Overview of The Deck — Thomas Mather (Seven of Diamonds from Iowa)
This episode (hosted by Ashley Flowers) examines the unsolved 1991 murder of 32-year-old Thomas “Tom” Mather in Springdale, Iowa — the town's only remaining whodunit. The episode lays out the crime scene, the initial investigation, key physical evidence, the primary suspects and theories (focused on Tom’s wife Dawn and a possible male accomplice), inconsistencies in witness accounts and behavior, forensic limitations at the time, and recent efforts to re-test evidence with modern DNA technology.
Key facts & timeline
- Date/time: Night of September 30, 1991. Sun set ~6:53 p.m.; incident occurred after dark.
- Discovery: Dawn Mather — reported to neighbors naked and seeking help. Deputies found Tom dead inside the farmhouse.
- Crime scene: Tom was on his back in the living room, hands and feet bound with two different ropes (nylon and a red/white/blue jump-rope–type). A deep throat slash was present, but autopsy revealed death by a .22 caliber gunshot to the head; a .22 casing was recovered behind the couch.
- Immediate response: Large multi-agency search (50 officers, dogs, helicopter) within a four-mile radius; searches hindered by tall cornfields.
- Financial detail: Tom had life insurance policies totaling >$57,000; beneficiary had recently been changed to Dawn. Dawn eventually received ~ $42,000 in June 1992 after a delay while she remained a suspect.
Evidence recovered
- Bloody knife on a chair beside Tom (blood type A; limited forensic value).
- .22 casing behind the couch; autopsy confirmed .22 fatal wound.
- Two different ropes used to bind Tom; robe given to Dawn by neighbor collected.
- Box of .22 ammunition found on a hutch (not removed by perpetrator).
- Bedspread and bed cuttings, swabs from closet door, sexual assault kit — none produced seminal fluid.
- Numerous latent fingerprints and palm prints; one print was AFIS-quality in 1991 but yielded no match.
- Tire tracks found on property; several witness-reported vehicles seen near the scene (descriptions inconsistent).
- Teal/green dress seized from Dawn in 1993 with stains; lab testing did not produce incriminating results.
- No weapon conclusively matched to the shooting was located.
Witness accounts & behavioral notes
- Dawn’s account: She described an unidentified, naked white male (sandy/longish blond hair, late 20s–30s, ~6'0", in tennis shoes) forcing them, tying Tom, attempting sexual assault but unable to perform; she escaped barefoot through the garage to neighbors.
- Some responders and neighbors described Dawn as calm, unusually upbeat, or emotionally “off” given the homicide; others noted only brief grief in the hospital.
- Tom reportedly told a newspaper delivery man about being afraid a couple (his wife and “someone”) might try to kill him; he believed a beneficiary change had been arranged.
- Multiple witnesses reported seeing an unfamiliar man and a light/blue car near the property around the time of the murder; one neighbor reported a blondish man rattling her back door ~1 hour after Dawn sought help.
Suspects & investigative theories
- Primary investigative theory early on: Dawn may have been involved, possibly with a male accomplice. Reasons: alleged strange behavior, failed polygraph (on questions about knowing who shot Tom), the insurance beneficiary change, and some local rumors.
- Secondary focus: Dave Baranek (Tom’s best friend) was heavily investigated at one point because of jokes and conversations about “if something happened” and his frequent presence among the group. He had access to .22 firearms, but none tested matched the murder weapon, and his prints did not match scene prints. He and his wife provided an alibi (she in bathtub, he reportedly watching TV) and remain neither charged nor publicly implicated beyond investigation.
- Stranger theory: Some physical evidence (unmatched prints, .22 casing, witness sightings) could support that a previously unidentified stranger committed the murder; investigators never positively identified such an individual.
Forensic limits, inconsistencies & investigative gaps
- Forensic limitations in the early 1990s: many tests either negative or inconclusive (no seminal fluid, no foreign DNA reported at the time), and lab capabilities/databases were more limited.
- Behavioral inconsistencies: Dawn’s reported barefoot run across gravel without foot injuries, rapid shift to socializing at the funeral reception, and the polygraph failure fueled suspicion but are not definitive proof.
- Unidentified prints: Multiple latent prints did not match anyone in the known pool; one AFIS-quality print had no match in 1991.
- Sightings and vehicle leads were numerous but broad (example: >5,000 cars in Iowa matched a generic blue Pontiac-style description), and tire tracks were not matched to a suspect vehicle.
- Some potentially important leads appear underdeveloped in case file transcripts: e.g., the unnamed man who asked for directions to Wellman shortly before the murder, third-hand reports of a bar argument the night before, and inconsistently pursued witness descriptions.
- Investigators alternated focus between Dawn, a potential male accomplice, and local suspects; physical evidence never tied any specific person conclusively to the homicide.
Recent developments and current status
- The Cedar County Sheriff’s Office retained physical evidence (including ropes and the bloody knife) and has submitted items for modern DNA testing; results are pending.
- No arrest or charges against Dawn Mather; she received the delayed insurance payout (1992), remarried in 1996, and has lived a low-profile life.
- Sheriff Weathington and former Sheriff Whitlatch both say the case remains open and solvable; reward and tips sought.
- Contact info provided in the episode: Iowa Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit, or anonymously via Crime Stoppers at 563-886-6618.
Notable quotes
- Dawn (to investigators, recorded): “Well, they’ll just have to prove it.” (upon being confronted after failing a polygraph)
- Former Sheriff Whitlatch: “This is the only totally whodunit left.”
- Sheriff Weathington: “All the DNA we’ve found has been DNA of people who belong in that house. And I think that says a lot, too.”
- Whitlatch (on continued effort): “We are not going to let it die. We will solve this eventually.”
Major takeaways
- The case remains unresolved because physical evidence never definitively matched any suspect, and witness accounts and community rumors produced several competing—but unproven—theories.
- Two principal possibilities remain plausible: (1) Dawn participated (alone or with a second person), motivated perhaps by personal issues or financial incentive; (2) a naked stranger entered the home and committed a violent, random murder. Current evidence supports neither conclusively.
- Modern DNA testing and re-analysis of latent prints, tire impressions, and witness follow-ups offer the best path forward.
- Small-town dynamics, misremembered or contradictory witness statements, and limitations of 1990s forensics complicated the original investigation.
How the public can help
- If you have information about the murder of Thomas Mather (September 30, 1991, Springdale, Iowa), contact:
- Iowa Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit, or
- Crime Stoppers (anonymous): 563-886-6618.
- A reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
For readers who want more context: the episode stresses that trauma reactions vary, polygraph results are not proof of guilt, and that modern forensic re-testing could change the picture. The sheriff’s office continues to pursue new leads and lab results.