The Mysterious Deaths of Rose Burkert and Roger Atkison

The Amana Holiday Inn Murders

• 💡 On September 13, 1980, Rose Burkert (22) and Roger Atkison (32) were found brutally murdered in Room 260 of the Holiday Inn Amana, Iowa.
• 📌 Housekeeping staff discovered the couple bludgeoned to death in their bed, with multiple blows to the back of their heads and defensive wounds.
• 🔪 Investigators believe the murder weapon was a heavy, sharp blade, possibly a cane knife, causing deep lacerations.

Unsettling Crime Scene Details

• 🧩 The room showed no signs of forced entry but contained numerous bizarre elements that puzzled investigators.
• 🪑 Two chairs were repositioned to face the bed, suggesting someone was sitting and watching the victims.
• ⚠️ A torn photo of an infant, a shredded cashier's check, a crushed bar of soap, and the word "this" written in soap on the bathroom door were found.
• 🛁 A tube of toothpaste was squirted into the bathtub, an intentional act as it was the only personal item placed in the bathroom.

Victims' Secret Affair and Connections

• 🤫 Rose and Roger were having a secret affair; Roger was married and checked into the hotel under a false name, "Roger Burkard."
• 📞 Rose made a call to her daughter's babysitter, confirming her presence, and an unknown man called the hotel asking for Rose later that night.
• 💬 Guests across the hall heard a woman say "room service" and a loud thud, but no other disturbances were reported.

Similar Cases and Early Suspects

• 🔍 The Amana murders bore striking similarities to two other hotel killings: William Kyle in Illinois and Jack Macdonald in Mississippi, both involving bludgeoning and squirted toothpaste.
• 👤 Rayundo Esparza was an early suspect due to his presence at the Illinois hotel, but his DNA did not match evidence from the Amana scene.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Roger's wife's father, Floyd Hatcher, was also considered a suspect due to suspicious comments and a lack of alibi, but familial DNA ruled him out.

Advancements in DNA Testing

• 🧬 In 2017, an unknown male DNA profile was found on a bloody towel from the crime scene, but it did not match any previous suspects or samples in databases.
• 🔬 Chief Deputy Sauerbrei plans to retest the towel and the infamous tube of toothpaste using new MVAC technology for a better profile.
• 💼 Roger's wallet, which was never tested for DNA, is also slated for examination, offering a new potential lead.

Lingering Questions and New Leads

• ❓ The identity of the unknown man who called Rose at the hotel remains a key unanswered question, potentially holding the solution to the case.
• 💔 Roger's wife, Marcela, believes the murder was personal and an "overkill," suggesting it was not a random attack.
• 🙏 After nearly 50 years, investigators and the victims' families, including Marcela, hope new testing will finally bring justice and answers.