Weird Iowa: Slipknot Theft, Rusty Comes Home, Human Skull Puzzle Solved, Trail of Pigs, 'Floury' F Bomb

An Urbandale soldier’s dog, missing since May 25, is almost back where he belongs. David Schnotala, a chief warrant officer 2 in the Iowa National Guard, has been searching for his dog, Rusty, a 5-year-old Pomeranian mix, since the dog vanished while Schnotala was out of town. Soldiers at Camp Dodge raised a $1,500 reward to help promote the cause.

Turns out, a woman who was friends with Schnotala's roommate took the dog with her, then returned Rusty after Patch and other media covered the disappearance. The pooch is with Schnotala's parents while he's on maneuvers. The soldier said he won't press charges if the woman doesn't try to claim the reward.

Calling Indiana Jones to solve this mystery.

Ames police said this week they believe a skull found in the Skunk River is hundreds of years old. A canoeist discovered it north of the former Carr Pool on July 2. A state forensic anthropologist plans to study the piece of skull and bone fragment to determine its age.

This little piggie went to market in a gruesome way. Cedar Falls drivers encountered pigs falling into traffic on Highway 58 from an apparently unsecured door of a livestock trailer. State troopers and Cedar Falls and Waterloo police found a trail of pigs heading east on Highway 20, and a pig carcass was found at the Highway 21 overpass in Waterloo.

Daphnee, a Marion dachsund, loves birds, butterflies, bats and squirrels. Larry and Sandy Earle, the pooch's owners, operate a booth called Backyard Habitat at area farmers' markets. Larry makes houses out of cedar for critters: bird houses, bat houses, squirrel houses, butterfly houses, Oriole houses, bee houses. 

His work started to create a home for squirrels, whose nests were destroyed by the wind. When they left the yard, Daphnee was depressed. Larry's creations drew birds, squirrels and other animals back to the property, perking up Daphnee, her owners and creating a business.

And, each week there are quirky items from police blotters.

A West Des Moines man came home to find his entire apartment had been cleared out and the burglar had dumped flour on the floor and scrawled an obscene message -- the F bomb -- in it. The victim told police he suspects his former girlfriend; she had allegedly threatened to make him pay after seeing him with a new girlfriend.

The theft of two guitars formerly belonging to deceased Slipknot bassist Paul Gray were among $36,000 worth of musical equipment reported stolen by the metal band’s lead singer, Corey Taylor. Gray of Johnston, a founder of the Grammy-winning band, died in May 2010 at an Urbandale hotel, reportedly of a drug overdose. 

And finally, an Iowa City man was charged with felony arson after his dispute with a drug dealer led him to decide to the dealer's car on fire. But he mistakenly set the wrong car ablaze. Jerry William Titus, 57, was charged with second-degree arson, a Class C Felony.