Retired West Des Moines Police Capt. Lyle McKinney died June 27, 2017 of pancreatic cancer. He was 76.
McKinney was an optimistic, dedicated lawman who served West Des Moines for 30 years. His career spanned the growth of West Des Moines from a small town on the edge of Des Moines to a powerhouse of residential, commercial and retail development it is today. McKinney probably was best known to longtime residents as one of the lead investigators of the disappearance of 12-year-old Johnny Gosch, a Des Moines Register paper carrier who vanished Sept. 5, 1982, and was never found.
McKinney worked tirelessly with state and federal authorities, including Gene Meyer. Meyer is president of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, but he spent most of his career as an administrator in the Iowa Division of Criminal investigation.
Meyer talked about how McKinney’s dedicated public service, including travel across the country with DCI agents to follow leads about possible sightings of Gosch. “Lyle was one of those longtime public servants who did his job well, did it quietly and without expectation of limelight, and he loved his profession,” said Meyer, who’s also been West Des Moines mayor. “He deeply loved West Des Moines. That was where his roots were.”
We honor you, Lyle McKinney.