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    • Jul 30, 2020
    • 2 min read

Iowa: Gitchie Manitou and Burlington

We are in the Hawkeye state! While yes I have been to Iowa many times, here are the things that come to mind for me. Hawkeye is from the book, Last of the Mohicans, which in turn is the nickname to one of my favorite TV characters, Capt. Benjamin Franklin Pierce in the show MASH. Is that dating me that I love MASH? My dad and I used to watch it all of the time, and a couple of months ago I showed him that he can watch every episode. Since then we have been watching our favorites together. Sorry I am rambling as I type. I do that when I talk as well. Anyway, back to the reason you are all here.


This week we first talked about Kedarie Johnson, a wonderful gender fluid teen who was murdered. We wanted to provide a link to resources:


Amber's true crime story:

In 1973 in Sioux Falls, SD there wasn't much for teenagers to do. So, Sandra and her boyfriend Roger decided to go camping with a group of Roger's friends. They drove in their friend Stewart's van to Gitchie Manitou in the northern corner of Iowa. It was a state preserve known for its camping and hiking. The teens decided that they were going to sing by the campfire and smoke some pot. However, it turns out that they weren't alone. Three brothers were also out there that night and they watched the group sing and decided to pretend to be narcotics officers. However, when they went to confront the teens, they ended up shooting Roger and marching the rest out towards the van. Only one of the teens would make it out alive.


Amber's Resources:



Celina's true crime story:

Understanding who you are at any age can be hard. Kedarie Johnson knew just who he was. Kedarie had moved from Chicago to a small town in Iowa. He identified as gender fluid and was well liked in the community. From all accounts he was a bright star, but his life was taken. There are many unanswered questions on why two men shot Kedarie.


Celina's Resources:





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