Ames, Iowa, police say they have received new information in the 1979 disappearance of Ronald Westwick.Westwick, 34 at the time, left his parents’ home in Ellsworth on March 12, 1979, telling them he was going to a bar in Ames and that he would be home later that night. He never returned and was never found.The case has been cold for decades.But recently, police say there has been new information come to light.”There’s no question in this case; we believe there are still people out there that have answers or have information about this case,” Maj. Dan Walter with the Ames Police Department said. “We did have some people reach out that maybe hadn’t spoke to us before.”For Westwick’s relatives, hope has endured despite the decades.Jerry Greenfield remembers her cousin as someone who loved to make others laugh.”In some respects, he was quiet, but he loved to be funny,” she said. “And at our school dances, he was probably one of the best dancers in our school, which was very small, so the girls would kind of line up to get to be able to dance with him.”Greenfield also remembers the night Westwick went missing.”He told his parents he was going to be home very shortly; he was just going to go down and shoot some pool or play some games at one of the establishments down there,” she said.Greenfield said an investigator contacted her last year to ask her more questions about Westwick and requested a DNA sample.She said closure remains the family’s priority. Even more so than justice.”If they would find his remains, there is a plot ready for him to be buried next to his parents, and I really would like to do that,” Greenfield said.Ames police have not released details of the new tips, but say they believe the case is one that can be put to bed.”Do I think this case will be solved or can be solved? Absolutely. We can never say with 100% certainty, but I think that the facts and the evidence in this case can lead us to a conclusion,” Walters said.If you have any information about Westwick’s disappearance, you’re asked to call Ames police at 515-239-5133 or the anonymous tip line at 515-239-5533.
Ames, Iowa, police say they have received new information in the 1979 disappearance of Ronald Westwick.
Westwick, 34 at the time, left his parents’ home in Ellsworth on March 12, 1979, telling them he was going to a bar in Ames and that he would be home later that night. He never returned and was never found.
The case has been cold for decades.
But recently, police say there has been new information come to light.
“There’s no question in this case; we believe there are still people out there that have answers or have information about this case,” Maj. Dan Walter with the Ames Police Department said. “We did have some people reach out that maybe hadn’t spoke to us before.”
For Westwick’s relatives, hope has endured despite the decades.
Jerry Greenfield remembers her cousin as someone who loved to make others laugh.
“In some respects, he was quiet, but he loved to be funny,” she said. “And at our school dances, he was probably one of the best dancers in our school, which was very small, so the girls would kind of line up to get to be able to dance with him.”
Greenfield also remembers the night Westwick went missing.
“He told his parents he was going to be home very shortly; he was just going to go down and shoot some pool or play some games at one of the establishments down there,” she said.
Greenfield said an investigator contacted her last year to ask her more questions about Westwick and requested a DNA sample.
She said closure remains the family’s priority. Even more so than justice.
“If they would find his remains, there is a plot ready for him to be buried next to his parents, and I really would like to do that,” Greenfield said.
Ames police have not released details of the new tips, but say they believe the case is one that can be put to bed.
“Do I think this case will be solved or can be solved? Absolutely. We can never say with 100% certainty, but I think that the facts and the evidence in this case can lead us to a conclusion,” Walters said.
If you have any information about Westwick’s disappearance, you’re asked to call Ames police at 515-239-5133 or the anonymous tip line at 515-239-5533.
