October 14, 2024
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa - On February 17, 2024, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call reporting an unidentified deceased female body located in rural Fremont County, Iowa. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office requested the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to assist with the investigation.
The body was transported to the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner and later identified as Brianne McIntosh, 28, of Council Bluffs, Iowa. Autopsy results indicate that McIntosh sustained severe facial injury related to her death. McIntosh had been reported as a missing person to the Omaha Police Department on December 12, 2023, by a relative.
On October 14, 2024, DCI agents, the Council Bluffs Police Department, and the 4th Judicial Fugitive Investigation Unit arrested Justin Sickler, 45, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, on the following criminal charges related to McIntosh’s death:
Count 1: Murder in the First Degree (Class A Felony)
Count 2: Abuse of a Corpse (Class C Felony)
Count 3: Theft in the 3rd Degree (Aggravated Misdemeanor)
Sickler was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail.
Note: A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Booking Photo
ABOUT THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
The Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) is the largest law enforcement agency in the state. It includes seven divisions and several bureaus, all working together with local, state, and federal government agencies and the private sector to keep Iowa a safe place by following our core values: leadership, integrity, professionalism, courtesy, service, and protection. Divisions within the Iowa DPS: Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa State Fire Marshal Division, Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, Professional Development and Support Services Division, and Administrative Services Division. The Department of Public Safety is led by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Governor.
Iowa Department of Public Safety
215 E. 7th St.
Des Moines, IA 50319
Donald Schnitker, Assistant Director, DCI Field Operations Bureau
215 E 7th St
Des Moines, IA 50319