Daughter Accuses Deceased Father of Serial Murders in Iowa Case

A new documentary series on Paramount+ is reigniting scrutiny of one of rural America's most unusual cases: the unresolved allegations that Donald Studey, a man who lived in Green Hollow, Iowa, was responsible for multiple unsolved murders in his community.

In "My Killer Father: The Green Hollow Murders," his daughter Lucy Studey McKiddy presents her evidence and accusations spanning three episodes. What makes this case distinctive is that the central figure—known locally as "The Monster from Green Hollow"—died in 2017 without ever being formally charged or convicted of any crime.

The case reflects a broader phenomenon in American true crime: families and communities sometimes carry decades of suspicion about alleged perpetrators, yet the formal criminal justice system never brings charges. These cold cases and unproven accusations occupy a liminal space between public suspicion and legal innocence, particularly challenging for documentary makers and families seeking closure.

Green Hollow is a small rural community in Iowa, a state in the American Midwest. The region has a history of unsolved disappearances and deaths that residents have long attributed to Studey, though law enforcement never formally connected him to specific crimes. McKiddy's documentary provides a platform for these allegations to be examined systematically, presenting her perspective on her father's activities over what she claims was a multi-decade period.

The format—a three-part series—allows for narrative depth uncommon in traditional news coverage. Paramount+, the streaming service backed by the American media corporation Paramount, has increasingly invested in true crime documentaries targeting international audiences, making cases from rural America accessible to viewers worldwide.