01/14/1979
Name: Kenneth Rex Carter
Born: 1937 – Moulton, Iowa
Died: January 14, 1979 – Des Moines, Iowa
Spouse: Penny Barbour
Services for Kenneth "Rex" Carter, 41, of 5115 S.W. Sixty-Ninth St., who died of gunshot wounds Saturday, will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Dahlstrom Funeral Home. Burial will be at Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery.
Mr. Carter was shot to death at his place of business, Carter's Used Cars, 706 E. Thirtieth St.
He was born in Moulton and lived in Des Moines 19 years.
Survivors include his wife, Penny; two daughters, Tamara and Candis, both of Des Moines; two sons, Kevin of Des Moines and Tony of Los Angeles, Calif.: a brother, Don of Des Moines; a sister, Marilyn Christian of Los Angeles, and his father, Kenneth Carter of Centerville.
The funeral will be Tuesday in Des Moines, Iowa.
Burial:
Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery
Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa
Dahlstrom Funeral Home
THIS IS NOT AN OBITUARY IT'S A NEWSPAPER CLIPPING January 13, 1979.
The body of a used car lot owner was found early Sunday by Des Moines Police in the Man's business office at 706 E. Thirtieth St.
Kenneth Rex Carter, 42, of 5115 S.W. Sixty-ninth St., is the city's first homicide victim of the new year. A record-tying 30 homicides occurred in Des Moines last year.
Dr R.C. Wooters, Polk County medical examiner, said Carter died of gunshot wounds to the heart and right lower chest.
Carter, shot with a .32 caliber handgun, apparently died sometime Saturday night, Dr. Wooters said.
Police found the body lying near a counter in the one-story frame office building about 1:30 a.m.
Carter's father-in-law, Alex Barbour, of 1524 Royer St. said he called police about 11:30 p.m. Saturday "because I was worried about him (Carter) – it just wasn't like him (not to come home).
Investigators said Carter was last seen alive by his son, Kevin, about 1 p.m.
Kevin told police that Carter was closing up the business for the day because of the weather.Barbour and Kevin went to the used car lot, which contains about 100 cars, about 1 a.m. and found Carter's truck parked next to the building with it's engine running, police said. The two men then called police.
The business office, at the back of the car lot, was locked from the outside with a padlock, and the lights were out when police arrived.
Officers said they had to break down the door to enter the office.
Lt. Ed Harlan said police found no signs of a struggle between Carter and his assailant.
No arrests had been made early Sunday Night.