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Woman claims her father killed 70 people as FBI launches investigation

Published 16:53 27 Oct 2022 BST

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She says her and her siblings were forced to help him dispose of the bodies

A woman has accused her late father of killing up to 70 people over the a period of three decades, prompting an investigation involving the FBI.

Iowa woman Lucy Studey says her dead father murdered dozens of young women over the course of 30 years - and even made her help him dispose of the bodies by dumping them down a well.

She claimed that her father, who died in 2013, could have killed between 50 and 70 victims, which would make him one of the most prolific serial killers in history.

Studey said she and her siblings were made to take the bodies to a spot where her father would hide his victims, using a wheelbarrow in the warmer months and a toboggan during the winter.

She said they would deposit the bodies in a well and cover them with dirt and lye to hide the human remains.

She told Newsweek she had previously tried to tell police but nobody believed her at first.

She said: "I know where the bodies are buried. He would just tell us we had to go to the well, and I knew what that meant.

"Every time I went to the well or into the hills, I didn't think I was coming down. I thought he would kill me because I wouldn't keep my mouth shut."

“We are actively investigating this, and who wouldn’t?” Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope told CNN.

“We have a scene, but we don’t know whether it’s a crime scene,” the sheriff continued. “We don’t have victims, bodies. Nothing.”

He said Lucy first called to alert them about potential buried bodies 10 years ago but officers were unable to find the well. However this time the cadaver dogs appeared to show a 'hit'. [caption id="attachment_365086" align="alignnone" width="1014"]

Lucy Studey has alleged that her father Donald, who died in 2013, killed as many as 70 people over 30 years[/caption]

Aistrope explained: “All we have is a woman came forward and told us a story about bodies in a well. “We did bring a couple cadaver dogs. Cadaver dogs looked in there or looked around the area, and they did indicate in the area. I’m not going to say it was right over the well, but they did indicate in the area.” While the dogs immediately went to the spot where Studey said bodies had been buried, at the moment no remains have yet been uncovered and the investigation is ongoing.

Joining the investigation is the FBI, with some of their agents forming part of the investigation to determine whether there really are bodies buried in the location flagged.

Fremont County Sheriff's Office is still leading the investigation with FBI agents reported to be providing assistance to officers.

But Lucy's older sister has denied claims that their father was a serial killer.

She said she believed the bones the dogs have sniffed out are animal bones rather than human remains and says her father was "not the man" her younger sister "makes him out to be."

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