On Tuesday, August 3, 2021, at approximately 8:10 a.m., local authorities arrested Gregory Allen Showalter, age 61, of 333 Evergreen, Ottumwa. Showalter turned himself in to authorities at the Wapello County Law Enforcement Center. Showalter was charged with the following offenses:
Gregory is charged with causing the death of his wife, Helen Showalter, which preliminary findings say was the result of foul play.
This investigation is being conducted by the Wapello County Sheriff’s Department, Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Ottumwa Police Department.
Please note the following pursuant to recent Supreme Court rulings: “A criminal charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty
On Tuesday, June 28, 2022 at approximately 4:24 p.m., Officers responded to the area of East Main and Brick Row on a report that a male was bleeding from his head and neck.
On Thursday, April 28, 2022, at approximately 8:06 p.m., the Ottumwa Police Department received a report of a suspicious male who was attempting to lure a child into his car.
On Wednesday, February 23, 2022, at approximately 8:11 p.m., the Ottumwa Police Department responded to 424 N. Court, Apartment 3, Ottumwa, on a report that a male had been shot at this address.
The Ottumwa Police Department would like request the assistance of the public regarding a missing person investigation. On August 28, 2019, Timothy William-Michal Fortney was reported missing to the police department. At the time he was reported missing, Fortney had not been seen for over a year.
The Ottumwa Police Department has dedicated and professional men and women who strive to deliver the best possible law enforcement service to the citizens of Ottumwa. The Police Department is authorized to have 42 sworn positions. Five of these positions are ancillary and are not fully funded by the city’s general fund. These positions include two investigators assigned to the southeast Iowa Inter-Agency drug Task Force and three officers assigned as School Resource Officers. Currently there are 39 sworn officers working for the department, two officers attending the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and one officer beginning the Patrol Training Program.
The Ottumwa Municipal Code allows residents to legally keep rabbits and chickens within the city limits of Ottumwa under a permit issued by the Ottumwa Police Department. Persons wishing to keep chickens and rabbits must meet certain requirements in order to receive a permit.
