Renada, Matilla died (murdered) 1928

RENADA, RAMEDA, RAMENDA, RAMIREZ, VALLE, LOPEZ, RAMOS

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 2/26/2014 at 17:45:34

Waterloo Daily Courier, Saturday, 14 December 1928.

Oelwein, Iowa, December 14. – An inquest was to be conducted here this afternoon over the body of Matilla Renada, Mexican, whose knife-slashed body was found in a crude grave at the west edge of town last evening.

Luiz Valle, suspected of the killing, and Manuel Lopez, believed to have been an accomplice in concealment of the body, are in jail at West Union.

Reports to N. L. Watt, chief of police here, are that Valle had admitted to fellow countrymen that he had killed Renada, but no confession has been made, A. A. Robertson, Sheriff, says.

Killed Sunday Night ?

It is the belief of officers that Renada was killed Sunday night.

Officers have learned that Valle and his wife resided in Chicago at the same place as Renada some time ago. All the persons involved in the crime are Mexicans and none will talk about the killing. They all reside at a boarding house on West Charles Street.

Was Section Hand.

Valle was an employee of a Chicago Great Western section gang.

Chris Ramos, father-in-law of Valle, operates the boarding house, and it was he who identified the body.

Two young boys, whose names Watt refuses to make known, found the dead man Wednesday when they returned to investigate a suspicious appearing mound they had noticed the previous day while passing along the road.

Shovel Left By Grave.

A shovel and man's hat nearby induced them to dig and they soon uncovered part of the body. It was re-covered and Watt notified.

Sheriff A. A. Robertson, his deputy, N. J. Nehring, and Watt went to the scene last night and removed the body.

The dead man appears to have been about 25 years old.

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Oelwein, Iowa, December 15. – (Condensed).

Luz Valle, accused by a coroner's jury yesterday of having murdered Matilla Renada and hiding the body in a shallow grave at the West edge of town, admitted the crime to her and others, Mrs. Valle told officers investigating the case last night.

Jealousy which officers believe was aroused by Renada's attentions to Mrs. Valle is said to have prompted the slaying. Renada's body was stabbed 20 times.

Hold Three As Accessories.

Manuel Lopez and Raymond Ramos, the latter a brother–in–law of Valle, are in jail as accessories after the crime. They are accused of assisting Valle to dispose of the body. Pedro Ramos, another brother–in–law, was taken into custody last night. Mr. and Mrs. Valle, officers have learned, formerly lived in the same place in Chicago as Renada, and the latter followed them here a couple weeks ago.

According to fragmentary admissions by the men in custody and others of the Mexican colony here, Renada was killed in a fight Sunday night and the body left unguarded until Monday night, when Valle and friends returned, and covered the dead man with sand.

A note expressing love for "señorita" written in Spanish, was found in Renada's coat. There is nothing to identify the woman addressed.

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Waterloo Evening Courier, Thursday, 20 December 1928. (condensed).

West Union, Iowa, Dec. 20.- Death was inflicted on Matilla Renada because he had offended Luz Valle by attentions to the latter's wife, Valle and his seconds at the meeting which ended in the murder, Dec. 9, at Oelwein yesterday, admitted to Sheriff A. A. Robertson and Martin Cooney, county attorney-elect.

Husband Upbraided Interloper.

Valle, accompanied by Pedro Ramos, a brother of his wife, and Manuel Lopez, had taken Renada to the lonely spot where the body was found and upbraided him, the officials learned, a quarrel developing in which Valle stabbed the other about 20 times. Details of the fight have not been learned by the officers, but it is their belief only Valle and Renada took part in it.

A coroner's jury accused Valle, Lopez and Ramos and they, with Ramon Ramos, held as a material witness, have been in custody since.

None of the men has yet procured counsel, but officers understand a fund is being raised by their friends in the Mexican colony at Oelwein with which to engage an attorney.

(A later article notes that Ramon Ramos, aged 17, was released.)

(A still later article notes that Valle and Lopez said Renada was executed because of his attentions to Valle's wife and that they acted under Mexican code which interprets the killing as justified. The defense and prosecution agreed that women be barred from serving on the jury. The judge in the case took their actions under Mexican code into consideration when finding the degree of the crime.)

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Submitters Notes:

Many newspaper articles give various spellings of the names of the principals in this matter:

Matilla/Matillo Renata/Rameda/Ramenda/Ramirez. The most common spelling was Matilla Renata. He was described as about 25 years of age. No relatives could be found and his remains were sent to the Iowa City Medical college. There is no mention of a burial.

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Of the three men charged with first degree murder in this case:

Luz/Luis/Luiz/Louis Valle, most articles name him as Luis Valle, pled guilty to second degree murder and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Luis Valle can be found on the 1930 Federal Census, Iowa State Penitentiary, Ft. Madison, Lee Co., Iowa. He is listed as 25 years, married, married at 21 years of age, immigrated in 1924, is an alien. An article in the Waterloo Evening Courier, Wednesday, 27 February 1929, notes the death of his 9 months old daughter, Josephine, at Oelwein, and who was buried there that day.

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Eamuel/Emanuel/Emmanuel/Manuel Lopez, most articles spell his name Manuel Lopez, pled guilty to second degree murder and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Manuel Lopez can be found on the 1930 Federal Census of the Iowa State Penitentiary, Ft. Madison, Lee Co., Iowa. He is shown as 35 years of age, single, immigrated 1926, is an alien.

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Pedro Ramos was tried twice, the first resulting in a hung jury, the second resulting in his being convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 8 years in prison. He can be found on the 1930 Federal Census, Iowa State Penitentiary, Ft. Madison, Lee Co., Iowa. He is shown as 30 years of age, Married, married at age 24, immigrated 1926, is an alien. Articles covering his trials note his wife and three children attended the trials. An article in the Oelwein Daily Register, 27 December 1933, notes that Pedro Ramos was given good behavior time off his sentence and he was released from prison.

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After the 1930 Federal census and the 1933 release of Pedro Ramos I could not find any more information on any of the individuals.

It was a sad and sensational occurrence in the history of Fayette County.

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All of the articles and pictures of Valle, Lopez and Ramos have been sent to this sites coordinator.

Submitter is not related.

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