Connie Jo Bodensteiner

Connie Jo Bodensteiner (known in some records and recollections as Connie Jo Choate Bodensteiner) was a 24‑year‑old mother from Des Moines whose life was shaped by close family bonds and difficult circumstances. Public records and family comments that appear in local memorial and cold‑case summaries identify her as the mother of a young daughter, Brittany, who at the time of Connie’s death was in the care of her grandparents. Her mother, Sandy Choate of New Providence, is named in contemporary accounts and expressed the family’s concern for Connie’s well‑being in the years before her death.

Those same sources describe a person who struggled with instability — including interruptions in schooling and brushes with the law — and who lived much of her adult life in Des Moines. Connie had been married to Michael Bodensteiner; that marriage had ended in separation some years before her death. Though details about her daily routines, friendships, or personal interests are limited in the public record, the presence of a young child in her life and the fact that her family welcomed her visits (including a visit to see her daughter in late July 1995) point to the human ties that defined her more than the hardships she experienced.

Public records show that Connie was laid to rest in Greene County at Paton Township Cemetery, where private graveside services were held in August 1995. Beyond the basic facts preserved in news accounts and cold‑case summaries, few extended personal tributes appear in widely available archives. That absence of detail does not diminish the reality that Connie was a person with relationships and a family who carried the impact of her life and loss.

While some public narratives have focused on the events surrounding her death, it is important to remember the human name behind those reports: a mother, a daughter of Sandy Choate and Randy Choate, and someone whose story affected family and community. Connie’s life, though troubled in public accounts, was not defined solely by those troubles. She mattered to people who saw her as their daughter and as a mother to Brittany, and those connections are what endure. If you have memories or information that might add to the record of her life, respectful contributions to family remembrance or law‑enforcement inquiries can help ensure she is not forgotten.