George Mattern Monument
Donation protected
Officer Mattern’s overnight shift on August 7th-8th, 1917 would’ve been unremarkable if not for the shots he heard off in the distance while on patrol near Court Ave in Des Moines, IA.
In an alley, Officer Mattern encountered a would-be robber fleeing a gun battle with another officer.
The criminal and Mattern exchanged fire. Mattern took a bullet to the gut. He didn’t die that evening, but when infection set in and early modern medicine wasn’t enough, Mattern became the City’s third Officer to die as a result of his service.
His killer faded into the shadows of the alleys in the city, escaping justice.
This homicide is the sole unsolved death of an officer in Des Moines Police Department history.
Sadly, Officer Mattern is buried in an unmarked grave.
Please help honor a man - who has waited a century waiting to be remembered - by donating to the Mattern Monument fund.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/columnists/daniel-finney/2017/08/10/unsolved-murder-des-moines-police-officer-memorial-history-george-mattern/525702001/
In an alley, Officer Mattern encountered a would-be robber fleeing a gun battle with another officer.
The criminal and Mattern exchanged fire. Mattern took a bullet to the gut. He didn’t die that evening, but when infection set in and early modern medicine wasn’t enough, Mattern became the City’s third Officer to die as a result of his service.
His killer faded into the shadows of the alleys in the city, escaping justice.
This homicide is the sole unsolved death of an officer in Des Moines Police Department history.
Sadly, Officer Mattern is buried in an unmarked grave.
Please help honor a man - who has waited a century waiting to be remembered - by donating to the Mattern Monument fund.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/columnists/daniel-finney/2017/08/10/unsolved-murder-des-moines-police-officer-memorial-history-george-mattern/525702001/
Organizer
Anthony Garza
Organizer
Des Moines, IA
