CARROLL COUNTY – A young Iowa man last seen over 5 years ago was actually murdered by his friend’s boyfriend, police say, and now the suspect is behind bars, despite no body being located.
On May 2, 2020, the family of 26-year-old Christian Balke-Thompson reported him missing to law enforcement. Since that time, Balke-Thompson has not been found.
On January 22, 2026, 33-year-old Albert John Wolfe of Lanesboro, Iowa, was arrested and charged with Murder in the First Degree for the death of Balke-Thompson. The arrest stemmed from an extensive investigation conducted by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and Iowa Attorney General’s Office Cold Case Unit.
The investigating agencies were further assisted by the Rockwell City Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Webster County Attorney’s Office, and Iowa SAR K9.
No further details were released by authorities, but according to the arrest affidavit:
Christian Balke Thompson (26) was reported as a missing person on May 5, 2020. An investigation into his disappearance determined the following:
Around April 28, 2020, Balke-Thompson purchased a 1997 green Toyota Corolla, Iowa license FGM 070, from a private party. This was his only form of transportation.
On the evening of May 1, 2020, into the early morning hours of May 2, Christian Balke Thompson and a friend (MW) went to a get-together at a residence in Rockwell City, IA, arriving in Balke-Thompson’s 1997 green colored Toyota Corolla. It was learned through interviews that Balke-Thompson and MW stayed for a while and then left in the Corolla.
On May 2, 2020, around 3;00 a.m., Balke-Thompson and MW drove the Corolla to a convenience store in Lake City and then to another convenience store on the west side of Fort Dodge, where they remained until around 5:30 a.m.
May 2, 2020, at 6:45 a.m., the last reported phone ping on Balke-Thompson’s phone was near 22373 150th Avenue in Carroll County. Albert Wolfe, an acquaintance and former boyfriend of MW, lived alone on this property, located approximately five miles northeast of Carroll.
On May 3, 2020, at 8:55 p.m., family and friends called the Rockwell City Police Department and requested an attempt to locate Balke-Thompson. There had been no communication with him for about 18 hours, which was reported as unusual.
On May 4, 2020, at approximately 9:00 p.m., the Carroll County Communication Center received a call about a structure fire at 22373 150th Street in Carroll County. Upon arrival, it.was learned that one of Wolfe’s neighbors had called 911 about a fire on Wolfe’s property. The fire appeared to have started in or near a small four-door sedan that had been parked inside the shed. As a result, the shed was a total loss, and the four-door sedan was unrecognizable. Carroll County authorities at the time did not know about the connection between Balke Thompson and the 22373 150th Avenue address.
On May 5, 2020, in the afternoon, Balke-Thompson’s mom and another woman drove to the farm located at 22373 150th Street in rural Carroll. Albert Wolfe, who lived alone on the farm, came down the driveway and denied knowing anything about Balke-Thompson before kicking them off his property.
On May 5, 2020, at approximately 5:00 p.m., the Carroll County Communications Center received a call from an officer with the Rockwell City Police Department. The officer advised that friends and relatives were looking for Balke-Thompson because they had not heard from him since May 3, 2020, at around 2:00 a.m.
On May 5, 2020, at around 5:00 p.m., the Rockwell City Police Department requested assistance from the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office in helping to locate Balke-Thompson.
On May 5, 2020, at 10:00 p.m., Balke-Thompson was officially entered as a missing person by the Rockwell City Police.
On May 5, 2020, in the late evening hours, law enforcement, in an attempt to locate Balke-Thompson or evidence concerning his disappearance, executed a search warrant on the Wolfe property. A Carroll County deputy and an Iowa State Patrol Trooper noticed fresh activity around the burn site, including a car buried underneath rubble. II appeared that a nearby skid loader had been used to cover the car with dirt, manure, and debris. The burned-out condition of the car and the debris piled on it made it impossible to find a vehicle identification number.
The deputy compared the engine compartment components and the rear light moldings on the burned chassis to internet images of a 1997 Toyota Corolla and determined that they were consistent. Phone calls to Balke-Thompson went directly to voicemail.
In interviews with law enforcement, Wolfe admitted to dismantling and cutting up the Corolla but denied knowing anything about Balke-Thompson’s disappearance. Wolfe stated that when the car caught fire, it burned the car, the shed, and some of the contents in the shed.
Wolfe also said that he had found a phone in a plastic bag near his mailbox. It was later determined that the phone Wolfe said he had found was BalkeThompson’s phone.
During interviews with law enforcement over the next three years, MW has provided the following information. MW said she was driving the Corolla when they arrived at the Wolfe farm because Balke-Thompson was sleeping. MW said Wolfe told her to pull the car into a shed on the property. MW said she did that and then went into the house, leaving Balke-Thompson in the Corolla. MW said minutes later, she heard what MW described as a shotgun blast. MW ran to the shed and saw that Wolfe had shot Balke-Thompson. MW said Balke-Thompson was wrapped in a tarp, taken to a burn pile on the property, and set on fire. MW admitted to staying an extended time on Wolfe’s farm after Balke-Thompson’s death.
From June 2020 through March 2024, multiple searches of the property have been conducted. Balke-Thompson has not been found.
