Missing Since: 2011-07-30 Location: Norwalk, Iowa
Kaidena lived with her husband, 79-year-old James William “Bill” Wood, in rural Norwalk, Iowa. A photo of Bill is posted with this case summary. On the night of July 30, 2011, their house was destroyed by fire. The blaze apparently started on the front porch, and by the time firefighters arrived, the house was engulfed in flames. Bill’s body was found in the ashes the next morning; he’d been shot to death. Kaidena was missing, as was the couple’s truck, a red 2009 Chevrolet Silverado with the Iowa license plate number 426SOC. Pictures of the truck are posted with this case summary. On July 31, the same day Bill’s body was identified, the Woods’ truck was found abandoned at Cordillera Ranch Apartments in the 8300 block of north Donnelly Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. Authorities determined it had actually been there since before the Woods’ house caught fire. Witnesses saw an unidentified man park walking away from the vehicle. A sketch of the man is posted with this case summary. He’s considered a person of interest in Bill’s murder and Kaidena’s disappearance. The man is described as White, 6’2 to 6’6 tall, with crew-cut gray or White hair. He was between his 40s and his 60s. The Woods had been married almost three years by the time of the fire. They had both survived their previous spouses. Bill still worked in spite of his advanced age. Kaidena and Bill were at an auction in Stuart, Iowa on the morning of July 30, and it’s possible someone saw them there and decided to rob them. They kept expensive antiques in their home. Authorities don’t consider Kaidena to be a suspect in the fire or her husband’s murder. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance due to the circumstances involved. Investigating Agency Warren County Sheriff’s Office 515-961-1122 Source Information NamUs The Des Moines Register Iowa Department of Public Safety KCCI 8 Facebook Page for Bill and Kaidena Wood Iowa Cold Cases Updated 1 time since October 12, 2004. Last updated February 25, 2012; casefile added.