Couple Murdered At Iowa Fair

A husband and wife who ran a funnel cake stand at the Iowa State Fair were found bound, gagged and shot to death in a fairgrounds camping area, and one of their workers was being sought Tuesday.

Authorities are searching for Jerimy C. Sneed, a 22-year-old parole violator with a pierced tongue, a red goatee and a spider tattoo on his forearm, said Chuck Wood of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

The bodies of Bobie J. Blewer, 56, and his 49-year-old wife, Marilyn, of Pierce City, Mo., were found by their son in their converted bus about 1:50 p.m. Monday in an area restricted to concession operators. Their pickup was discovered in Des Moines.

Authorities believe Sneed, who also has a pierced ear and possibly a swastika on his right bicep, had worked for the Blewers.

Missouri prison officials said Sneed was wanted for failing to report to his parole officer after serving a prison sentence for theft.

“I think it would be safe to say he’s an individual we need to talk to that may very well have information,” Wood said.

The Blewers sold funnel cakes, made of batter dribbled through a funnel into a deep fat fryer and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Some vendors at the fair set plastic soda cups out to collect donations for the slain couple’s two children. Others reopened the funnel cake stand for the family’s benefit.

Mike and Rhonda Lohmann of Des Moines were standing in line to buy a funnel cake.

“Normally, we’d come and get a corn dog,” Mike Lohmann said.

“But because of this, we thought we’d get a funnel cake instead.”