Shivangi Sinha
In April 1981, Jodi Bausman from Dubuque, Iowa, failed to return home, which deeply concerned her parents, especially since she had spent the night with a friend. The two had visited a bar, and Jodi had told her friend she would come back later. However, there was still no sign of her by the next morning. A frantic search ensued, and the police worked urgently to find answers. While there were some leads, no solid evidence pointed them in a clear direction. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Cabin in the Woods’ episode, titled ‘Mississippi River Cabin,’ explores the investigation that eventually provided closure to Jodi’s family and loved ones.
Jodi Bausman Disappeared After a Night-Out With Her Friend
odi Bausman was born on July 9, 1962, to Marlyn and Joyce Bausman, both of whom were school teachers. They showered their only daughter with love and always encouraged her to be independent, supporting her in all her dreams. So, when Jodi expressed her desire to pursue a career in cosmetology, her parents were fully on board. In 1981, she enrolled at Capri Cosmetology School and had only been attending classes for a few weeks when she started forming friendships. Excited about her new experiences, Jodi mentioned during dinner on April 13, 1981, that she would be spending the next day with her college friend, Jennifer Neiland.
The two girls had initially planned to stay in for the night but changed their minds. Around 11:30 pm, they headed to a local bar called Kelly’s Cove. While it wasn’t the most upscale establishment and sometimes attracted a rough crowd, Jodi and Jennifer were just looking to unwind. They played pool for a while and chatted with a few people. When Jennifer decided she was ready to leave, Jodi told her to go ahead, saying she’d return a little later. Jennifer went home, leaving her door unlocked and the porch light on for Jodi before going to bed.
The next morning, when Jennifer woke up, everything was as it had been the night before, and there was still no sign of Jodi. Initially, she tried not to worry, but when the 18-year-old failed to show up for her classes, Jennifer raised the alarm. She contacted Jodi’s parents, and soon, the police were searching for any trace of the missing girl. Nearly a month later, on May 10, 1981, a state trooper discovered a body near the Mississippi River and informed the authorities. At first glance, the police suspected it was Jodi and called her mother for official identification. The autopsy revealed that her voice box had been crushed, indicating she had been strangled, which ultimately caused her death. With this evidence of foul play, the case quickly turned into a homicide investigation.
The Police Suspected Three Men to be Involved in Jodi’s Murder
The police questioned everyone at the bar to piece together who Jodi Bausman had interacted with that night. It wasn’t long before three names surfaced—Mike Shaffer, Randy Rhomberg, and Gregory “Greg” Otterbeck. All three men were brought in for questioning, and they all gave the same account. They claimed they had left the bar with Jodi around 1 am and drove around before stopping at Randy’s apartment. There, they rolled a marijuana cigarette, which Jodi reportedly didn’t smoke. According to them, Jodi then asked to be dropped off at the Walnut Tavern, and they insisted that was the last time they saw her.
Not long after the initial questioning, Mike called Jennifer Neiland, claiming he had new information about that night. Though she never went to meet him, his behavior raised suspicions with the police. Additionally, Jodi’s family and friends informed investigators that Jodi had never been to the Walnut Tavern, making it unlikely she would have asked to be dropped off there. Despite executing search warrants on the men’s homes and cars, the police found nothing incriminating or suspicious. Determined to find answers, they expanded their interviews and eventually encountered Robert Miller.
The Account of One Man Led to the Arrest of Jodi’s Killers
When Robert Miller was brought in for questioning, he revealed that he had also been with the three men and Jodi Bausman on the night she disappeared. He admitted that he had wanted to come forward earlier but had been too afraid for his life. Miller described how, after leaving the bar, they drove around while he was heavily intoxicated. They did stop at an apartment, but afterward, instead of dropping Jodi home as she requested, the men drove in a different direction. Eventually, they all arrived at a rundown, desolate cabin on the outskirts of the Stumpf Islands. Randy Rhomberg had led them there, and Miller recalled Jodi being hesitant to go inside.
Miller explained that Randy had managed to persuade Jodi to enter the cabin. Once inside, he recounted that the three men sexually assaulted her while he, nearly incapacitated from alcohol, was unable to intervene. Miller said that Jodi tried to escape and threatened to go to the police, which enraged Randy, leading him to strangle her. According to Miller, the men then placed Jodi’s body in a refrigerator, tied it with a rope, and carried it to the river, where they disposed of it. Based on Miller’s testimony and the evidence the police had gathered, Randy, Mike Shaffer, and Greg Otterbeck were arrested on June 1, 1981.
Mike Shaffer and Randy Rhomberg Are Incarcerated Today, and Greg Otterbeck is No Longer Alive
In November 1981, the trial for Mike Shaffer, Randy Rhomberg, and Greg Otterbeck began. Within just two weeks, the jury found all three men guilty of first-degree murder, sexual assault, and two other charges. They were each handed mandatory life sentences for the murder, along with an additional ten years for the other charges, to be served consecutively. They were also granted the possibility of parole after 12 years and nine months. Randy, now 68, remains incarcerated and is serving his sentence at the Redgranite Correctional Institution.
In 2009, Greg was convicted of the December 1980 murder of Thomasina Dunivant, a sex worker from Dubuque, Iowa, whose body was discovered four months before Jodi Bausman went missing. Greg passed away in 2021 while serving his sentence at the Stanley Correctional Institution. Mike, now 68, is incarcerated at the Oakhill Correctional Institution. Both he and Randy are eligible for parole in 2025, though the chances of their release are considered slim.
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