In 1992, around 7 p.m. on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, at least 40 people packed the Drake Diner in Des Moines as a line trailed out the front door into the cool, drizzly night.
A man wearing a hooded sweatshirt rushed passed the crowd and grabbed the manager, Cara McGrane, 25, by the neck. The man shot her point-blank. She died instantly.
Burnett, who had come into Drake Diner on his day off to set up a Christmas tree, ran to help McGrane. The man shot Burnett, and he too died instantly.
The assailant stole less than $500 from the cash register and fled the Diner as others ducked for cover.
View of the shooting location taken on a recent trip to the Drake Diner. (2024)
Drake Diner
Drake Diner shooting location.
Cases near this location
Showing cases with mapped locations within miles of this stop.
Mysterious Disappearance of Johnny Gosch
Gosch House
Rocky Marciano: The Legacy and Tragic Death of the Undefeated Champion
https://youtu.be/M5hMpw5E9KE The above locations can be see in the above…
Remembering Paul Gray: The Shocking Death of Slipknot Bassist
Paul is buried in Highland Memory Gardens cemetery only a short distance…
Remembering Ashley Okland: Murder in Des Moines
Ashleys residence at the time of her murder.
Graves of Cara and Tim
Grave of H. Timothy Burnett.
Cases near this location
Showing cases with mapped locations within miles of this stop.
Remembering Paul Gray: The Shocking Death of Slipknot Bassist
Room 431, where Paul Gray died of a drug overdose on May 24, 2010.
Rocky Marciano: The Legacy and Tragic Death of the Undefeated Champion
https://youtu.be/M5hMpw5E9KE The above locations can be see in the above…
Mysterious Disappearance of Johnny Gosch
Gosch House
Remembering Ashley Okland: Murder in Des Moines
Ashleys residence at the time of her murder.
Grave of Cara McGrane.
Cases near this location
Showing cases with mapped locations within miles of this stop.
Rocky Marciano: The Legacy and Tragic Death of the Undefeated Champion
https://youtu.be/M5hMpw5E9KE The above locations can be see in the above…
Mysterious Disappearance of Johnny Gosch
Gosch House
Remembering Paul Gray: The Shocking Death of Slipknot Bassist
Room 431, where Paul Gray died of a drug overdose on May 24, 2010.
Remembering Ashley Okland: Murder in Des Moines
Ashleys residence at the time of her murder.
Joseph Hodges White
Joseph H. White was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. As of May, 2025 he has been denied parole and remains incarcerated at Anamosa State Penitentiary. White is due for his next hearing in November, 2025 and hopefully he will remain incarcerated for many more years. We have intentionally not included any pictures of White in this article.
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