stands trial before Judge James P. Kelley at the Lyon County Court House on four counts of first-degree murder.

  9. 1974-05-20

    Allen Fryer is found guilty on four counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to four consecutive life terms.

  10. 1974-06-18

    Allen Fryer and James Fryer escape from Lyon County Jail, later fleeing to Wyoming where they are involved in a hit-and-run and arrested after a high-speed chase.

  11. 1974-12-03

    James Fryer's trial begins in Lyon County before a change of venue is granted.

  12. 1974-12-11

    James Fryer's trial resumes with jury selection at the Dickinson County Courthouse.

  13. 1974-12-20

    James Fryer is found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder and one count of manslaughter.

  14. 1974-12-30

    Iowa Supreme Court orders a rehearing at the Lyon County Courthouse regarding David Fryer's appeal.

  15. 1975-01-07

    James Fryer is sentenced to three concurrent life terms plus eight years for manslaughter.

  16. 2016

    David Fryer's request to the parole board for eligibility for parole is rejected following testimony from Sandra Cheskey and Lynette Hadrath.

Best coverage

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People

  • Allen Fryer

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of four counts of first-degree murder in May 1974; sentenced to four consecutive life terms without parole

  • Stewart Baade

    VICTIM

    18-year-old wounded then killed by the Fryer brothers

  • Roger Essem

    VICTIM

    17-year-old fatally shot at the campsite

  • Dana Baade

    VICTIM

    14-year-old fatally shot, brother of Stewart Baade

  • James Fryer

    CONVICTED

    Convicted in December 1974 of three counts of first-degree murder and one count of manslaughter; sentenced to concurrent life terms plus eight years

  • Michael Hadrath

    VICTIM

    15-year-old fatally shot after being wounded in the arm

  • David Fryer

    CONVICTED

    Pleaded guilty in February 1974 to murder and manslaughter charges; sentenced to life without parole

  • Sandra Cheskey

    VICTIM

    13-year-old kidnapped and raped; survived and testified against her attackers

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • Fryfer Bros capture

    newspaper

    Fryfer Bros capture

    Credit: Unknown · Public domain · Source

Places

Gitchie Manitou State Preserve, Lyon County, Iowa

43.4957, -96.5929

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On the night of November 17, 1973, three brothers ambushed five teenagers camping at Gitchie Manitou State Preserve in Iowa, shooting four of them dead and kidnapping and raping the fifth, a 13-year-old girl, who survived and later helped identify the killers.
Where did the murders happen?
Gitchie Manitou State Preserve, Lyon County, Iowa.
Who was convicted?
Allen Fryer (Convicted of four counts of first-degree murder in May 1974; sentenced to four consecutive life terms without parole), James Fryer (Convicted in December 1974 of three counts of first-degree murder and one count of manslaughter; sentenced to concurrent life terms plus eight years), and David Fryer (Pleaded guilty in February 1974 to murder and manslaughter charges; sentenced to life without parole).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.
More cases in Iowa

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICGitchie Manitou murdersWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. OFFICIAL / AGENCYContemporaneous coverage — doc.iowa.govdoc.iowa.gov · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — newspaperarchive.comnewspaperarchive.com · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026
Last verified against sources
JUL 07, 2026