(Harrison County, Iowa) The man accused of a 1989 cold-case murder won’t have his bond reduced. A Harrison County judge ruled to uphold Robert Davis’ three-million-dollar bond after the man requested a reduction due to health reasons. Davis was charged with the disappearance and murder of Barbara Lenz over 35 years ago and faces a life sentence if convicted.
This is the first arrest made in a case that the Iowa Cold Case unit has helped investigate. Attorney General Bird launched the statewide unit in July 2024.
Lenz was last seen on Saturday, May 6, 1989. Her boyfriend, Robert Davis, reported dropping her off at her Woodbine, Iowa, apartment earlier that day. Lenz was supposed to visit her former boyfriend and the father of her 3-year-old child in Omaha, Nebraska, but she never arrived.
Her disappearance was reported to the Woodbine Police Department. Investigations at Lenz’s home suggested she had been taken against her will. Over the years, investigations pursued numerous leads and searches, but Lenz was never found. The Iowa Cold Case unit brought fresh eyes and a focused team to dig through information, meet with witnesses, and follow up on leads in Lenz’s case.
Robert Davis, a 61-year-old man from Council Bluffs, and Lenz’s boyfriend at the time of her disappearance, was arrested on March 10. He was charged with First Degree Murder.
