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Iowa City Sueppel murders

SOLVED2008629 Barrington Road, Iowa City, Iowa3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

Documents violence · crimes against children · suicide · domestic violence — written to inform, not to shock.

Illustrative

In the early hours of March 24, 2008, following Easter Sunday, five members of the Sueppel family of Iowa City, Iowa were found dead in their home at 629 Barrington Road. Sheryl Sueppel, 42, and her four adopted children—Ethan (10), Seth (9), Mira (5), and Eleanor (3)—had died of multiple blunt force trauma injuries to their upper torsos and heads. Police recovered two baseball bats at the scene, believed to be the weapons used.

The deaths were discovered after a 6:31 a.m. 911 call placed from the mobile phone of Steven Sueppel, the family's husband and father, a 42-year-old former banker. The caller gave the home address, told the dispatcher to "go there immediately," and hung up without identifying himself. Five minutes later, at 6:36 a.m., Steven Sueppel died when he drove the family minivan into a concrete abutment on Interstate 80 outside Iowa City at high speed; the vehicle burst into flames. Witnesses said the crash appeared deliberate.

According to a timeline reconstructed from voicemail messages and a handwritten note, the family attended Easter Mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church on Sunday morning, and a family friend visited that evening without noticing anything unusual. Starting around 11:30 p.m. Sunday, Steven Sueppel left a series of apologetic voicemail messages for former co-workers and relatives, including one to his father and brother stating his family was "in heaven." A handwritten note left in the kitchen stated that he had killed his wife and children. Messages left in the early morning hours indicated he had attempted to kill himself and his children by carbon monoxide poisoning in the garage, and that he later tried to drown himself in the Iowa River before the killings of the children were carried out.

One month before the killings, in February 2008, Sueppel had been indicted by a federal grand jury on embezzlement and money laundering charges related to $559,040 allegedly stolen from his former employer, Hills Bank and Trust Company of Hills, Iowa, where he had worked as a vice president and controller. He had pleaded not guilty but had told investigators he diverted the funds to a personal account. He was free on bond awaiting an April 2008 trial at the time of the killings.

On March 29, 2008, St. Mary's Catholic Church in Iowa City held a funeral mass for all six family members, including Steven Sueppel, which drew controversy among area Catholics and Catholic scholars given his presumed responsibility for the killings. In August 2008, Hills Bank and Trust filed court documents seeking payment from Sueppel's estate for the embezzled funds and additional outstanding loans.

Key facts

Victims
Ethan Sueppel, Eleanor Sueppel, Sheryl Sueppel, Mira Sueppel, Seth Sueppel
Date
2008
Location
629 Barrington Road, Iowa City, Iowa
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2008-02

    Steven Sueppel is indicted by a federal grand jury on embezzlement and money laundering charges related to $559,040 allegedly taken from Hills Bank and Trust Company.

  2. 2008-03-23

    The Sueppel family attends Easter Mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church; a family friend visits the home that evening without noticing anything unusual.

  3. 2008-03-23

    At approximately 11:30 p.m., Steven Sueppel leaves a voicemail for his father and brother stating his family is 'in heaven.'

  4. 2008-03-24

    Sometime between roughly 11:30 p.m. Sunday and 3:45 a.m. Monday, Sheryl Sueppel and the four children are killed with blunt force trauma; a handwritten note left by Steven Sueppel states he killed his wife and children.

  5. 2008-03-24

    At 3:45 a.m., Steven Sueppel leaves a message at his former employer's office.

  6. 2008-03-24

    At 3:50 a.m. and 4:01 a.m., Steven Sueppel leaves messages on the home answering machine, including one saying he tried to drown himself in the Iowa River.

  7. 2008-03-24

    At 6:31 a.m., Steven Sueppel calls 911 from his mobile phone, directs dispatchers to the home, and hangs up without identifying himself.

  8. 2008-03-24

    At 6:36 a.m., Steven Sueppel dies after driving the family minivan into a concrete abutment on Interstate 80 at high speed.

  9. 2008-03-29

    St. Mary's Catholic Church in Iowa City holds a funeral mass for all six members of the Sueppel family, generating controversy over including Steven Sueppel.

  10. 2008-08

    Hills Bank and Trust files court documents seeking payment from Sueppel's estate for embezzled funds and outstanding loans.

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People

  • Ethan Sueppel

    VICTIM

    Adopted son of Steven and Sheryl Sueppel, age 10; killed in the family home.

    citation on file

  • Eleanor Sueppel

    VICTIM

    Adopted daughter of Steven and Sheryl Sueppel, age 3; killed in the family home.

    citation on file

  • Sheryl Sueppel

    VICTIM

    Wife of Steven Sueppel; killed in the family home on March 23–24, 2008.

    citation on file

  • Mira Sueppel

    VICTIM

    Adopted daughter of Steven and Sheryl Sueppel, age 5; killed in the family home.

    citation on file

  • Steven Sueppel

    CHARGED

    Former bank vice president and controller; had been indicted on federal embezzlement and money laundering charges prior to the killings and was presumed by investigators to have killed his wife and children before dying by suicide. No criminal charges were filed for the killings due to his death.

    citation on file

  • Seth Sueppel

    VICTIM

    Adopted son of Steven and Sheryl Sueppel, age 9; killed in the family home.

    citation on file

Places

629 Barrington Road, Iowa City, Iowa

41.6611, -91.5302

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On Easter Sunday night into Monday morning, March 23–24, 2008, Steven Sueppel killed his wife Sheryl and their four adopted children with baseball bats at their Iowa City home, then died by suicide by crashing the family minivan into a highway abutment.
Where did the murders happen?
629 Barrington Road, Iowa City, Iowa.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. Iowa City Sueppel murderswikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Bank Crimes Drove Iowa Man To Slay Familynews · CBS News · 2026-07-07
  3. Iowa Man Kills Family, Himself Amid Embezzlement Casenews · ABC News · 2026-07-07
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